Thanksgiving at the Manor

 

 

Thanksgiving is not a holiday which is celebrated in the U.K. except for North American Ex Pats who found themselves on that side of the pond.  When I worked at the Manor it was for an American family and so every year there would be a huge Thanksgiving feast.  We would have at least 25 people in attendance and it was always a very elaborate affair.

I always really enjoyed pulling together these special dinners. There was a very festive air about the house, A lot of planning would go into them, planning which often started weeks in advance.  The menu was always a topic of great discussion.  

Some years she would want to try something different, but most years it stayed basically the same.  There was a file in the filing cabinet in her office totally dedicated just to Thanksgiving recipes.  There was a huge assortment of side dishes to choose from, desserts and of course the turkey.

A large quality turkey (usually an organic bronze bird) would be ordered from the local butchers. This would  be picked up on the day.  They were always beautiful birds.

All of the fine china and crystal would need be washed and polished until sparkling, along with any silver pieces that might be needed.  All of the silver in the dining room, for example, would need to be polished along with the silver goblets.  There were also several exquisite decorative pieces, silver turkey's and partridges, that would also need to be polished.

  The day before the party, the Mrs. would go with the head gardener to the Flower market in Chelsea in London to pick flowers, etc. to use in her flower arrangements. Her flower arrangements were always stunning.  There would be arrangements made up to decorate all of the rooms in the house that the guests would be privy to.  The Mrs. did all of the floral arrangements herself.  They were always beautiful and very seasonal.   She had a real talent and eye for flower arranging.

The day itself would be a hubbub of activity with people coming in and out of the house bringing in the flowers, etc.  The Mr. picking out the wines.  If there were overnight guests I would be cooking them breakfast and lunch whilst also trying to pull together the dinner.

My very first Thanksgiving dinner that I prepared at the manor, I burnt the turkey.  It was a huge turkey and almost didn't fit into the oven. I had gone home for a quick break (I lived in a cottage on the Estate) and when I came back I could smell it burning.  The turkey was so large that ,in order to fit it into the oven, I had had to put the rack at the very bottom of the oven.  

It was quite an old range and the heat was often a bit too fierce. Of course, since I was new to the job, I was in the dark about that small detail.  I was beside myself. It did not bode well for me, I thought.  What kind of cook burns the Thanksgiving turkey!!!   I had to summon up the courage to tell her and then my husband drove into town to pick up two smaller birds to cook in its place.  

The original turkey did look beautiful, nonetheless, and although burnt on the bottom,  was used for display. A boatload of parsley can hide all sorts of evils.  I was able to get the other two cooked in time, so all was well.  As the Mrs. said to me, "It wouldn't be Thanksgiving if there wasn't an issue with the turkey!" 

 It was always such a pleasure to me to cook these meals and I have to say they were always enjoyed by everyone in attendance.  Great hospitality and food in a beautiful environment and atmosphere.

The menu rarely varied from one year to the next and basically went like this:

~oOo~

THANKSGIVING DINNER
BRENCHLEY MANOR

 

~o~
APPETIZERS

Boiled Quails Eggs
(with seasoning salt for dipping)
Smoked Salmon & Brown Bread
(with lemon and dill garnish)
Cheese Puffs

 

~o~
FIRST COURSE

Curried Pumpkin Soup
Dinner Rolls
Butter Curls on ice

 

~o~
MAIN COURSE 

Herb Roasted Turkey
Cornbread Stuffing
Sweet Potato Casserole
Fresh Green Beans
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce

 

~o~
DESSERTS

Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Warm Apple Pie
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Sweetened Whipped Cream

 

Cheese and Crackers 

Coffees and Teas

Chocolates

I thought today you might like it if I shared some of the recipes which were cooked for Thanksgiving Dinner at the big house.  I can tell you up front, everything was always delicious, and I am not just saying that because I cooked it!  Okay, maybe I am, lol, but its true!  I never had any complaints!

APPETIZERS 

I don't have any photos of the appetizers.  They were meant to be just small bites to tide the guests over while they imbibed in pre-dinner cocktails, being tantalized by the smells wafting through the house from the kitchen.

The Quail's Eggs would have been boiled and chilled and then were served on a large round platter, peeled and nestled in shredded lettuce. A small silver bird's nest placed into the center to hold the Seasoning Salt. I always planned on at least 4 eggs per guest. They are very tiny.

The smoked salmon would be placed on buttered brown bread triangles, crusts removed, with each small triangle holding a thin sliced of smoked salmon topped with a small bit of lemon and some dill frond.

The cheese puffs which would have been served were very much like these ones. Airy little Gougeres, crisp on the outside and melt in the mouth delicious.

The same rolls were served every year, and in fact the same rolls were served at every dinner party and luncheon. Homemade of course. The recipe was called Party Rolls and needed to be started the day before. It came from a cookbook from the Palo Alto Junior League called "A Private Collecton."

I wish I had a dollar for every one of these tasty rolls I baked through the years. I could retire in comfort! They were light, fluffy and delicious!

Yield: Makes 3 dozen

Author: Marie Rayner

Party Rolls

Prep time: 28 H & 30 MCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 28 H & 45 M

These need to be started the night before. The recipe does make a lot but they freeze very well and so can easily be baked ahead and reheated on the day.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (120g) butter softened
• 1/2 cup (110g) white vegetable shortening
• 1 cup (200g) sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (240ml) boiling water
• 2 packaged dry yeast
• 2 large free range eggs, beaten
• 1 cup (240ml) cold water
• 6 cups (750g) all purpose flour, unsifted

Instructions

1. Dissolve the butter, shortening, sugar and salt in the boiling water. Set aside to cool.
2. Dissolve the yeast in the cooled mixture. Whisk in the eggs and cold water to combine and then stir in all of the flour, stirring it in just to mix. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Three hours prior to use, divide the dough into three even pieces and roll each piece out into a large circle, about 10 inches in diameter. Cut each circle into 12 segments as for a pie,
4. Roll up each segment starting at the wide edge and working towards the narrow edge. Place tip side down on an ungreased baking sheet, leaving plenty of space to allow for rising and baking. Leave to rise in a moderately warm place for 3 hours.
5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Bake the trays for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

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Every year there would be a pumpkin soup of some kind to serve as the first course.  It would vary from one year to another.  This Curried Pumpkin Soup from the Junior League Cookbook entitled, "Beyond Parsley" was a favorite.

As the Mrs. was a member of the Junior League, recipes from the Junior League books were always her favorite ones for me to cook from when entertaining.

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Curried Pumpkin Soup

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 35 Min

This made six large servings, but when cooking for a crowd you may want to double the recipe, but do bear in mind that it is only a first course and so only a small portion will be enjoyed by each.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
• two bunches of sliced scallions (spring onions), white part only
• 1/4 cup (60g) butter
• 1 (16 oz/453.5g) tinned pumpkin puree
• 4 cups (1 scant liter) chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• several parsley sprigs
• 2 cups (480ml) half and half (single cream)
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Toasted salted pepitas to garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Sauté the onions and scallions in butter until nicely softened and just beginning to caramelize. Stir in the pumpkin, broth, bay leaf, sugar, curry powder, nutmeg and parsley,
2. Bring up to the simmer. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a food processor and process in small batched until all of the soup has been pureed. Return to a clean saucepan.
3. Whisk in the half and half and heat just to a simmer. Do not allow to boil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into heated bowls and serve. Garnish as you wish with some toasted salted pepitas.

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The turkey of course was the main star of the show.  This is a recipe I have been making for years and years. It is the way I cooked it every year for my family and how I cooked it at the manor. It always turned out beautiful and succulent, with a crisp flavorful skin and moist and tender meat.

I have never had anyone complain about this one!  The pan juices when strained make a beautiful gravy that has an amazing flavor.

Yield: 12 - 15

Author: Marie Rayner

Herb Roasted Turkey

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 4 H & 30 MTotal time: 4 H & 50 M

This really is a moist and flavorful way to cook a turkey. The smell alone, when it is roasting, lures everyone into the kitchen. You can hardly wait for it to be done so you can tuck in to it. I have done this with turkey crowns as well with lots of success.

Ingredients

• 14 pound turkey (I like to use a free range bird, myself)
• 1 TBS salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 18 sprigs of fresh thyme, divided
• 4 medium onions, sliced
• 4 celery ribs, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 TBS peppercorns
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 tsp minced fresh sage
• 1 tsp minced fresh thyme
• 1 tsp finely chopped chives

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F. Get out a large roaster. Remove any giblets etc. from your turkey and rinse it well. Pat it dry with some paper toweling.
2. Rub the surface of your turkey with salt and pepper and sprinkle inside the cavity with some salt and pepper as well. Place 12 sprigs of thyme in the cavity.
3. Place the onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, peppercorns and the remaining thyme sprigs in the bottom of the roasting pan. Place the turkey, breast side up, on top of the vegetables.
4. Drizzle the butter all over the turkey and then, sprinkle with the minced herbs. Cover loosely with foil. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours longer, basting every 20 minutes.
5. The turkey is done when the juices run clear when you prick the turkey with a fork, and when the drumsticks are loose when lightly twisted. Remove from the oven to a heated platter and lightly cover with foil. Allow to stand for 20 minutes before carving.
6. For gravy, skim off any fat from the pan drippings. Add a couple of cups of stock to the pan and vegetables and bring to the boil to deglaze and loosen up any tasty bits from the bottom. Strain this into a saucepan.
7. Put some cold water into a jar along with a few TBS of flour. Shake it really well and then strain it into the saucepan, whisking it in very carefully. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat, whisking the whole time and cook until bubbling and thick. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
8. Place in a gravy boat for serving at the table.

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The people I worked for favorite a cornbread dressing/stuffing for their Thanksgiving Dinner. I had never made cornbread stuffing prior to working at the manor. We had always had potato and bread stuffing growing up and I always made Mary Berry's Sage and Onion Stuffing in the U.K. 

Both, of course, are delicious, but being from the South, Cornbread Dressing was a must at the Manor Thanksgiving! This recipe I am sharing was adapted from the book entitled, Southern Living Comfort Food.

Yield: 16 - 18 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Cornbread Dressing

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 H & 10 MTotal time: 1 H & 25 M

This recipe makes a generous amount. It makes a moist dressing. If you prefer it drier and firmer. use only 4 cans of broth.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (230g) butter, divided
• 3 cups (51g) white cornmeal
• 1 cup (140g) all purpose plain flour
• 2 TBS white sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 7 large eggs
• 3 cups (709ml) buttermilk
• 3 cups (177g) soft bread crumbs
• 3 cups (303g) chopped celery
• 2 cups (104g) chopped onion
• 1 TBS dried rubbed sage
• 5 (10 1/2 oz/297g) cans of condensed chicken broth, undiluted
• 1 TBS freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425*F/225(C/ gas mark 7. Place 1/2 cup (115g) butter in a 13 by 9 inch pan. Heat in the oven for 4 minutes.
2. Combine the cornmeal and the next 5 ingredients. Whisk in 3 eggs and the buttermilk. Pour the hot butter from the pan into the mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the batter back into the pan.
3. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, and then crumble into a large bowl. Stir in the bread crumbs.
4. Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion. Sauté until tender without browning. Stir in the sage and cook for one minute longer.
5. Stir the vegetables, remaining 4 eggs, chicken broth and pepper into the cornbread, combining all together. Spoon into a lightly buttered 13 X 9 inch pan and a lightly buttered 8-inch square pan. At this point you can cover and chill for up to 8 hours if desired.
6. Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Bake the dressing, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown.

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Green Beans were always one of the side dishes for the meal. They did not go in for the usual green bean casserole that most people enjoy with their meal, but instead they liked this recipe for Fresh Green Beans.  Delightfully understated and  most welcome at a meal which is full of heavy things! 

This was also from the Palo Alto cookbook.

Yield: 12

Author: Marie Rayner

Fresh Green Beans

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

A delightful way to serve green beans. They are easily prepped ahead of time, without losing their crispness and color, which makes them perfect for a holiday meal.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed washed, and cut
• 7 QTS boiling water in a large kettle
• 3 1/2 TBS salt
• 6 to 8 TBS softened butter, cut into 4 pieces
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 TBS lemon juice
• 3 TBS finely minced parsley (can also add some minced fresh thyme leaves)

Instructions

1. To blanche the green beans, drop a handful at a time into the boiling salted water. Bring water back to the boil as quickly as possible, reduce heat and boil beans slowly, uncovered. After 7 minutes, test the beans frequently by biting into one each time.
2. When they are tender but still slightly crunchy, drain immediately and run cold water over the beans for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain again. The beans can be prepared ahead up to this point. Refrigerate in plastic bags until ready to finish cooking.
3. Toss the beans into a large, heavy skillet over moderately high heat to evaporate the moisture and reheat them. Toss briefly with a TBS of butter and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the rest of the butter gradually, alternating with drops of lemon juice while still tossing.
5. Taste for seasoning. Toss together with the parsley and thyme if using. Pour into a hot vegetable dish and serve immediately.

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At home we often served Sweet Potatoes with our turkey dinners, but the Manor folk liked their Sweet Potato Casserole.  It did not make sense to me at first and seemed more like a dessert.  I had been used to eating roasted and mashed sweet potatoes.  This was something entirely new to me!

Here is how I always made it. It is sweet for sure, but very nice. 

Yield: 8 - 10 as a side

Author: Marie Rayner

Sweet Potato Casserole

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Interestingly enough this goes very well with turkey and is quite enjoyed by all!

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

• 3 to 3- ¼ pounds sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup (60ml) milk or half and half
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• salt, to taste

For the topping:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar, packed
• ¼ cup (35g) all purpose flour ( for a sturdier streusel add and additional heaping tablespoon of flour)
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 3 cups mini marshmallows (can add more, if you’d like)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 2 or 2 ½ quart (2 - 2 1/2 liter) shallow casserole dish and set aside.
2. Place the peeled sweet potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with water, and bring to the boil. Boil until tender (about 7 minutes, depending on the size). Drain really well and return to the pot, shaking the pot over the residual heat of the burner.
3. Add butter, milk, cinnamon, brown sugar and salt to the potatoes and mash until smooth. Use a hand mixer, if desired, to make them extra smooth. Taste the potatoes and adjust seasonings as desired.
4. Transfer the mashed potatoes to the prepared casserole dish. Place in the oven until heated through. While the sweet potatoes are heating, prepare the topping.
5. Combine butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl until well combined and then mix in pecans.
6. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven. Top with half the marshmallows, then sprinkle half the streusel over the marshmallows. Pinch pieces of it together as you go with your fingers to make clumps. Top with the other half of the marshmallows and then sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top.
7. Place back into the oven for 8-15 minutes, just until the topping is bubbly and golden brown. Keep an eye on it so the marshmallows don't burn.

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Of course there would also be piles of creamy mashed potatoes.  You have to have mashed potatoes to help cradle all that lovely gravy from the turkey!  You can find my method of mashing potatoes here.  They always turn out light and fluffy.  Beautiful. 

You can use a tinned cranberry sauce or you can make your own from scratch.  I always make my own.  To do so I just follow the recipe on the bag of raw cranberries, using half water and half orange juice. You can add some finely grated zest of an orange as well. It is perfectly delicious.

There would always be an assortment of pies offered for dessert. In the main there would be pumpkin pie.  Thanksgiving and Pumpkin pie go together like peas and carrots. There would also be an apple pie and a pecan pie. These would be offered along with a good vanilla bean ice cream or sweetened whipped cream. 

Most of the time people would opt for a little bit of all three pies. It was very rare that they would choose only one!  You can find my pumpkin pie recipe here.  It is a very simple and basic pumpkin pie. Very easy to make. I like to make pastry leaves to decorate the top of the pie.

If you are wanting an apple pie, I can highly recommend my Mother's Apple Pie.  Its been pleasing generations of people for many, many years.  Not too sweet, not too tart, with a beautiful flaky pastry, this is the best apple pie.

Pecan pie is something which I absolutely love. Its also a very easy pie to make. For all my pies I use my butter/lard pastry recipe. It makes the nicest, flakiest pastry.

Yield: 10 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Classic Pecan Pie

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 50 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M

You cannot beat a homemade pecan pie. Easy to make with simple ingredients, it can be made a day ahead. Make sure all of your filling ingredients are at room temperature.

Ingredients

• 3 large free range eggs
• 1 cup (200g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 TBS flour
• 1 cup (350g) light corn syrup
• 3 TBS butter (melted)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups (242g) pecan halves
• one single unbaked pie crust (9 1/2 inches) (I use my butter/lard pastry)

Instructions

1. Roll out the pie crust to about 12-inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thickness.
2. Place the rolled out pie crust into a 9 ½-inch glass pie plate. Roll under the edges of the pie around the plate and pinch between your fingers to create a crimped edge.
3. Refrigerate the pie shell while you prepare the pecan pie mixture.
4. Whisk the eggs, brown sugar, light corn syrup, flour, melted butter, and vanilla together with a wire whisk or an electric hand mixer, combining well.
5. Place the pecans into the chilled pie crust.
6. Pour the pecan pie mixture over top of the pecans, scraping out the bowl with a rubber spatula.
7. Bake in a preheated 425*F/225*C/ gas mark 7 oven for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4 and continue to bake for 40 minutes longer or until set. A sliver knife inserted 1 inch from the center should come out clean.
8. Remove the pie plate from the oven and place onto a wire rack. Leave to cool completely before cutting into wedges to serve.

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And you would not think that anyone could eat any more after all of this, but in all  honesty, the plates are not heaped.  Everything is given in small portions, and eaten over a three or so hour period, so nobody gets really stuffed. It is  considered a bit vulgar to over do it.  Small dabs of each thing only are enjoyed and seconds offered, but rarely taken.

After dessert, a silver tray of cheeses, fruits, and nuts along with a silver barrel of crackers and digestive biscuits would be offered at the table.   (The digestives were always the most popular.) 

I always enjoyed putting the cheese trays together.  There would be several hard cheeses, a soft cheese, perhaps a runny cheese and maybe an interesting cheese like an ash covered goat's cheese, along with a selection of grapes, figs and slices of apple, perhaps some Membrillo. (Quince Paste).

Finally, after the cheese and crackers had been finished the guests would retire to the linen-fold room iat the front of the Manor for coffee or tea and mint chocolates.  The men would enjoy snifters of brandy and cigars as well.  It was quite an enjoyable evening for all.  The chatter would be lovely to hear, soft  music playing in the background.  Everyone in a good mood, all full and content having enjoyed a lovely dinner.

I always felt quite happy at the end of it all. Not because I was done, but because I knew that everyone had enjoyed their meals.  All the leftovers would be tucked into the refrigerator for sandwiches, etc. and I could clean up and go home for a well deserved rest.   Most of the time I would be given the next day off to relax so that was also something to look forward to.

I can't tell you how many Thanksgiving dinners I cooked for the family and, other than that first one where I burnt the turkey, every one of them was a resounding success and everybody was happy!  I am so grateful for the years I spent working at the Manor. It was not all roses of course, but it was, for the most part, a fabulous experience  for me.  I got to learn a lot, live and work in a beautiful environment,  and to experience things many people can only dream about.

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