Pilgrim Bread Recipes

PILGRIM MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the butter and EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the thyme, celery, apples, onions, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool. Pulse the stuffing cubes in a food processor until crumbs form, then transfer to a bowl and moisten with the chicken stock to soften. Cover the cranberries with hot water in a bowl and let soften, then drain. Put the turkey in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the stuffing crumbs, apple mixture, cranberries, cheese, poultry seasoning and egg and mix gently to combine. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, form the turkey mixture into a loaf that is 10 inches long and 4 inches high. Drizzle with EVOO and bake until golden and cooked through, 50 to 60 minutes. Slice the meatloaf and serve with Cider Gravy and cranberry sauce. Cook's Notes: Steamed green beans and mashed sweet potatoes are great alongside this meatloaf. For the sweet potatoes, boil 1 peeled and cubed potato per person until tender, then mash with chicken stock, salt, pepper, nutmeg and maple syrup to taste. The meatloaf can be covered and refrigerated for a make-ahead meal. Reheat in a moderate oven or slice and heat in a pan with chicken stock. The gravy, without the egg yolk, can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Reheat over medium heat and add the egg yolk as directed.
• Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the stock, cider and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and lots of pepper. Simmer until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Lightly beat the egg yolk, if using, in a medium bowl. Slowly pour in some of the gravy, whisking constantly to temper the yolk. Whisk in the remaining gravy. Transfer to a gravy boat or serving dish and garnish with parsley, if desired.

PILGRIM BREAD

Steps:

• Thoroughly combine cornmeal, brown sugar, and salt.
• Stir gradually into boiling water.
• Stir in oil. Cool to lukewarm.
• Soften yeast in warm water. Stir into cornmeal mixture.
• Add whole wheat and rye flour; mix well. Stir in enough white flour to make a moderately stiff dough.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 6-8 minutes.
• Shape dough into a ball; place in bowl, cover, put in a warm place and let rise until double, about 1 hour.
• Punch down. Knead a little more; shape dough into 2 loaves.
• Put into greased bread pans; cover and let rise until almost double, about 45 minutes.
• Bake the loaves at 375º F until done, about 35 minutes.
• Remove from pans and cool on wire racks, covered.
• Butter loaves as you remove them from the oven for softer crust.
• note: bread flour or unbleached flour can be substituted for the a.p. white flour.

PILGRIM CASSEROLE

Steps:

• For the stuffing: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Melt the butter in a small pan or microwave oven. Toss the bread with the melted butter and season liberally with some poultry seasoning. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and bake until golden and toasty, 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a large deep skillet heat the oil, half a turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook to render the fat and until almost crisp. Add the apples, celery, onions, thyme, parsley and some salt and pepper. Cook to tender-crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the toasted bread to the pan and moisten with some stock.
• For the cranberries: Place the cranberries, 1 cup of water and the sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil. Cook to crack the cranberries and thicken, then remove from the heat.
• For the gravy: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium to medium-high heat, whisk in the flour and cook to light golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the stock, and then add the syrup, Worcestershire and some pepper. Cook at a low bubble, stirring occasionally, until the gravy coats the back of a spoon.
• For the casserole: Grease a casserole dish and fill with the stuffing. Top the stuffing with the cranberry sauce, spreading in an even layer. Shingle the sliced turkey across the cranberry sauce and top the turkey with some gravy, reserving some gravy to pass at the table.
• Top the turkey with the cheese, then cool and store the casserole for a make-ahead meal or bake to serve immediately.
• To bake and serve, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the casserole from room temperature until hot through, light brown and bubbly, 35 to 45 minutes.
• Place the buttermilk, Sriracha, salt, peppercorns, garlic, lemon, chives, dill and parsley in a double-bagged 2 1/2-gallon plastic resealable bag. Add the turkey breasts and refrigerate on the bottom shelf of the fridge overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Arrange a metal rack over or in a rimmed baking sheet and rub the rack with oil. Remove the turkey breasts from the brine and pat them dry. Arrange the breasts on the prepared baking rack and coat the skin with a little oil, sprinkle with poultry seasoning and cook until a thermometer reads 165 degrees F and the skin is light to medium golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

TRUE PILGRIM STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat, and cook and stir the celery and onion for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
• In a separate skillet, cook and stir the ground beef and sausage over medium heat until the meat is browned and no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes. Drain the excess grease from the meat.
• Place the cubed white bread into the Dutch oven with the butter, celery, and onion, add the cooked meat, and lightly stir to mix well.
• Bake in the preheated oven until evenly browned, about 1 hour.