Thanksgiving

For a less formal but equally appealing presentation, you can spoon rather than pipe the filling into the shells.

You can make the dressing through step 2 a day ahead; refrigerate in an airtight container. Just before serving, stir in oranges, pine nuts, and parsley.

For indirect cooking on a charcoal grill, rake hot coals onto opposite sides before grilling; place a foil pan in the center to catch drippings. Set the turkey on the grates over the pan; grill, covered but with the vents partially opened.

To save time, you can complete the first three steps and chop onion and celery the day before. If you use shelled chestnuts, chop, then proceed with step 2.

We serve this flavorful gravy over meatloaf and mashed potatoes, but it is equally good with other classic comfort foods, such as ham and biscuits.

It may seem like a bit of trouble to brine the turkey, but it is well worth it: This is the best turkey we’ve ever tasted. If you don’t have a stockpot large enough to hold the turkey, you can use a new plastic tub instead. It is helpful to have an extra refrigerator to brine the turkey, as it takes up a lot of space.

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).

You will need to dry the bread cubes overnight; transfer them to resealable plastic bags until you’re ready to make the stuffing, up to 1 day more.

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.

I’ve long believed that the connecting link in any Thanksgiving dinner is the cranberry relish. It ties all the other flavors together, its juices running in all directions on the plate, blending with the gravy, potatoes, and the dressing, and finally, enlivening the turkey itself with its sweet-and-sour flavor tones. Of course, it has to be good cranberry relish, with coarsely chopped berries, walnuts, and orange juice, not just the canned jelly slices. This bread captures those flavors and can be used to supplement the relish (which always seems to run out before I’ve had my fill). It also makes a beautiful table presentation, with its double-decker braiding, evocative of a traditional celebration challah (page 133).

Fresh lemon, fresh parsley, and lots of dried herbs tucked between the skin and the meat infuse this turkey with sensational flavors. If there is leftover turkey, you can use it in Turkey Stew (page 167).

This dish got me hooked on the La Caja China box roaster, which was introduced to me by Tom Romano, who along with his wife, Linda Gilbert, owns Broadway Catering in Sonoma, California. They use the La Caja a lot at home and for catered events. The guests are always awestruck with this mysterious box roaster and its fabulous results. The sauce is Tom’s nod to the flavors of the Caribbean, where the La Caja is from.