Poultry

Cookbook author and culinary pro Molly Stevens created this recipe exclusively for Epicurious. A wet turkey can be slow to brown, so for the best results, remove the turkey from the brine 8 to 12 hours before you plan to roast, pat it dry, and let it sit in the refrigerator, uncovered to dry the surface. If you don't have time to let it air-dry, do your best to thoroughly dry the surface after brining. Rubbing the skin with butter or oil will also encourage browning. Keep in mind that it's best not to stuff a brined turkey, because the juices will concentrate in the cavity and overseason your stuffing. Instead, cook your stuffing in a baking dish alongside the turkey. See our Complete Guide to Brining for more on wet and dry brining.

Cookbook author and culinary pro Molly Stevens created this recipe exclusively for Epicurious. Dry brining involves sprinkling salt over the entire surface of a turkey and letting it sit for at least 12 hours and up to 2 days. It may look like a lot of salt, but keep in mind that the salt won't remain on the outside of the turkey and there needs to be enough salt to penetrate the entire thickness of the bird. Keep in mind that it's best not to stuff a brined turkey, because the juices will concentrate in the cavity and overseason your stuffing. Instead, cook your stuffing in a baking dish alongside the turkey. See our Complete Guide to Brining for more on wet and dry brining.

This is a modern rendition of a nineteenth-century recipe that ultimately became the legendary duck a l'orange.

I originally designed this recipe for wild snow geese, and because many of California's snow geese spend their summers on Wrangel Island, near Siberia, it seemed fitting to give the stew a Russian feel. But of course the legs of any goose or duck, wild or domesticated, will work here. It's important to remove the meat from the bones before you serve this stew, otherwise everyone will be picking through their bowls for small, sharp objects. It takes only a few minutes, and your family and friends will thank you for it. This stew keeps well in the fridge for a week, though the grain in it will continue to swell over time, absorbing moisture and making this more like a French potage. It also freezes well.

This is an insanely easy cake to make. It goes together in just minutes and tastes awesome: a touch ducky—more so if you use wild duck fat—sweet, but not overly so, with a little hit of rosemary to even things out. I originally made this as a sort of stunt, but it's so good I've put it into the regular rotation. If you like a sweeter cake, up the sugar to a full cup, and if you hate rosemary, skip it or sub in lemon verbena, sage, or winter savory. Serve the cake with fruit and maybe a little whipped cream. A sweet dessert white wine, like a vin santo or a Sauternes, is a perfect choice.

This is my standard duck or goose stock. It is the stock that I call for in the recipes in this book. In other words, you need to make lots. Every time you get a carcass, save it for stock. If you don’t have a lot of ducks around at one time, save them up for future rounds of stock making. You can chop up the carcasses before freezing, so they take up less space. Make this stock when you have a day off, as it takes all day. The good news is that you will be rewarded with 4 quarts or more of rich stock that is a perfect base for stews, soups, or wintertime risottos or polenta—or even eaten on its own as a clear soup.

Seamus Mullen, chef/owner of New York's Tertulia, shared this recipe exclusively with Epicurious. These croquettes put a Thanksgiving spin on a dish from Tertulia's Spanish menu. In addition to using leftover turkey meat, Mullen's recipe also takes care of any extra mashed potatoes and stuffing, and he suggests serving the croquettes with leftover gravy or cranberry sauce. "Don't worry about being too precise with amounts," insists the chef. "The beauty in cooking leftovers is improvisation."

Jason Vincent, executive chef of Chicago's Nightwood, shared this recipe exclusively with Epicurious. His creative take on Thanksgiving leftovers does require some extra prep on Turkey Day—you need to add the enchilada sauce ingredients to the bottom of the turkey's roasting pan—but it's a technique Vincent has perfected over the years and will save you tons of time and effort in the end. "The sauce kind of makes itself," says Vincent. You can also make this recipe with a roast chicken, but be sure to soak the dried chiles—cover them in boiling water and let sit until softened, 25 to 30 minutes—before adding them to the sauce mixture. Also, have 2 cups of chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth ready, and add it to the roasting pan if the bottom gets too dry. For more on Vincent, plus four more chefs' recipes for transforming your Thanksgiving extras, see The Five Best Leftover Turkey Recipes.

Edward Lee, executive chef and owner of 610 Magnolia, in Louisville, Kentucky, shared this recipe exclusively with Epicurious. Known for blending Southern and Asian flavors, Lee uses the leftover turkey carcass to make a stock infused with country ham, ginger, garlic, and daikon radish. The richly aromatic stock forms the broth for Lee's ramen bowl, which he fills with tofu, avocado, watercress, scallions, shiitake mushrooms, soft-boiled eggs, and leftover turkey meat. Freshly grated Parmesan is the final, unexpected garnish. "It adds umami to the dish," says Lee, adding, "it disappears into the broth and adds a depth and nuttiness." For more on Lee, plus four more chefs' recipes for transforming your Thanksgiving extras, see The Five Best Leftover Turkey Recipes.

Chris Shepherd, executive chef and owner of Underbelly in Houston, Texas, shared this recipe exclusively with Epicurious. This Cajun and Creole classic is often served with rice, but Shepherd insists his version doesn't need the starchy side. Studded with turkey meat and andouille sausage, it's filling enough on its own. Making a solid roux is essential to gumbo, because the flour and fat mixture thickens and flavors the dish. For newbies, Shepherd recommends patience. Roux must be cooked slowly over low heat and it requires just about constant attention, so take your time and be prepared to stir. For more on Shepherd, plus four more chefs' recipes for transforming your Thanksgiving extras, see The Five Best Leftover Turkey Recipes.

Turkey Samosas Recipe

Pickled veggies give this burger low-cal crunch and sweet-and-sour zing.

This sammie-side combo fulfills all your midday-meal needs.

Tart, fruity pomegranate molasses brightens up the mellow turkey.

The star of this turkey chili recipe is plump, tender GOYA® Low Sodium Red Kidney Beans. Mix with quick-cooking ground turkey, tomato sauce, and smoky, GOYA® Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce. In just 30 minutes, you’ll have a mouthwatering pot of healthy, nourishing chili that tastes like it’s been simmering for hours. Top with cheese, avocado, and cilantro for heaven in a bowl.

The best part of making duck confit? All the rich fat you're left with. Use it to roast potatoes—it's an easy way to upgrade a classic. What ever you do, don't throw it away (it freezes great).

Mom's Russian "Hamburgers" Kotleti for lunch, kotleti for dinner, kotleti of beef, of pork, of fish, of chicken—even kotleti of minced carrots or beets. The entire USSR pretty much lived on these cheap, delicious fried patties, and when comrades didn't make them from scratch, they bought them at stores. Back in Moscow, Mom and I harbored a secret passion for the proletarian, six-kopek variety produced by the meat-processing plant named after Stalin's food supply commissar, Anastas Mikoyan. Inspired by his 1936 trip to America, Mikoyan wanted to copy Yankee burgers in Russia, but somehow the bun got lost in the shuffle and the country got hooked on mass-produced kotleti instead. Deliciously greasy, petite, and with a heavy industrial breading that fried up to a wicked crunch, Mikoyan factory patties could be scarfed down by the dozen. Wild with nostalgia, Mom and I tried a million times to recreate them at home, but no luck: some manufactured treats just can't be duplicated. So we always reverted back to Mom's (far more noble) homemade version. Every ex-Soviet cook has a special trick for making juicy, savory patties. Some add crushed ice, others tuck in pats of butter or mix in a whipped egg white. My mother likes her kotleti Odessa-style (garlicky!), and adds mayo as binding instead of the usual egg, with delightful results. The same formula works with ground turkey or chicken or fish. Buckwheat kasha makes a nostalgic Russian accompaniment. Ditto thin potato batons slowly pan-fried with onions in lots of butter or oil. I love cold kotleti for lunch the next day, with some dense dark bread, hot mustard, and a good crunchy dill pickle.

Don't be put off by the sugar in this recipe—it's balanced by the vinegar and soy sauce.

Citizens of Casseroleville, bow in the presence of the king of all baked dishes! This recipe gets two thumbs-up not only for being gluten-free, but also for allowing you to keep your blood sugar in check. By replacing lasagna noodles with thin layers of sliced zucchini, the carbs stay low, but the flavor is still full and zesty. We suggest using a mandoline for even slices and quick prep. Just be careful—those things are sharp!