Thanksgiving Dinner Southern Style – White Truffle Butter
Thanksgiving dinner is one of the great unifiers of Americans. With few exceptions we all eat on the same day, enjoy the same dishes and have the same responses (falling asleep). Granted there are subtle regional differences like wild rice in Minnesota or hatch chilies in New Mexico so I intend to look at some things customary to a Turkey Day menu in the South but I’m not doing it alone.
My good friend Gene Fox of Deep South Cooking Outfitters will show us how to deep fry a turkey without deep frying our house (HERE). Chris Lilly of world famous Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, AL will be talking turkey, well actually pies – grilled pies.. Chris is fresh off his appearance on Best in Smoke on the Food Network and winning Grand Champion at the 2011 Memphis in May. Also lending a hand will be Richard Rosenfeld of premium tea company Two Leaves and a Bud because no Southern Thanksgiving table is complete without a pitcher of Alabama Table Wine – iced tea. And I’ll be Going Coastal with dressing made with plenty of cornbread, Andouille sausage and Gulf oysters.
In the coming days I’ll be dropping each of these little nuggets on you but today I’m going to discuss making a great compound butter. A “compound butter” is real butter flavored with herbs or spices. Making a compound butter is easy – just let a stick or two of real unsalted butter come to room temperature, add it to a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer cream the butter like you would for frosting. Then add your flavor additive, a pinch of salt and cream it just long enough to combine. Spread the butter onto some wax paper or plastic wrap and shape into a log. Seal tightly and refrigerate for at least two hours. Serve for topping hot dinner rolls or cornbread.
You can use any fresh or dried herb or spice mixes like Cajun seasoning or Tabasco sauce. In this instance I am making an elegant and luxurious compound butter like you might find at one of those great Southern white tablecloth restaurants in Charleston, Savannah or New Orleans. White Truffle Butter.
| White Truffle Butter |
- 1 pound unsalted butter, softened
- 1 TBL white truffle oil or to taste
- 2 pinches of salt or to taste
- Place room temperature in a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer cream the butter like you would for frosting.
- Add your white truffle oil, a pinch of salt and cream it just long enough to combine.
- Spread the butter onto some wax paper or plastic wrap and shape into a log.
- Seal tightly and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Holiday Sides From the Nation’s Best Chefs
Gobble, gobble is just a few weeks away. Now is the time to finalize your plans for cooking your Thanksgiving dinner. Some of the country’s best chefs go together at the Aspen Food and Wine Festival and literally talked turkey. Check it out:
JACQUES PEPIN
MARK MURPHY
SUSAN FENIGER
Holiday Sides From the Nation’s Top Chefs
Gobble, gobble is just a few weeks away. Now is the time to finalize your plans for cooking your Thanksgiving dinner. Some of the country’s best chefs go together at the Aspen Food and Wine Festival and literally talked turkey. Check it out:
MICHAEL CHIARELLO
RICHARD BLAIS
JOHN BESH
Top Chefs Talk Turkey
Gobble, gobble is just a few weeks away. Now is the time to finalize your plans for cooking your Thanksgiving dinner. Some of the country’s best chefs go together at the Aspen Food and Wine Festival and literally talked turkey. Check it out:
CHRIS COSENTINO
JOHN BESH
GAIL SIMMONS
