Brushing a simple herb butter over the turkey before and during cooking is a straightforward, time-honored way of achieving great flavor and crisp skin.
See the recipe for Herbed Roast Turkey ».
André Baranowski
Our Ultimate Guide of the finest thanksgiving recipes, including turkey, desserts, starters, stuffing, gravy and much more.
We couldn’t resist creating a menu of our staff’s favorite Thanksgiving recipes—from Louisiana-style spinach madeleine and cheddar cheese biscuits to family heirloom recipes such as apple, sausage, and sage stuffing and Van Valkenburg hot slaw—updated with new classics including an autumn panzanella, sage-brined turkey, and brown butter walnut pie with sour whipped cream. This crowd-pleasing spread definitely has something for everyone. Get the full menu »
Cedar-Smoked Salmon
UNITED STATES You don’t need a smoker to lend a slightly spicy, faintly sweetish hint of the outdoors to fresh salmon. On board a friend’s boat in Alaskan waters, we improvised this method with strips from cedar logs. Back home, we substituted shakes of untreated aromatic cedar (sold by the bundle at lumberyards and hardware stores).
Bananas Foster Milkshake
Caramel and rum are perfect partners for bananas in this thick and creamy milk shake, a riff on a classic New Orleans dessert; we got the idea for the shake from our friend Drew Curren, chef of 24 Diner in Austin, Texas. You can substitute a porter beer for the rum, if you like.
Filet a Salmon
It’s easy, and worthwhile, to filet your own salmon: not only is doing so far more economical than buying presliced filets, but the practice gives you access to all the tasty, overlooked parts of the fish, such as the belly, head, and collars. See How to Filet a Salmon »
Cobb Salad
Los Angeles’s Brown Derby closed its doors long ago, but this classic salad, invented in 1937 by the restaurant’s owner, Robert H. Cobb, lives on.
French Apple Tart
By carefully layering the apples you can create a beautiful rose pattern in this elegant fruit tart.
Henry C. Ramos’s Gin Fizz
A mix of orange flower water and gin gives this venerable New Orleans cocktail a floral character with hints of juniper, while an egg white and heavy cream give it frothy body. The longer you shake the cocktail, the frothier it gets. See the recipe for Henry C. Ramos’s Gin Fizz »
Horchata with Chocolate and Pumpkin Seeds
Horchata, a cool, creamy drink popular across Latin America, is frequently made from ground almonds and rice. This decadent adaptation, spiked with cinnamon and dark chocolate, tastes rich and nutty and makes a delightful liquid dessert.
Book Club Sangria
This sweet-tart wine punch was invented by members of the Junior League of Houston book club in the 1970s.
Chico
This drink takes its ruby color from blackberry liqueur.
The prickly pear cactus thrives in the deserts of the American Southwest; its bulbous red fruit is prized for many Mexican and Tex-Mex preparations. This legendary margarita, which takes its distinctive flavor from the fruit, comes from bartender Ruben Bernal at Las Canarias restaurant in San Antonio, Texas.
Tex-Mex Michelada
Lime juice, Worcestershire, and hot sauce add kick to this spicy lager refresher.
Watermelon gives the Silver Coin Margarita, from Austin’s Fonda San Miguel, its refreshing kick. We recommend using Herradura Silver Tequila.
