Gobble, gobble! Enjoy this turkey day feast

To make the salad
Combine the lettuces, pear, and walnuts in a bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss.

To make the vinaigrette
Combine the shallot, mustard, vinegar, oil, sugar, honey, and salt and pepper in a jar and shake to emulsify.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes, or until soft and caramelized. Scrape into a large mixing bowl, add the cornbread pieces and the sage, season well with salt and pepper, and give it a good toss until it's well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and stock, and pour that over the cornbread. Stir the stuffing together, spoon it into a buttered baking dish and put it in the oven along with the turkey. Bake until hot and crusty on top, about 30 minutes.

Put the cut potatoes into a large pot, cover them with cold water, and add a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain well. Meanwhile, in a small pot heat the cream, butter, garlic, and thyme. While the potatoes are still warm, press them through a potato ricer or food mill into a bowl. Stir in the warm cream a bit at a time, straining out the solids, until the potatoes are fluffy. Season with salt and pepper and gently fold in the chives. Serve immediately.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a big pinch of salt and the green beans. Cook for about 5 minutes, the beans should still be crisp, they will be cooked more in the oven. Drain them and set aside.  

Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onions caramelize, about 20 to 25  minutes. Add the thyme, rosemary and chives, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the green beans and walnuts, and stir well. Season to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and remove the top rack of the oven.

Put the butter and sage in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Put about half of that in a sauté pan and melt over medium heat. (Reserve the rest for the turkey.) Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes or until soft and golden. Scrape that all into a large mixing bowl, add the cornbread pieces, season well with salt and pepper, and give it a good toss until it’s well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and 1/2 cup stock, and pour that over the cornbread. Stir the stuffing together and set it aside while you work on the turkey.

Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the turkey breast and slip the remaining seasoned butter under, massaging the breast meat as you go. Stuff the bird with the cornbread stuffing and truss it (or just cross the legs over one another and tie with a piece of kitchen twine). Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan, and into the oven.

In a small bowl, stir the maple syrup with 2 tablespoons of hot water to thin. Roast the turkey for 2 hours, basting with the maple glaze every 30 minutes. Then pull the oven rack out a bit so you can get at the turkey and shingle the bacon strips over the breast so it’s totally covered. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170°F. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, about 3 hours total (15 minutes per pound). If the legs or breast brown too quickly during roasting, cover them with foil. Take the turkey out of the oven and put the roasting pan on the stovetop. Transfer the turkey to a serving tray to rest while you make the gravy.  

Skim off most of the fat from the pan drippings with a spoon and put the roasting pan across two burners, over medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the flour, stirring as it thickens to prevent lumps. Pour in the remaining 2-1/2 cups stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly to blend and prevent lumps. Bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavors. Simmer for 5 minutes and then strain to remove the bits. Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy and stuffing.

Combine the water, salt, sugar, rosemary and garlic in a large clean vessel, and stir well.  Submerge the turkey in the brine for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the turkey wings* into a small roasting pan and roast them until they are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, herbs and peppercorns and cook for 5 minutes. Add the turkey wings. Pour some water into the roasting pan and scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom; add this to the pot. Cover everything in the pot with cold water by 1 inch and bring to the boil, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Strain out the solids and discard.

Wipe out the pot and put it over medium heat. Melt the butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the flour. Cook this roux, stirring frequently, until it is golden brown. Slowly whisk in the strained stock, being careful to work out any lumps. Cook until the gravy has thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.

*Cook's note: Also add the backbone and neck from the turkey you are grilling.

Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the garlic, rosemary, black pepper and salt with the back of a wooden spoon.  Pour in pomegranate juice, orange juice, red wine vinegar, honey and olive oil.  Set aside for basting. (This can be made the day before, and kept in the refrigerator overnight)

Have the butcher cut the turkey into 4 pieces and remove the bones from the breast. (Save the neck and backbone for the gravy.)

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator about 1/2 hour before you are ready to grill it. Heat the grill to medium and wipe the grate with some oil. Season the turkey well with salt and pepper. Put the turkey on the grill, skin side down, and cook for 30 minutes. Turn the bird over and continue grilling, baste every ten minutes, until the juices run clear and the internal temperature of the thigh is 180 degrees F, about 1 hour total. Set aside, cover with foil, and let it rest for about 10 minutes before carving.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

To make the pastry
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the ice water and work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the counter and a rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll the dough out into a 10-inch circle. Carefully roll the dough up onto the pin and lay it inside a 9-inch pie pan. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and sides so it fits tightly. Trim the excess dough around the rim and pinch the edges to form a border. Place a piece of parchment paper over the crust and fill with uncooked beans or pie weights. Bake the pie crust until it sets, about 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans. Brush the bottom with the beaten egg white and set aside. While the crust is cooking make the filling.

To make the filling
Puree the pumpkin in a food processor with 1/2 stick butter and a pinch of salt. Measure 1-1/2 cups puree into a bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until the sugar has melted. Add the eggs to the pumpkin puree and whisk well. Add the cream, orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir well to combine. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Place the pie pan on a sturdy cookie sheet to catch any spills. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake until the pie is set but still jiggles slightly, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.

Meanwhile, put the pecans on a baking sheet and bake them with the pie for about 10 minutes to toast them. Remove them from the oven and let them cool. Thaw the cranberries in a strainer set over a bowl to catch the liquid. Put the cookies, pecans, and cranberries into a food processor and pulse them a few times until they are coarsely chopped. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cooled pie and serve immediately.

To make the pastry
Combine the flour, ground pecans, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the ice water and work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Carefully roll the dough up onto the pin (this may take a little practice) and lay it inside a 9-inch pie pan. Press the dough into the pan so it fits tightly and trim the excess around the rim. Place the pie pan on a sturdy cookie sheet so it will be easy to move in and out of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the filling
Melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, remove from heat and let cool. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl until frothy and then blend in the sugar. Stir in the syrup, vanilla, bourbon, salt, and the melted butter mixture until well blended.

Arrange the pecans on the bottom of the pie crust and carefully pour the egg mixture over them. Bake until the filling is set and slightly puffed, about 45 minutes. Test for doneness by sticking a thin knife in the center of the pie, if it comes out pretty clean, you're good to go. Transfer the pie to rack and cool completely before cutting.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake them until they are soft, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and set aside until they are cool enough to handle. While the potatoes are cooking make the pastry.

To make the pastry
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the ice water and work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the counter and a rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll the dough out into a 10-inch circle. Carefully roll the dough up onto the pin and lay it inside a 9-inch pie pan. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and sides so it fits tightly. Trim the excess dough around the rim and pinch the edges to form a border. Place a piece of parchment paper over the crust and fill with uncooked beans or pie weights. Bake the pie crust until it sets, about 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans. Brush the bottom with the beaten egg white and set aside. While the crust is cooking, make the filling.

To make the filling
When cool enough to handle, peel the sweet potatoes and puree the pulp in a food processor with 1/2 stick butter and a pinch of salt. Measure 1-1/2 cups puree into a bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until the sugar has melted. Add the eggs to the sweet potato puree and whisk well. Add the cream, orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir well to combine. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Place the pie pan on a sturdy cookie sheet to catch any spills. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake until the pie is set but still jiggles slightly, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.

Meanwhile, put the pecans on a baking sheet and bake them with the pie for about 10 minutes to toast them. Remove them from the oven and let them cool. Thaw the cranberries in a strainer set over a bowl to catch the liquid. Put the cookies, pecans, and cranberries into a food processor and pulse them a few times until they are coarsely chopped. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cooled pie and serve immediately.