Leek

This recipe can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; reheat before serving.

Leeks should be cleaned thoroughly. After slicing, place the pieces in a large bowl of cold water. Let stand about 10 minutes, then remove them with a slotted spoon.

The USDA recommends cooking duck breasts until they register 170°F. For a moister breast, we cooked ours to 125°F; after it rests, the duck will be cooked to medium-rare. Chicken is also delicious in this recipe: Substitute four 12-ounce boneless skin-on chicken breast halves for the duck. In step 3, don’t score the breasts. To cook, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Flip the chicken, and transfer to the oven. Cook until the chicken reaches 175°F, about 25 minutes. For the sauce, substitute dry white wine for the red wine.

Add the giblets and neck to the pan with the turkey 1 1/2 hours after the oven temperature is reduced to 350°F in step 5 (recipe above).

We brined our turkey for 24 hours, so leave plenty of time for this recipe. If you don’t brine yours, skip steps 1 and 2. The USDA recommends cooking the turkey until the thickest part of the thigh registers 180°F. For a moister bird, we cooked ours to 165°F; it continues to cook outside the oven as it rests.

Hard cider has been fermented, so it contains alcohol. It is a traditional ingredient in Normandy, France, but you can substitute dry white wine.

Serve with Polenta (page 377).

If you like, grate some Parmesan cheese over the tossed pasta just before serving, or offer grated cheese on the side.