ÖOne of the most feared comments for anyone who has only spent hours preparing a meal is that it is “too dry”. The horror! It’s almost as bad as declaring a dish tasteless. Both of these comments are particularly undesirable during a meal like Thanksgiving, where the stakes are high – really high.
Homemade sauces can help on both fronts: They’re a surefire way to add both moisture and delicious taste to your vacation meal. Gravy is already a must for most people who add turkey or mashed potatoes to their plates. With the right sauce, you can add another layer of flavor to other dishes on the Thanksgiving table as well. America’s Test Kitchen’s new book, The Complete Autumn & Winter Cookbook ($ 22) features three Thanksgiving sauce recipes that are not only bursting with flavor, but made with herbs known to help prevent chronic inflammation. This is where Sara Meyer, Senior Editor on America’s Test Kitchen’s cookbook team, shares the full recipes and which Thanksgiving dishes go well with them.
3 recipes for anti-inflammatory thanksgiving sauce
1. Recipe for gluten-free turkey sauce
Turkey sauce can be high in sodium and is often made from all-purpose flour, which can be flammable for those sensitive to gluten. This recipe is made with a gluten-free flour and instead of relying solely on salt for flavor, it uses anti-inflammatory herbs, thyme and garlic. Thyme is full of antioxidants that help fight off free radicals – unstable molecules produced by the body that contribute to aging and disease. Garlic is known to help support the liver, immune system, and heart.
Check out the following video to learn more about the health benefits of garlic:
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“We recommend using King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour ($ 7) or Betty Crocker’s All-Purpose Gluten-Free All-Purpose Rice Flour Mix ($ 5),” says Meyer. “These are our favorite mixes of everyone on the market.” She also doesn’t recommend using an alternative bean flour for this recipe, as this could give the sauce a strong bean flavor – not ideal here. Some of the other ingredients you’ll need to make this sauce, in addition to your alternative flour and herbs, include turkey ingredients, broth, onions, carrots, celery, parsley, and a few staples. Get the full recipe below:
For 12 to 16 people (makes 4 cups)
ingredients
6 cups of chicken broth, divided, plus extra as needed
Reserved turkey neck and giblets
Reserved turkey ingredients, cut into 1-inch (1/3 cup) pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
8 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dry white wine
4 tbsp unsalted butter
5 tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/4 cup defatted turkey roast (optional)
1. Bring two cups of stock, reserved neck and giblets, and reserved ingredients to a simmer in the Dutch oven over high heat. Boil, adjust heat to simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally until all liquid has evaporated and ingredients start to sizzle, about 20 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until a dark stock forms at the bottom of the pot, two to four minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the onion, carrot, celery, sprigs of parsley, sprigs of thyme, garlic, pepper and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, eight to 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping off any browned pieces. Add the remaining four cups of broth and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium to low, cover and simmer for an hour. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl; Dispose of solids. (You should have three to four cups of broth. Turkey broth can be refrigerated for up to two days.)
4. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add all-purpose gluten-free flour and raise the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is deep golden brown, five to eight minutes. Reduce the heat to low and slowly stir in the strained broth, scraping off any brown pieces and smoothing out any lumps. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Simmer until thickened, about five minutes. Add the drops if used and dilute the sauce with additional broth if desired. Season with salt and pepper and serve. FYI: Sauce can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to two weeks. Simmer over medium-low heat to warm up, stirring occasionally.
2. Recipe for seasoned apple chutney
Meyer says that a warming spiced apple chutney is delicious with turkey too, a sweet alternative to sauce. (Or, hey, try them both!) She says it can be paired with potato fritters, vegetable fritters, smoked salmon, pancakes, waffles, chicken, and tenderloin, so it’s worth saving a little to use in other meals too use. There is a trio of anti-inflammatory herbs in this recipe: ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This is on top of the apples themselves, which of course have their own nutritional benefits, including their good cardiovascular health.
“You really can’t screw this recipe up,” says Meyer. She adds that if you’d prefer the consistency to be more gravy than a chutney, just cook it longer, until it resembles a thinner applesauce texture.
For 32 servings (makes 2 cups)
ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup apple jelly
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1. In a 12-inch nonstick pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook apples for about five minutes, until lightly browned. Stir in shallots, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg and cook for about a minute until they are fragrant. Stir in apple jelly and vinegar, bring to a simmer and cook until thickened and let cool completely for about two hours. (Chutney can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week; allow to come to room temperature before serving.)
3. Recipe for grapefruit and basil relish
Some people – especially those in the coastal New England states – use seafood in their Thanksgiving meal, something this bright indulgence is perfect for. “It goes very well with lighter dishes such as fish or oysters on the half-shell,” says Meyer. “You can also have it with pound cake for dessert!”
Grapefruit, which is in season in winter, is rich in vitamin C, which supports the immune system. (Certainly on everyone’s lips at this time of year.) It’s also good for your bones as it contains calcium and phosphorus. The recipe also calls for basil and shallots, both of which are directly linked to reducing inflammation. The only other ingredients you’ll need are lemon juice and olive oil (full of heart-healthy fats). “This relish is super easy and doesn’t even have to be cooked,” says Meyer. Like the apple chutney, it’s another one that really can’t be screwed up.
For 16 people (makes 1 cup)
ingredients
2 red grapefruits
1 small shallot, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste
1. Cut off the skin and pulp of grapefruit. Cut grapefruit into eight wedges, then cut across into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Place grapefruits in a colander over the bowl and drain for 15 minutes; measure and place a tablespoon of drained juice and oil in a bowl. Stir in grapefruits and let rest for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar. (Relish can be refrigerated for up to two days.)
By making your own sauce, you have complete control over the ingredients and can minimize the amount of sugar and sodium. Using fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits also makes them more nutrient-rich. But the real gain here is in the taste. When it comes to upgrading Thanksgiving dishes, the secret really lies in the sauce.
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