Thanksgiving is the holiday that has grown very popular as a tradition here in the United States since Abraham Lincoln signed the Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1863.   We’ve come to know this holiday as the day of abundance. Abundance of thanks, abundance of family, and, of course, an abundance of food!

Do you have any idea what meals the Puritans and Wampanoag enjoyed at a harvest feast in 1621? Besides venison, the centerpiece was goose or duck, not turkey. Surprised? These were the more plentiful fowl at that time of year.  To conclude, I will leave you with a few Thanksgiving recipes, one that quacks and one that gobbles, for your Thanksgiving meal.

Turkey w/ Brown Sugar Glaze

Prep Time: 40 Min.          Cook Time: 2 hrs. 45 min.          Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 1 whole turkey (about 12 pounds), thawed if frozen, rinsed, and patted dry (neck and giblets chopped into 2-inch pieces; liver discarded)
• 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus 2 tablespoons orange juice

Step 1

Let turkey sit at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Place neck, giblets, carrots, celery, and onion in a heavy-bottomed metal roasting pan. Set a roasting rack over vegetables and coat with cooking spray.

Step 2

Tuck wing tips underneath body of turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Rub turkey all over with 2 tablespoons butter; season with salt and pepper. Place turkey on rack in pan; roast on bottom oven rack until golden brown, 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Add 2 cups water to pan; roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh reads 125 degrees, about 1 hour.

Step 3

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring vinegar, brown sugar, and orange juice to a boil over high, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons butter and orange zest.

Step 4

When thermometer reads 125 degrees, brush turkey with glaze. Rotate pan and roast, brushing turkey with remaining glaze every 15 minutes, until thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh reads 165 degrees, 30 to 45 minutes (tent turkey with foil if browning too quickly). Transfer turkey to a platter. Loosely tent with foil and let rest 30 minutes before carving. Reserve pan with drippings for pan gravy.

Roasted Duck

Prep Time: 35 min.               Cook Time: 1 hr.                     Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 (5 to 5 1/2 pounds each) ducks, innards and wing tips removed
• 6 quarts chicken broth
• Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Unwrap the ducks and allow them to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. With a fork, prick the skin without piercing the meat. This will allow the fat to drain off while the ducks cook.

Meanwhile, in a very large stock pot which can hold the 2 ducks, heat the chicken broth with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt until it boils. Add the ducks very carefully and bring the stock back to a boil. If there isn’t enough stock to cover the ducks, add the hottest tap water to cover. If the ducks float to the top, place a plate on top to keep them immersed. When the stock comes back to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the ducks in the stock for 45 minutes.

When the ducks are finished simmering, skim off enough duck fat from the top of the stock to pour a film on the bottom of a 14 by 18 by 3-inch roasting pan. This will keep the ducks from sticking when they roast. Carefully take the ducks out of the stock, holding them over the pot to drain. Place them in the roasting pan, pat the skin dry with paper towels, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. If you have time, allow the ducks to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the skin to dry.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. (Be sure your oven is very clean or it will smoke!) Roast the ducks for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 20 minutes. Serve warm.