Julie Van Rosendaal: 5 new ideas for Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving dinner is perhaps the most predictable feast of the year.

It often features family recipes — anything from an heirloom-jellied salad to Aunt Maud’s famous pumpkin pie — that the annual spread would not be the same without.

Besides the usual sage and bread stuffed bird, there are the requisite side dishes: potatoes, cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts, gravy, dessert and then leftovers (sandwiches!) the following week.

If you’re looking to break with tradition, here are a few new directions to go in without straying too far.

1) The Bird

Tired of turkey? Take duck for a spin. More compact with dark, rich meat, a duck is simple to roast.

Classic Roast Duck

• 1 whole 3-4 lb. duck
• olive or canola oil, for cooking
• salt and pepper
• 1 orange, quartered (optional)
• a handful of fresh herbs, such as sage, thyme, rosemary or oregano (optional)
• new potatoes and/or baby carrots (optional)

Pat a whole duck dry with paper towel and place it in a roasting pan. Poke through the skin-without going into the meat-with a bamboo skewer or the tip of a knife in several places.

Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you like, tuck a whole quartered orange and a few fresh herbs into the cavity. Roast at 450 ̊F for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 ̊F and roast for 1.5 to two hours.

After about half an hour, remove the duck from the oven and pour most of the fat from the pan into a jar (store in the fridge for up to a month) and add new or diced potatoes and small or chunked carrots to the pan around the duck, tossing them around in the remaining drippings.

Return to the oven, basting and turning the vegetables halfway through the remaining cooking time, until the legs wiggle in their sockets and a meat thermometer reads at least 165 ̊F. Let rest 15 minutes before carving. Serves four to six.

2) The Cranberries

For a diversion from the usual orange-spiked cranberry sauce, try adding flavourful concord grapes and a splash of balsamic vinegar to your berries as they simmer.

Balsamic-Concord Grape Cranberry Sauce

• 1 bag fresh cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 3⁄4 cup water
• 2 cups concord grapes
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer; cook until the berries pop and the mixture thickens.

Remove from the heat and cool, then refrigerate until you’re ready for it. The sauce can be made up to a week ahead. Makes about three cups.

3) The Brussels Sprouts

If you’re not a fan of the little cabbages, try them as a slaw (those who might not think they love them just might). 

With a finer texture, they’re easier to eat — and the bacon and blue cheese helps too.

Brussels Sprout Slaw with Bacon & Blue Cheese

• 1 1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts
• 4-6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted
• 4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. grainy mustard
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed

Using a sharp knife, or the shredding disc in your food processor, finely shred your Brussels sprouts. In a jar, shake together the olive oil, lemon juice, grainy mustard, honey and garlic. Drizzle over the slaw and toss with tongs to coat well. 

Spread out on a platter and top with bacon, walnuts and blue cheese or Parmesan. Serves six.

4) The Dessert

If the thought of making pie from scratch is intimidating, try this creamy Italian jelled dessert, made with pumpkin puree and spiked with warm cinnamon and pumpkin pie spices — all you need to do is heat, whisk and chill.

Honey Pumpkin Panna Cotta

• 3 cups half & half or 18% coffee cream
• 1 pkg. plain unflavoured gelatin
• 1⁄2 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1⁄4 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla or maple extract

Pour the cream into a medium saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over the surface; let it sit for fuve minutes to let the gelatin soften. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, whisking until the gelatin is completely dissolved. 

Whisk in pumpkin puree, honey and vanilla. Pour the mixture into individual wine glasses, small dishes or ramekins. (If you want to unmold them onto a plate to serve them, spray the ramekins with nonstick spray first.) 

Refrigerate for at least two hours until set. Serves six.

5) The Leftovers

Tired of turkey sandwiches? Make a batch of turkey dinner poutine — it’s how to win friends and influence people the week after Thanksgiving.

Turkey Dinner Poutine

• 4 large russet or Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
• canola oil, for cooking
• salt
• 1 cup chopped leftover roast turkey
• 1 cup crumbled stuffing (optional)
• 1/2-1 cup cheese curds
• 1/4-1/2 cup gravy

Cut the potatoes into equally-sized sticks. To bake them, toss in oil to coat and roast at 450 ̊F, stirring once or twice, for 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Sprinkle with salt.

Alternatively, place them in a pot and cover with canola oil; bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, not touching them until after about 10, then gently stirring/pulling them apart with tongs. When golden and crisp, carefully remove from the pot with tongs, transferring to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt.

If you have a shallow, oven-proof dish, warm it in the oven to keep your poutine warm. Top fries with roast turkey, chunks of stuffing (if you have them) and cheese curds, and pour gravy overtop. Serves four.