T-Day with a Twist

St. John chefs put together a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast - island-style.

The challenge was simple: We want recipes for classic Thanksgiving dishes, but with a Caribbean spin. And St. John's chefs certainly rose to it. Thanks to all the chefs who helped pull this mouthwatering menu together!

Citrus, Spiced Rum, and Brown Sugar-Glazed Turkey with Pan Gravy

With its sweet, tangy, and aromatic gravy, this turkey showcases some classic island flavors

For the glaze:

½ gallon orange juice - no pulp
1 bottle Captain Morgan spiced rum (or other spiced rum)
1 ½ cups brown sugar

Place all three ingredients in saucepan and whisk together. Let come to a boil over medium heat, and then reduce heat to low. Let reduce down to a moderately thick glaze (this will also burn off the alcohol).

For the turkey:

1 12-14 lb turkey, rinsed and patted dry
3 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
2 small oranges
1 head fresh garlic
1 small yellow onion
3 cups turkey or chicken stock (or bullion)
Citrus Rum glaze (from above)

The night before, baste turkey, inside and out, with the glaze. Place in a disposable roasting pan and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in refrigerator overnight.

Remove turkey from refrigerator and let stand 1 hour.

Set oven rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Cut oranges and onion in quarters and garlic head in half, horizontally. Rub turkey inside and out with salt, and stuff with onions and oranges. Tuck wing tips under turkey and loosely tie legs together. Pour 3 cups of chicken broth into the pan with the bird.

Roast turkey for 45 minutes. Baste with pan juices. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and cover loosely with foil. Roast turkey, continuing to baste regularly with pan juices, until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees--another 3-4 hours, roughly. When your thermometer hits around 150, remove foil to brown the top of the turkey, just make sure it doesn't burn.

When turkey reaches 165, transfer to platter, tent with foil and let rest 30-45 minutes (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees).

For the pan gravy:

5 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper
cornstarch or flour

Pour juices from roasting pan into large measuring cup. Spoon off the fat that rises to the surface. Add enough chicken (or turkey) broth to measure 5 cups (adding a bit of the fat if desired). Place in a saucepan on the stove. Mix enough water with the cornstarch or flour to make a thin liquid (called a slurry). Heat gravy to a boil and slowly whisk in the slurry to desired thickness.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve turkey with pan gravy - happy Thanksgiving!

Julie Van Pelt, East/West Catering

Chipotle Sweet Potato Mash

Smoky chipotle and a little bit of orange zest carry this mashed potato substitute over the top.

4 pounds local yams (or stateside sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 chipotle pepper (canned in adobo sauce), minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon orange zest
½ cup unsalted butter cut into pieces

Steam or boil potatoes (sweet and Russet) until soft all the way through.

In a mixing bowl, mash potatoes and add chipotle, coriander, and orange zest. Then add the butter, one piece a at a time, incorporating each piece thoroughly until you have the desired consistency.

Serve and enjoy.

Jim McManus, Shipwreck Landing

Green Beans Trinidad

Our favorite thing about this dish is that it takes all of 10 minutes to prepare.

2 lbs. green beans, snapped and washed
1 red bell pepper, sliced in long, thin strips
3-4 Tbs. Trinidad Charlie's West Indian Pumpkin Pepper Sauce
Olive Oil

Blanch green beans in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute (until bright green). Remove and run under cold water, to keep them from cooking longer.
Toss beans with Pumpkin Pepper sauce and about a tablespoon of olive oil. Grill over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
Toss with red peppers (you can grill these too, but we liked the contrast of crunchy raw peppers with grilled beans), and more hot sauce, to taste. Enjoy!

Sun Times test kitchen

Coconut Corn Pone with Mango Butter

This is a Southern dish - a sweetened cross between cornbread and polenta - that works wonderfully with tropical fruits.

For the pone:
1 ½ cups of self-rising corn meal
1 stick of butter
1 cup of sugar
3 ½ cups of boiling water
2 eggs
1/3 cup sifted flour
2/3 cup of coconut milk
1 ½ cups shredded coconut

Place cornmeal, butter, and sugar in a large bowl. Add boiling water to scald the meal. Add eggs, flour and coconut milk. Mix for several minutes with an electric mixer on low speed to get all the lumps out. Pour into a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Let set for 1 hour before cutting.

For the butter:
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup of honey
¼ cup fresh mango, coarsely chopped

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor and spread on corn pone. (Also great on toast, waffles and pancakes!)

Val Prakas, Greek Night at the Inn at Tamarind Court

Cranberry Orange Vodka Sorbet & Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

In New England, in November, no one wants ice cream. Here, on the other hand, it hits the spot.

For sorbet:
1 cup orange juice
zest of half an orange
1 bag whole cranberries
2 cups sugar
superfine sugar (optional, to taste)
Stoli Ohranj
Equipment - food processor or blender, ice cream machine (or just a freezer and a lot of patience)

Simmer whole cranberries in 1 cup of orange juice with sugar and orange zest for half an hour. Add 1/8 of a cup of Stoli Ohranj in the last 5 minutes. Puree in food processor or blender and check for sweetness. If it's too tart, adjust with superfine sugar. (You do want this a little bit tart, to balance the ice cream's richness.) Chill and then spin in an ice cream maker until it reaches the desired consistency.

(Note: If you do not have an ice cream maker, fill a large bowl with ice, water and salt. Pour your sorbet or custard--below--into a smaller bowl and rest it in the ice. Put it in the freezer, taking it out and stirring thoroughly every five minutes, for about an hour.)

For ice cream:
2 cups of heavy cream
1 cup of whole milk
¾ cup sugar
8 egg yolks
2 eggs
¼ tsp. salt
2 T honey
1 ½ cups pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
cinnamon
nutmeg
Equipment - food processor or blender, ice cream machine (or just a freezer and a lot of patience, see above)

In a heavy saucepan, heat cream, milk, half a cup of sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin - stir. Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk egg yolks, eggs, salt and remaining sugar together for 1-2 minutes, until thick.

Slowly whisk a few ladlefuls of the hot cream into the egg mixture, being careful not to add too much at a time (otherwise, the eggs will begin to cook). Whisk constantly over medium heat until it thickens. Remove custard and strain through a fine mesh strainer. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight before churning in the ice cream maker.

Serve sorbet and ice cream together, and garnish with a cinnamon stick, cranberries or a twist of orange.

Alexandra Ewald, La Tapa

November 2009