Use Anthony Bourdain’s ‘three-day method' for a 'seamless' Thanksgiving
The late chef breaks down how he keeps his holiday prep simple and "seamless" to reduce stress.
Homemakers know that holidays can be stressful, and the late chef Anthony Bourdain knew that all too well.
Through trial and error, he discovered a “three-day method” to make it more manageable.
The three-day method entails a Thanksgiving prep timeline to make all the main dishes for the holiday, including turkey and gravy, mushroom-and-chestnut stuffing, brussel sprouts, and cranberry relish.
By divvying up the tasks across three days, you can squeeze it into your busy schedule without fretting about getting it all done in an impossible time crunch.
Homemakers deserve to enjoy the holiday, too, and the late chef's tips can help you do so.
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Day 1
1. Preferably a week in advance, buy everything you'll need and store it in an organized fashion. He recommends cross-check it against your recipes to make sure there isn't anything you've forgotten. He says you'll want both a small "stunt turkey" and a large "business turkey," which, if frozen, will require defrosting immediately.
2. Make your stock. This means buying a separate bag of wings and necks to prep the stock that will give the stuffing its essential turkey flavor and provide the base for what you probably call gravy but he says is, in fact, a sauce.
3. Leave the bread out to get stale for stuffing.
Day 2
1. Turn your turkey stock into turkey sauce or, if you must, "gravy."
2. Assemble and bake the stuffing, covered, so that it doesn't yet brown at all.
3. Make your cranberry relish and store it in an air-tight container in the fridge.
4. Knock out your side dish prep. This will likely includde trimming and halving your brussels sprouts and scrubing your potatoes. He also recommends labelling and organizing everything in the refrigerator, so you can quickly finish the side dishes tomorrow while the birds roast.
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Day 3
1. Roast the stunt turkey, which is for display and is definitely optional. Also ready your garnishes and feel free to dress up the bird like a showpiece. For example, some like to decorate with orange slices and rosemary sprigs, however, you can decorate to personal taste. Have fun with it.
2. Finish your side dishes while the turkey roasts. Potatoes just need to be peeled. You can get everything done on the stovetop while the birds are cooking and hold the sides for quick reheating just before dinner.
3. Roast the business turkey, then dismantle it.
4. Jack your stuffing with turkey grease and brown it, uncovered, in a hot oven.
5. Display the stunt turkey in all its glory, which he says should elicit much 'oohs' and 'aahs' from your guests. Then whisk it into the kitchen to be carved.
6. Then, in the relative privacy of your kitchen, you can pull out the business turkey to slice.
