Best Thanksgiving Burger

This past week Josh and I were trying to come up with an appropriate burger night for week 5. we decided on turkey. when I hear turkey I jump straight to Thanksgiving. This was our base.

There's a misconception people have I think, even chefs, that say turkey burgers are dry and boring. Packaged turkey is mainly white and consists of mostly breast. You're gonna get the moisture however from dark meat. So we mixed half white turkey meat (breast) with half dark (thigh). Don't be afraid to ask your butcher. It makes a big difference

 Apples or pears compliment turkey marvelously. they really add the perfect moisture and tartness and let the turkey do the talking. To make turkey burgers I add some applesauce (homemade if possible), and a handful of chopped up bacon, baked flat on a wire and diced up. some caramelized leeks and celery, and for a little extra down-home goodness, add a tablespoon of good maple syrup and mix it all together. We cooked the burgers in leftover browned butter along with the the english muffin. Brioche might be our bun of choice however. The result is a savory and not too sweet hunk of thanksgiving goodness. almost like the more subtle cousin of turkey sausage.

apple and maple turkey burger.  crispy sage, leeks, celery, cranberry chutney, maple mayo, Vermont cheddar

Making your own applesauce is easy. Some folks like using sweeter apples [gala, fuji, honeycrisp] but if you start with tart apples, like granny smiths, you're always able to add more sugar. You can't go back if it's too sweet. For a kick I add, a knob of ginger and bourbon and taste till my liking. enjoy


applesauce

4 tart apples [granny smith are good] sliced, cored, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 cups pure apple juice or water
half a lemon juiced
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey [forest honey is good]
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
[optional] thumb sized piece of ginger, sliced thin
[optional] bourbon or brandy

Heat up a high sided pot on med-high with butter and apples. toss to coat 5 minutes or until the apples start sweating. add everything but the bourbon, cover, reduce heat to medium and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. to test stick a fork through an apple piece. it should pierce easily but still hold its shape. add a splash of bourbon and season to taste. Turn off the heat and let it cool for a moment. transfer the mix to a blender or food processor, you may have to do separate batches. I like applesauce chunky and leave a few apple chunks but blend it to your desired consistency. feel free to add more honey or cinnamon. tuck in and enjoy!

crispy sage

stuffingless stuffing

Turkey burgers, when cooked to proper juicy perfection, are a good light summer snack...But its 8 months early and Thanksgiving is on the brain. we don't want to add more starch but thought a stuffing minus the stuffing would be a good addition. So I caramelized in a knob of butter 2 leeks finely halved and sliced fine and 3 stalks celery diced small and a few tablespoons of finely chopped sage and thyme. Give it a few minutes to color, take off heat and set aside to cool. This is our topping.

cranberry chutney

Maybe because I never grew out of it but there's nothing like the sweet tang of canned cranberry. It brings you right back to turkey and thanksgiving around the table. I even have been known to fancy the whole berry canned cranberry. Either way whoever invented it, hats off to you! I tried a few recipe's and here's what I came up with.

1 orange, skin and white membranes removed, roughly chopped
1/4 cup orange juice
10 ounces dried cranberries, steeped in hot water till plump
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup raisins
1 granny smith apple, skinned, cored, small dice
1/4 cup pecans, crushed
2 tablespoons cider vinegar [vintage brook]
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

cranberry chutney. orange, raisin, granny smith apples, pecans

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil and gently simmer for 10 minutes, giving it a few good stirs. The brightness of the orange brings out the natural flavors of the cranberry well. We decided to put this under neath the patty and topped with maple mayonnaise and crispy sage and basted the turkey patty with some leftover brown butter



maple mayonnaise

1/2 cup mayo
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 tablespoons of maple syrup
leftover 1/2 can whole berry cranberries [optional]
1 teaspoon horseradish [optional]




whisk together and enjoy.

If you live in new york city you should know Fairway by now. The Harlem location is nice with their walk in fridge.  the whole meat and dairy department is this massive fridge. You even have the option to  sport the large Fairway down jacket as you enter the fridge section of the building. Its one size fits all. meaning all extra large men. Don't be surprised if you see a 90 pound grandma wearing one dragging to the ground.

In the summer when its humid and hot and I'm jogging down the west side highway, I've been known to drop in for a few minutes in the Harlem Fairway at 130th and the Hudson river to grab some of that Frigidair. maybe get a coconut water to sip on. all around though, Fairway in Red Hook wins!

Take the 15 minute water taxi from pier 11 in Wall street to Red Hook Brooklyn over to Fairway. $5 roundtrip. From the taxi ride over, you can spot the old 1860's coffee distribution building the Fairway lives in. long rows of red brick building and black iron shutters.

And the old streetcars that live next to it. Julian got some iPhone shots