Small Kitchen, Big Thanksgiving with Alison Roman | NYT Cooking

Alison Roman introduces her plan to prepare a Thanksgiving meal in a small kitchen. She expresses her love for the holiday's indulgent eating and relaxed timing norms. Alison discusses her dislike for certain traditional Thanksgiving dishes like sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, and shares her approach to menu planning, which involves incorporating everyday flavors into the classic Thanksgiving framework. She also talks about her last-minute shopping and preparation habits, starting with buying and thawing the turkey two days in advance.

Alison begins by making a deep-dish galette, a cross between a tart and a pie, which she prefers over a traditional pumpkin pie. She shares her recipe for an all-purpose crust and emphasizes the importance of not over-hydrating it to ensure a flaky texture. The galette is filled with apples and features a dramatic presentation, combining the best of pies and galettes. She also discusses her dislike for canned mushroom soup and her preference for fresh ingredients.

Alison moves on to preparing the turkey, starting with a simple brine to season it. She shares her method of tucking the wings under the turkey to ensure even browning and discusses her grandfather's influence on using the turkey neck to make broth. Alison also details her process for creating a 'cheater's stock' by enhancing store-bought stock with turkey parts and aromatics. The turkey is then seasoned and left to rest in the refrigerator.

Alison focuses on prepping vegetables like green beans and kale, and preparing the stuffing. She advocates for a lighter, brighter approach to vegetable side dishes, avoiding heavy casseroles. The stuffing is made with day-old bread, celery, and plenty of black pepper. Alison also shares her method for frying shallots to add to the green beans and discusses her preference for a custardy, fluffy texture in her stuffing.

Discussing her preference for texture over creaminess, Alison opts to make smashed potatoes instead of traditional mashed potatoes. She boils waxy potatoes and mixes them with butter, cream, garlic, and plenty of cracked pepper. Alison also prepares a squash dish with maple syrup and olive oil, and a green salad with a lemony vinaigrette. She emphasizes the importance of a green and an orange vegetable on the Thanksgiving table.

Alison talks about her preference for minimalism when setting the table, avoiding tablecloths and linen in favor of a more casual setup. She discusses her love for canned cranberry sauce, which she serves with crushed oranges and red onion. As the turkey roasts, she focuses on the final preparations, including making gravy from the pan drippings and finishing the potatoes. She also shares her method for roasting squash and her quick sauté of green beans with garlic and anchovies.

Alison finishes the mashed potatoes, carves the turkey, and makes the gravy. She emphasizes the importance of black pepper as a key flavor in Thanksgiving dishes. With everything ready, she sets the table with turkey, potatoes, squash, green beans, stuffing, and cranberry salad. She thanks her guests for coming and enjoys the end of the night eating, clearing the table, and continuing to hang out.