Ah, Thanksgiving cooking. Some of us turn to tried-and-true recipes. Some of us have to pray that we don’t burn the turkey. Some of us are just #thankful for holiday catering. Then there are chefs.
We asked seven local chefs to share their best Thanksgiving dishes. From time-honored to nontraditional, these are their answers.
For the turkey
Caleb Melancon, French Market Bistro
Satsuma-brined turkey
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Chef Caleb Melancon’s secret to a seriously juicy turkey: Brine the meat in satsuma juice and salt first. The French Market Bistro chef brines and smokes his turkey for a unique flavor that his Thanksgiving guests love. He also suggests deboning the meat first to keep it from drying out as it cooks.
For the sides
Galen Iverstine, Iverstine Butcher
Boudin dressing
Galen Iverstine of Iverstine Butcher trades traditional rice dressing for boudin dressing—uncased boudin in a casserole dish. Iverstine’s recipe includes rice, shredded pork shoulder, green onion, garlic, onion, pork stock and Cajun spices. He also adds about 10% pork liver to the meat. “That’s just enough liver to bring a little bite and complexity to the dish without making it overly gamey or too much of an organ flavor,” he says.
Mary-Brennan Faucheux, MJ’s Cafe
Butternut squash and quinoa salad
Mary-Brennan Faucheux, chef and owner of MJ’s Cafe, makes the most of fall produce with a warm butternut squash and quinoa salad. Faucheux tosses roasted butternut squash, roasted Brussels sprouts, quinoa, toasted walnuts, sauteed baby spinach, finely chopped green onions and dried cranberries for this light alternative to the heavy Turkey Day sides. She tops it off with homemade vegan tahini sauce.
Katia Mangham, Gourmet Girls
Lobster mac and cheese
Katia Mangham’s Thanksgiving menu includes green bean casserole, sweet potatoes and—the real star of the show—lobster mac and cheese. She makes it with farfalle (bow-tie) pasta and a blend of cheeses, like pecorino and Parmesan. “It’s sort of our non-traditional and more gourmet side. It’s really decadent, and a great leftover,” Mangham says.
Gavin Jobe, Pelican House
Ham hock gumbo
Chef Gavin Jobe’s father made chicken and sausage gumbo for Thanksgiving until Jobe took the reins. The Pelican House chef and recent contestant on Food Network’s Chopped put his own spin on the tradition, making his gumbo with ham hock, black-eyed peas, collard greens and andouille. “Because my family’s from Opelousas, I grew up eating my gumbo with potato salad as opposed to rice,” Jobe says. Taste it yourself at Pelican House.
Kaila Kay, Kalurah Street Grill
Dinner rolls
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Kalurah Street Grill pastry chef Kaila Kay will be responsible for baking dinner rolls this Thanksgiving, naturally. The ingredients are basic: flour, melted butter, a little sugar, salt, eggs, yeast and milk. Kay says the simplicity of the rolls makes them perfect for soaking up sides and gravies. “They’re soft, but they’re also crispy on the outside,” she says.
For dessert
Lauren Buriege, Tiger Deaux-nuts
Browned butter pecan cake
“In my family, everyone brings pie to Thanksgiving,” Lauren Buriege says. So, she bakes a cake. Last year, the Tiger Deaux-nuts chef baked browned butter pecan cake, which is a cinnamon pecan cake drenched in caramel, topped with browned butter frosting and toasted pecans. She says the cake pairs sweet and savory flavors—the browned butter brings out the nuttiness of the toasted pecans.