With one of the year's most stressful cooking days just around the corner, CTV's St. John Alexander turned to Chef David Robertson at Vancouver's Dirty Apron Cooking School for help.

Robertson came up with a foolproof Thanksgiving menu that even the clumsiest cooks can pull off.

Here are his recipes for Boneless Roasted Stuffed Turkey Legs served with Roasted Turkey Breast, Apple Chestnut Stuffing, and Cranberry Thyme Compote.

Boneless roasted stuffed turkey legs

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

  • 12 to 15-pound turkey (legs removed)
  • 1 tbsp smokedp paprika
  • 30g unsalted butter
  • 1/2 recipe chestnut apple stuffing (see recipe below)
  • vegetable oil
  • salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F.

To remove the turkey legs, hold the thigh and slide a boning knife along the inside of the thigh against the breast. Continue to slide the knife down all the way to the joint. Pull the thigh away from the breast with your hands. When the round end of the thighbone is visible, cut through the joint to detach the thigh.

Using a boning knife, bone both legs by running the knife along the side of the bone until the meat has been separated from the bone. Then season the turkey legs with 1 tbsp of smoked paprika and salt and pepper.

Place the cold chestnut stuffing down the middle of the leg meat and roll the leg meat over the stuffing. Use a piece of tin foil and rub some butter on the foil to prevent sticking. Place the rolled turkey leg onto the piece of tin foil and tightly wrap the tin foil around the turkey leg. Repeat this process for both legs.

Put the foil wrapped legs in a roasting pan and cook at 400F for 30 minutes, remove the foil and cook for another 30 minutes; strain off any juices for gravy.

Roasted Turkey Breast and Gravy

Ingredients:

  • 12 to 15-pound turkey
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 lemon (juiced)
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • salt and pepper

Gravy

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp Flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 2 sprigs Italian parsley
  • salt and peper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Season the turkey on the inside and outside with the smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Rub the butter, lemon juice and vegetable oil on the outside of the turkey breast.

Place the turkey and the giblets in a roasting pan and cook the turkey breast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the juices run clear. The turkey should be golden brown on top. If using an instant read thermometer, insert into the breast and remove once the temperature reads 150F and then let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving.

While the turkey is resting, make the gravy. Remove the giblets from the pan and set aside. Pour all the juices from the pan into a 2qt saucepot, boil the juices until they have caramelized and then pour off all but 2 tbsp of the fat. You now have a layer of caramelized juices and a little fat. Sprinkle in the flour over medium heat and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock, stirring over medium heat until the gravy thickens to a smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper and strain into a sauceboat.

Add the chopped parsley and thyme into the sauce.

 

Chestnut and apple stuffing

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups brioche bread (1/2 inch cubes) from a pullman loaf; crust discarded
  • 100 g unsalted butter
  • 1 white onion ( finely diced)
  • 2 celery sticks (1/4 inch dice)
  • 4 sprigs thyme (chopped)
  • 4 sprigs sage (chopped)
  • 4 sprigs Italian parsley (chopped)
  • 2 granny smith apples (peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice)
  • 3 cups chestnuts (about 1 lb.) (peeled, roasted and halved)
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • sallt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Allow brioche cubes to dry at room temperature for eight to 24 hours

Melt butter in a 4 qt saucepot over medium heat, and then sauté the onions, celery and chestnuts for about five minutes. Add apples and brioche, cook for another two minutes. Then add the chicken stock, cream and all the herbs and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the stuffing into a shallow baking dish and bake uncovered until heated and the top is golden brown -- about 20 minutes.

*if using for stuffed turkey legs recipe, allow the stuffing to cool before use.

 

Cranberry and thyme compote

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb. cranberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 orange (zest and juice)
  • 1 lemon (zest and juice)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme (chopped)
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch (mixed with cold water)

Method:

Makes two cups. Place all ingredients except the cornstarch into a saucepot. Bring to a boil and allow to cook for about five minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch into cold water and add to the hot compote. Reduce to low heat and stir constantly until the compote thickens.