It’s one of the best Thanksgiving-time traditions to grace the WTOP Newsroom. Amphora Catering brought a feast fit for journalists to the Glass-Enclosed Nerve Center on Friday and head chef Thanos Argyropoulos shared some tips to make this year’s lavish dinner better than the last.
His No. 1 tip: Plan ahead. “Everything is really easy. People have to remain calm and plan ahead,” Argyropoulos said. This is especially true when it comes to defrosting the turkey. The protocol is to purchase 1 lb per person and; defrosting usually calls for the bird to sit in the refrigerator for three days per 12 lbs.
Once you get cooking, make sure to use a dry brine, Argyropoulos recommends. Create the brine with salted butter and herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage and salt and pepper are the basics). Brush it on the turkey, place it in the fridge for a day and cook the turkey slowly the next day.
Argyropoulos says fresh cornbread — not the boxed variety — is the key for delicious stuffing. If you want to stuff your turkey, he recommends first laying out your stuffing in a sheet pan and popping it in the oven at 300 degrees for up to eight minutes. Then stuff your bird.
Using this technique before filling your turkey ensures that the stuffing won’t be soggy when it’s serving time.
Argyropoulos also shared tips for carving the turkey. He recommends to start from the legs and slowly work your way to cutting the breasts while trying not to break it.
“If you have a sharp knife, steady hand, you can do anything.” Argyropoulos said.
Luckily, it isn’t too late for people who find Thanksgiving cooking too difficult. Amphora Catering is taking orders until Monday at 12 p.m.
Below, see photos of the WTOP Thanksgiving feast provided by Amphora Catering.
