Discovering the recipes for a delicious Thanksgiving meal: expert advice from a Jacksonville pastry chef

Jacksonville, Arkansas – Gathering all the supplies for the holiday feast, handling food safely, and being sure to move the turkey from the freezer to the refrigerator are all important tasks that come with the approaching Thanksgiving.

Well we’re Monday before Thanksgiving, so the biggest one [tip] I can think of is get those turkeys out of the freezer and in the fridge,” said Regina Cornish, baking instructor at Jacksonville High School’s culinary program. “You don’t wanna be trying to thaw those out Wednesday.

Herbs and vegetables, as well as brining the turkey, contribute flavor to recipes.

“I think the biggest tip I could give people for a successful, really juicy turkey is to brine it,” said Cornish. “So thaw it out, hopefully they’ve already got them thawed out or put them out today and then brine it the day before in a simple salt, sugar brine. It will give a lot more flavor to that meat.”

In the end, Cornish explained, your veggies will be roasted in order to create a base for the stock that will be used to season every dish. These veggies include bell peppers, onions, celery, and any other veggies you like.

“Make sure when you’re cooking your turkey you baste it often with your butter and herbs,” she said. “Use a lot of fresh herbs in there and baste it often just to keep that skin dreaded in that melted butter and get those flavors really down into the meat.”

A few things to watch out for when it comes to safety are making sure your blades are sharp, as this raises the risk of self-cutting, and avoiding cross-contamination between raw and cooked meals.