No, Il Brodo is not 'my brother,' although we did see my brother (and his dear family) this holiday. Il Brodo was this giant pot of broth that Rick and I made using turkey wings, two pounds of short ribs, and a whole chicken, and which we used to season the turkey gravy, stuffing, and sweet potatoes. Il Brodo was by far the most complicated item we made for Thanksgiving, but the most fun...
mainly because we got to buy this 16 quart pot to cook it in... our first bubbling cauldron! (FYI I found it at Mission Restaurant Supply for $25 - what a steal!)
This year I lobbied for an Italian-themed Thanksgiving meal, which won the family majority only after I assured them that it would include a turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes. Inspired by the November issue of La Cucina Italiana (maybe my new favorite magazine to replace Gourmet), here was our menu:
Cranberry & Pear Chutney w/ lemon zest
Haricot Verts w/ Cherry Tomatoes & Basil
Mashed Sweet Potatoes w/ ginger & cinnamon
and
We started the Brodo Wednesday morning before the big day, and it was finished by about 1pm. That left time for it to cool down so that we could handle the chicken, turkey, and ribs and remove the meat from the bone. The leftover meat was then combined with egg, parmesan, and mashed potatoes to make these croquettas, which made for a perfect Thanksgiving Eve meal!
The next morning Rick and I started the main preparations...
We sauteed the leeks and toasted the rustic bread for the stuffing...
We made the cauliflower sformato, which was an incredibly sublime dish: boiled cauliflower, wrung of its juices, is combined with bechamel, parmesan, and eggs and then baked in a casserole coated with butter & bread crumbs.
And while the little ones were preoccupied by setting the table...
We got the turkey out of the oven!
We made the gravy in the roasting pan with the remaining roasted garlic cloves, oranges, and turkey drippings.
The old favorites - the sweet potatoes and the green beans - came together in a flash. Now I understand why we should always include those in the menu! They're just too easy, and too tasty. In the end, it made a lovely spread...
with a sweet ending!
Happy Thanksgiving!
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