Chefs, cooks offer last-minute Turkey Day tips

Butterball has a Turkey Talk-line for nervous roasters out there, and up till now, the Thanksgiving lead-up has been chock-full of do-ahead advice, recipes and catering options. But all us DIYs are where we are right now, Thanksgiving Eve, for better or worse.

If it's worse, you might want to start cooking, chopping or (insert "Yikes!" here) grocery shopping.

If it's better, kick back, put your feet up and read what some pros and great home cooks had to say when I asked for their best last-minute Thanksgiving tip for the day before.

"Buy a fresh turkey," said Matthew Sheeter, executive chef of the Farmers' Table in Livingston Cooking School. "So many people will go in and try to get a frozen turkey and then they will come up with all kinds of scary ways to try to thaw it out, and it is impossible to thaw out a turkey in one day. It's just too big." He allots about four days in the refrigerator for a frozen turkey.

So if you've waited till today to buy that bird, go fresh.

James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Martha Foose suggested cooking dressing in a Crock-Pot to free up oven space. "This also travels well," staying warm in the pot if you're taking it to the feast. Foose shared a recipe as well. Shred any meat from making stock and add it to the dressing mixture.

Janet Wagner of Madison, who teaches cooking classes under the name Kitchen Goddess, shared a verbal soothing that fell somewhere between a patting of the hand and a talking off the ledge. "Make it simple," she said. "Don't make it so complicated you can't enjoy your guests. Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy family and friends."

Having back-ups on hand gives you support-team peace of mind, and improvising with what's on hand can help, too. "If you're making homemade cranberry sauce, and it doesn't work out, just have a back-up can, or buy some at the deli.

"If your dressing doesn't turn out, cook some pasta. ... Cheese grits are another wonderful thing to use with a turkey," Wagner said.

Alex Eaton, chef/co-owner of The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen, said, "Stuffing the turkey only makes things harder," since by the time stuffing in the cavity is hot, the breast is overcooked. "Instead, put your stuffing between the skin and the breast. That way, you still get flavorful stuffing and a moist breast."

Lou's Full-Serv owner/chef Louis LaRose likes to make sure the turkey is trussed with legs tied properly to make sure it cooks more evenly. "For carving, I remove the breast and slice across the grain and reset the breast as whole on the carcass for classic presentation."

Even in all the feasting frenzy, the turkey needs a rest, too, after roasting. "Resting time for a fully cooked turkey is seven minutes per pound," said La Finestra chef principal Tom Ramsey. "If you cut into it any sooner, all of the juices that run out of the bird will never make their way back in and no amount of gravy can make up for a dry turkey."

Parlor Market executive chef Matthew Kajdan provided some (exclamation) pointed advice, "Make sure your turkey has thawed completely before frying!!" Also, "Do as much the night before as you can." And, "Don't start drinking until after your meal!!"

Saltine chef/owner Jesse Houston had this to share: "Having a well stocked pantry of essentials can help you create an exciting side dish or course seemingly out of thin air. Have a bottle of pomegranate molasses and you can take your turkey, ham or sweet potato casserole to another level (you can find pomegranate molasses at the Aladdin Grocery store on Lakeland in Fondren).

"Sea salt and a great olive oil do wonders for mashed potatoes or seasonal vegetables, as does Meyer lemon juice. Keeping basic dry ingredients at hand, you can always make some killer biscuits or cornbread to accompany your feast, and those can be used to make an unforgettable stuffing with fresh herbs, a little bacon, onion, celery and chicken stock."

Jody Walker of Madison, a finalist in this year's Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest, is all about the do-ahead, but one trick she uses can help the last-minute minded proceed more efficiently with the time they've got left. Two words: Prep cups. She'll measure out everything first, and separate them into groups by recipe. "When it's time to start putting these recipes together, they're already measured out."

Chef Luis Bruno summed up the holiday's celebratory mood.

"Don't feel guilty," Bruno said. "Eat it!"

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