Thanksgiving

I've started testing some of my Xmas dishes. Being the coocoocook (emphasis as usual on coocoo) that I am I spent every night last week researching my Xmas Eve dinner and my Xmas Day lunch. And of course, most importantly, there's the testing. I shudder, I shudder, at the thought of presenting a meal for an occasion as hallowed as Xmas without thorough testing of each item. You know that dream where everyone is staring at you and you realise you're naked? That's for sissies. Serving an inferior dish? Now THAT's a nightmare...

This weekend, as a first run, I made six items. Of those - one is in the bin, three will be retested with major amendments and two were great except for a couple of minor tweaks. So as you can imagine, since I've been so focused on Xmas, I didn't celebrate Thanksgiving. But as I was sitting there tasting all the lovely things I'd made and rejoicing at how perfect they were and how much I looked forward to serving them for Xmas, I decided Thanksgiving was in order. I know it's rather unorthodox and probably not in the right spirit of said holiday, but in this instance I decided the one deserving thanks is me.

I've always felt inferior to all the perfect girls that were in school with me or going out with my brother. They were gorgeous and I was epically not. I always wished I didn't pale so badly in comparison, that I too had something to offer. And that's when I suddenly realised that there is NO way on God's green earth that any of those girls that used to outpace me would be starting an entire month ahead of time taking all the trouble I do so my family could have an awesome Xmas meal. They're too busy buying shoes and getting powdered puffed and exfoliated.

So all I'm saying is dear family, I may not be the prettiest, most successful, daughter/sister and I'm sorry for that. But at least your Xmas meal won't come prepacked. So as Thanksgivings go, this time I'll leave the thanking to you!

xx

J

TURKEY SAUSAGE AND SWEET LEEK PIE

The idea for this pie is to use leftover turkey, but I want to have a turkey at the Xmas table without a monster on the table. I was hoping for turkey breasts but my Pick n Pay didn't have, however, Spar had turkey chops. They worked well tastewise but it's a pain in the bollocks to debone so I'll try to find breast for the Xmas meal.

Turkey

750g Turkey
8 Cloves garlic crushed
2t Dried oregano
200ml Olive oil
1/2c Lemon juice

Mix all of the above together, put in a roasting tin and cover tightly with foil. Roast at 500F for half an hour, then turn down to 300F. Without opening roast for at least another 1.5 Hours. Check and roast another half an hour if necessary. Debone.

Pie

4 Rashers of streaky bacon chopped up
1/4c Thyme
3T Butter
1T Olive oil
8 Large leeks sliced
750g Cooked turkey
250g Pork sausages
4T Flour
750ml Chicken stock
1/4c Creme fraiche
2T Dried sage
500g Puff pastry
1 Egg

Squeeze the pork out of the sausages and fry with the bacon and thyme in the olive oil and 1T butter until it starts to brown. Add the rest of the butter and all the leeks. Give it a good stir then turn down the heat and cook for half an hour until soft. Add the turkey and season to taste. Add the flour, stir, then the stock and creme fraiche. Cook until it starts to thicken, adding more flour if required. Spoon into pastry dish. Roll the pastry out thinly then sprinkle with the sage. Fold double and roll out again to required size. Cover the turkey and leek mixture with the pastry, brush with egg and score to allow steam to escape. Bake at 375F for about 30 minutes. If the pastry starts to brown but still looks a bit uncooked cover with foil and bake for another 10 minutes.