A feast of friendship

Who are we truly most thankful for?

Thanksgiving Day is usually reserved for family reunions, but the next day, the celebration is over. Refrigerators are packed full of leftovers that may or may not be eaten. Your home and dining table still boast the bounty of fall décor. Perhaps one of the new orange poinsettias at the nurseries, or an autumn wreath on your front door.

Why not make the most of this food-focused holiday by creating a second party the next day? Plan a “Day After Thanksgiving” banquet for your best friends, your “inner circle,” those who graced you throughout the year with support and encouragement. Like all of us, they will love feeling appreciated!

Many years ago we started this tradition and it continues to this day. We list all those people who make up our “family of choice” and invite them to bring their favorite leftovers to our open house. We set out a fresh roasted turkey and a ham, re-plate our own leftovers, and supply beverages.

Such a heart-warming gathering! Conversation happens easily as people share their family’s traditional foods along with stories of the recipes and where they came from. Communion among your guests deepens and grows richer as the evening goes on, especially if you invite each guest in turn to tell everyone assembled what they are feeling particularly thankful for this year.

This is the most effective party yet for guests to really connect and bond. (If your guests are shy and you think this might put them on the spot, take turns welcoming each guest and telling them specifically why you love and appreciate them.)

And here is my greatest holiday suggestion for keeping clean-up easy:

These gorgeous lacquer chop plates are on sale at Sur La Table stores. Only $4 each, they lend elegance and a sturdy base to seasonal paper plates for those who may be dining from their laps.

They also make clean-up a breeze. (Yes, this really is a paper plate!)

Recent research by Russian scientist Konstantin Korotkov reveals that our brain’s highest measurable vibration is gratitude. During our long Thanksgiving weekend we may feel thankful and count our blessings, but do we really take advantage of this opportunity to express appreciation to all our loved ones?

This year, truly express your appreciation for all the people who matter most.

DIANA’S CHAMPAGNE ROAST TURKEY

WITH HERB STUFFING AND GRAVY

I always baste my turkeys with butter and Champagne and here is my family's favorite preparation. Placing cheesecloth over the turkey to absorb the basting liquids produces the most gorgeous, tasty skin! A large, room-temperature turkey easily cooks in three to four hours.

For 16 servings with leftovers

1 fresh, free-range turkey (22 to 25 pounds)

½ stick butter, softened to room temperature

Salt and pepper

Cheesecloth

1 onion, quartered

2 cups cut-up or baby carrots

2 stalks celery, cut up

2 leeks, white part only, cut in half lengthwise and rinsed under cold water, then sliced

3/4 pound (3 sticks) butter, melted

1 bottle Champagne (if making a smaller turkey, use a half bottle)

STUFFING:

2 medium onions, minced

1 1/2 pounds (6 sticks) butter

6 cups chicken broth

2 teaspoons coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh (or 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon dried) sage, to taste

3 (16 ounce) packages herb stuffing mix. (I prefer Pepperidge Farm brand, crumbled not cubed)

6 or more stalks celery, including some tops, diced fine (measures 4 cups)

2 cups finely chopped fresh parsley

TURKEY GRAVY:

9 cups chicken broth

1 large onion, quartered

2 stalks celery, cut up

Stems from one bunch parsley

10-12 black peppercorns

1 cup fat from cooking the turkey

1 cup all-purpose flour

Spice Islands chicken stock base (for extra flavor if needed)

About ½ teaspoon KITCHEN BOUQUET for color, if needed

The day before the party, begin the stuffing.

In a very large Dutch oven, place the onions, butter and chicken broth and a few teaspoons of fresh or dried rubbed sage, along with 2 teaspoons salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer and stir until the butter is melted. Pour in the bags of stuffing mix, and toss lightly and quickly to dampen the crumbs evenly, then add the celery and parsley, tossing to distribute evenly. Taste to correct the seasoning, adding more sage if needed (I like a lot), and more salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to stuff the bird.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place the rack on the bottom position. (Use an oven thermometer for accuracy.) Remove the giblets and neck from turkey cavities. Rinse them and set aside.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine the broth, cut-up onion and celery, parsley stems and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer. Add the giblets (except liver) and neck. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a slow simmer, and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Add the liver and simmer about 15 minutes longer. Remove giblets and strain broth. Set both aside. When the giblets are cool enough to handle, cut them in small pieces. Using your fingers, pull the meat off the neck in shreds and add them to the giblets. Spoon a few spoonfuls of broth over them to keep them moist and refrigerate until adding to the gravy.

Have the roasting pan ready and waiting next to your work area. (I line my roasting pan with a foil roasting pan the same size that I can discard to save cleanup.) Take care that both turkey and stuffing are cold or at room temperature so bacteria won’t grow.

Rinse the turkey under cold water and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Turn the turkey breast down and season the neck cavity with salt and pepper. Fill the cavity loosely with stuffing and turn the turkey over, placing it on a rack in a large roasting pan, and tucking under the loose flap of neck to hold its stuffing in. Fold and tuck the wing tips under the turkey.

Season the main turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey very loosely, as stuffing swells while cooking. Tie the legs together. This will partially close the cavity to hold the stuffing in place and give the turkey a more natural, compact appearance. Place the remaining stuffing in an oven-proof serving dish. (The stuffing from inside the turkey will be quite wet, and the stuffing cooked separately in the oven will be "dry.") Rub the turkey all over with the ½ stick softened butter. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

In a medium saucepan or glass measuring cup, melt the 3 sticks butter and add the Champagne. Cut cheesecloth so it measures about 17 inches square and has four layers. Rinse under cold water and squeeze dry. Place in butter and wine and let soak a few moments, then lift it out, squeezing it gently and leaving it damp, place it over the turkey breast and part of the legs.

Put the turkey in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Pour some more of the butter/Champagne mixture over the bird and lower the temperature to 350 degrees. Continue to baste in this manner for 2 more hours and using up all the basting liquid. If the roasting pan is getting dry, add a little of the giblet broth; if it is getting too full, spoon our some juices to keep the level below the rack.

Remove the cheesecloth. Baste with any remaining butter/Champagne mixture and cook up to one more hour, using a bulb baster to baste with pan juices every 20 to 30 minutes. If any of the bird is getting too brown, cover those areas loosely with aluminum foil.

Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest portion of the thigh. It should register at least 170 degrees (some say 180, but I think that will overcook the bird). If not done enough, continue cooking for another 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven. Move the rack to the center of the oven and bake the extra stuffing and any other side dishes you’ve made while you make the gravy. Insert the thermometer into the center of the stuffing. It should read at least 140 degrees, but if it does not, remove it from the bird and place in its own baking dish in the oven as well.

Place the turkey where you will carve it and cover loosely with foil to stay warm. Pour the juices from the roasting pan into a bowl or 8-cup measure. Let rest a minute while the fat rises to the top. Spoon the fat off the top and reserve ½ cup, discarding the rest. Place the ½ cup fat in a heavy saucepan with ½ cup flour and stir this roux over medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes. (Alternatively, if you wish to eliminate fat from the gravy, simply shake flour and water together in a sealed jar before stirring them into the simmering giblet broth and pan juices.) Some in our family don’t like giblets, so I use two bowls for serving the gravy, adding the giblets to only half the gravy.

TO PREPARE IN ADVANCE: The stuffing may be made a day in advance and refrigerated, but our family objected when I tried that once because they love to sample the warm stuffing as it comes together. Leftover turkey freezes perfectly and is great to have on hand for making soups, noodle dishes like Turkey Tetrazzini, curry, and enchiladas. Leftover stuffing and gravy freeze well. You may wish to make up your own frozen dinners with a little bit of everything for simple family fare in the coming weeks.