Thanksgiving Prep List from Clif Family, Napa Valley and Chef Magnus!

This list is designed to minimize stress and maximize enjoyment on Thanksgiving Day. We focus on prep, utilizing every spare moment in the week to ensure the oven is clear and your mind is calm when it counts. 

7 Days Out (Friday/Weekend Before)

Get the heavy lifting out of the way with logistics and deep cleaning.

The Menu & Wine

• Finalize Menu: Confirm all recipes and create a master schedule (which dish goes in the oven when, and at what temperature).
• Order/Buy Turkey: If you haven't already, secure your pasture raised turkey. If it's frozen, calculate the thawing time (see 3 Days Out).
• Wine Pairings: Confirm your Clif Family wine selections. If you haven't picked your wine list quite yet, may we suggest our Thanksgiving Trio. 
• Master Shopping List: Create a final, consolidated shopping list, separating shelf-stable items (spices, flour, sugar) from perishable produce and other items.

Kitchen Prep

• Deep Clean: Give your refrigerator a nice clean! You will need every inch of space. Maybe bust out a cooler, too.
• Pantry Check: Confirm you have key baking items, butter, oils, salt (Diamond Crystal Kosher and Jacobsen Sea Salt are my favorite) and all required spices. I'd recommend Clif Family White Wine Somm Seasoning for veggies.
  
• Culinary Tools: Confirm you have the roasting pan, thermometer, serving platters, gravy boat, and enough pots and storage containers. A good, sharp knife or slicer for carving (not an electric carver as this tears the flesh rather than slicing it, losing much of the juices).

3 Days Out (Monday/Tuesday)

Now we move into prep and thawing.

• Begin Turkey Thaw: If your turkey is frozen, place it on a rimmed sheet tray in the refrigerator. Allow approximately 24 hours per 5 pounds of bird.
• Make Stock: Roast turkey neck and giblets (or use chicken bones) to make your turkey stock. Store bought chicken/turkey stock is fine too, you can make your "base" gravy with it and add collected bones/trim and juices from carving the turkey to fortify it before straining and serving. I always put a sheet stray under my carving board to make sure all juices are easily collected to be added to my stock or gravy rather than going to waste. 
• Veggie Prep: Chop all onions, carrots and celery (the mirepoix) for stuffing and side dishes. Store them in tightly sealed containers.
• Herb Prep: Strip and roughly chop any woody herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage). Store them wrapped in a damp paper towel in a sealed bag.
• Bake Bread/Croutons: Bake the bread or cubes needed for your stuffing recipe. Let them dry out completely on the counter. A 200-degree oven does this more effectively in much less time.
• Unwind: I do like to cook in the evening to relax into my night. I'd suggest opening a bottle of 2022 Vino Del Pranzo Cabernet Sauvignon to sip while you cook. I also keep a speaker in the kitchen to listen to music while I cook. 

The Day Before (Wednesday)

This is your biggest cooking day. We want to clear the oven and finalize everything by the bird. 

• Season the Turkey
  • My Brine Recipe:
    3/4 cup salt
    1/3 cup sugar
    1 gallon of water
    2 lemons, cut in half
    4 sprigs of fresh sage
    4 sprigs of fresh thyme
    4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
    4 bay leaves
    1 tbsp peppercorns

• • Quick-Chill Brine Method:
    Combine salt, sugar and aromatics in 1 quart of water and bring to a boil. Add to 3 quarts of ice water and it's ready for immediate use.
• Cranberry Sauce: Make your cranberry sauce. It always tastes better the next day. Or this is a great dish to ask a guest to bring for the event. Check out Clif Family's Hibiscus Honey Cranberry Sauce recipe.
• Pies and Desserts: Bake all pies, tarts and any other deserts. Or purchase from a local baker, it's a great way to support your community. Want to try something different? Whip up Clif Family's Napa Noir Cabernet Chocolate Brownies. 
• Refrigerated Sides: Prepare any chilled salads or vegetable sides that don't require baking (e.g., green beans blanched and shocked, ready to toss).
• Set the table: Set out all plates, glasses, silverware and linens. Think about delegating the place cards and décor to the teens or little ones in your group.

Thanksgiving Day Morning (The Home Stretch)

Keep calm! The heavy lifting is done.

• First Things First: Take the turkey out of the refrigerator 90 minutes before it goes into the oven to let it temper. Preheat your oven.
• Prep Stuffing: Mix the bread, stock, herbs and aromatics for the stuffing. I, personally, don't put the stuffing in the bird at all. I prefer to fill the cavity with aromatics such as fresh thyme, sage, rosemary, 1/2 of a lemon and some peeled shallots/garlic. These can be removed after roasting to add to your stock or gravy before straining. I cook my "stuffing" separately in a roasting tray or pan with collected juices, good stock and aromatics sauteed with a lot of butter. Poultry seasoning is the secret weapon to make stuffing taste extra "stuffing-y".
• Mashed potatoes can be made ahead of resting to save time and stress when getting ready to carve, Be careful not to overwork the potatoes or they will be gluey (a ricer is invaluable in making creamy, smooth potatoes). Seal well and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Roast the Turkey: I recommend starting at a high temp (400 fan/450 no fan) to brown the skin. A little wine, water or stock in the bottom of the roasting pan helps to prevent drippings from scorching. Turkey is very prone to drying out so, after browning, I allow for a brief rest before continuing the roasting process to allow the internal temp of the bird to reach an equilibrium with the external temp on the skin (around 10 minutes) before returning to the oven. While this is happening, I drop the oven temp to 250 (no fan) to slowly bring up the internal temp of the bird, basting every 20-30 minutes. This ensures tender, juicy meat with golden brown, crispy skin. It takes longer, but it's worth the wait!
• Prep Your Wines: I suggest kicking off your meal with 2024 Rosé of Grenache or 2023 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc so you will want to get those chilled down for the meal. 2.5 hours in the fridge. For reds, I recommend the 2022 Gary's Improv Zinfandel and a Clif Family Cabernet with a little bit of age, like the 2017 Cold Springs Cabernet Sauvignon from one of our great Howell Mountain properties. I do like to serve reds with a slight chill, I suggest popping in the fridge for 20 minutes prior to serving.
• Make Gravy Base (Roux): While the bird is roasting, start the gravy. Basic formula for a roux is equal parts by weight butter/fat and flour, 1lb of roux per gallon of liquid. To avoid lumps when incorporating the roux, add small amounts of liquid to the roux at a time and mix aggressively until fully incorporated before adding more liquid. Once fully incorporated, keep the burner medium-low to low and stir frequently. Roux-thickened sauces are easy to scorch. It takes about 30 minutes of cooking for the flavors to fully meld. If gluten free is needed, you can either puree your mirepoix into the gravy directly as a thickener or add a starch slurry using either cornstarch, arrowroot or potato starch with a little cold water. Whisk it in and let the gravy come to a boil to release the starch's thickening power.
• Last-Minute Prep: Blanch Brussels sprouts and measure out ingredients for any final sauce preparations. Use Clif Family's FAMOUS Candied & Caramelized Brussels Sprout recipe.

1-Hour Before Serving

• Remove the turkey from the oven (internal temperature of 165°F/74°C in the deepest part of the thigh) and let it rest for a minimum of 30 minutes, covered loosely with foil. This is when the magic happens! 

Happy cooking! If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to email me myoung@cliffamily.com. And don't forget to take advantage of Clif Family's Thanksgiving Trio, add to your cart HERE.

Cheers,

Magnus Young
Executive Chef, Clif Family Winery & Farm