So I am not going to bore you with a bunch of main course recipes…you have Google and there are real chefs that can help you with designing your masterpieces. I did however think it would be helpful to include some types for your turkey and ham.
So I Love to deep fry my turkey. I started doing this in the military and the results are amazing. The key to the perfect deep fried turkey is your injection marinade before hand and your oil temperature during cooking.
I like to keep my marinades simple…I usually do a mixture of Franks Red Hot and Butter on one side of the bird, and buttery with rosemary on the other. You can get fancy with this step…different hot sauces, different spices, but I find the simple injections are the best. Oil temp is the other big thing, and this plays into the safety side of things. Make sure you are monitoring your oil temp and maintaining 350 degrees. Good trick is to get temp to 375 degrees before dropping in the turkey. PLEASE…look up some safety videos on YouTube if it is your first time. Make sure your turkey is fully defrosted and dry before placing in the hot oil.
For the Ham best bet is to Sous Vide that pig! Basically it is a set it and forget it method so you can focus on other tasks…like tackling that drunk Uncle before he tells your 6 year old about all the fun he can have in Vegas. Place your ham in an airtight ziploc (freezer bag) and set your Sous Vide to 145 degrees (if you do not plan on glazing, if you plan on glazing set to 140 degrees). Thats it now walk away for about 4 hours and when you return the ham is ready. This year I am not glazing my ham but i will be making a side mustard…recipe below.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons dry mustard
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Place a strainer over a medium-sized bowl (able to hold about 2 cups of liquid). Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil while monitoring closely and stirring often. As soon as the mixture comes to boil, pour it through the strainer into the bowl. Let cool, then cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.