For the Palmetto Bluff community, Thanksgiving is a time for embracing traditions, and relishing in time spent with those near to your heart.

We recently met with Palmetto Bluff Club Executive Sous Chef, Don Yamauchi, to learn some of his tips and tricks for the perfect roasted turkey, and all the fixin’s. His secret to the perfect sweet and tangy cranberries? Replace water with apple cider vinegar. Tired of those dry drumsticks? Chef Yamauchi breaks down the turkey, roasts the breast and cooks the drumsticks in the gravy. Not only does it flavor the gravy but it keeps the drumsticks tender and full of flavor.

Enjoy Chef Yamauchi’s favorite Thanksgiving recipes below. Happy Thanksgiving!

Cranberries

12 oz bag of cranberries

1 cup apple cider

1 orange peel

1 cup of brown sugar

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground clove

Pinch of ground ginger

1 tbs cornstarch

2 tbs water

In a 1-quart sauce pot, place the cranberries, apple cider, orange peel, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and ginger, bring to a simmer and cook until the cranberries start popping. In a separate bowl, add the cornstarch and water and create a slurry, slowly add to the simmering cranberries, stirring constantly. Let thicken, remove from the heat, and cool down, served when ready.

Gravy

Roux
4 oz whole butter
4 oz A.P. flour

In a 2-cup sauce pot, add the butter and melt. When the butter is melted, add the flour, and constantly stir on medium heat, with a whisk or wooden spoon. Cook the roux until there is a nutty fragrance and it looks golden brown. DO NOT TOUCH the roux, it will burn you. Cool the roux down until it is cold to the touch.

1 quart turkey stock

2 tbs turkey base (Optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

To make the gravy

In a 1.5-quart pot, add the turkey stock, and turkey base. Bring stock to a boil, turn down to a simmer. Slowly add the cold roux to the simmering stock until desired consistency. And then let cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat, adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper if needed, and strain through a fine sieve. Serve immediately.

Turkey

15-17 pound turkey

8oz butter

Salt and white pepper

325 degrees F preheated oven

Gently add butter underneath the turkey skin and season the turkey inside and outside of the turkey. Cook the turkey skin side up in a 325 degree F oven, until the turkey is golden brown and it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the fattest parts of the turkey (thigh and leg). Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for approximately 20 minutes before carving.

Stuffing

2 pounds of diced sourdough bread

8 oz of cooked pork breakfast sausage, chopped

¼ cup of diced onion

¼ cup of diced celery

¼ cup of diced carrots

1 tbs minced garlic

¼ cup of olive oil

2 tbs chopped parsley

2 tbs chopped sage

1 tsp chopped thyme

1 quart of seasoned turkey stock

Salt and pepper to taste

On a small sheet tray, toast off the diced sourdough bread and reserve for later use. In a 12-inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil and sweat the onion, celery, carrots, garlic. In a gallon size bowl, mix the cooked vegetables, toasted bread, parsley, thyme, sage, and sausage. Wet the bread mixture with the seasoned turkey stock and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Bake in a 325-degree F oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until the stuffing is firm to the touch and it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Ready to build your perfect home at the Bluff? Contact the Palmetto Bluff Real Estate company at 843.706.6400, email us at realestate@palmettobluff.com, or stop by our real estate office in Wilson Village to connect with a member of our sales team. You can also view all available Palmetto Bluff home and homesite listings and schedule a real estate tour.