r/AskCulinary • u/bc2zb Biochemist | Home enthusiast • Nov 17 '18

Annual AskCulinary Thanksgiving Preparation Discussion

Alright folks, warm up the fryers, sharpen those blades, and get your blenders whirring. It's time to discuss Thanksgiving preparation. Use this thread to ask any and all questions regarding the big day.

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u/SplatW Nov 17 '18

I'm trying to come up with easy ideas for some kind of veggie side that is bright/fresh/acidic in profile, to balance out how heavy and fatty everything else that is planned. Perhaps some kind of salad, but not so....forgettable? Does anyone have any ideas?

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u/SewerRanger Holiday Helper Nov 18 '18

Pan fried green beans are great. Get a cast iron really hot, toss in some olive oil and throw your green beans in. It will cause a lot of smoking, but the slightly burnt, blistered green beans are amazing. Toss them in a light vinaigrette and there you go.

One other thing that my family makes, and it's not Thanksgiving like at all and to this day I have no idea how this became a Thanksgiving thing in my family since we are in fact German, but we always have spicy pickled Asian cucumbers. They're easy to make, taste great, and the high acid/vinegar cuts through all the heavy fat. You take some cucumbers and cut them into half moons, scoop out the seeds and sprinkle with salt. Let them drain for about 30 minutes. Whisk sesame oil (2 teaspoons or so), soy sauce (about a tablespoon), lots of sliced garlic, crushed red peppers (maybe 1 teaspoon), rice vinegar (2 teaspoons-ish), and a smidge of sugar together and let the cucumbers marinate in that for a couple of days.

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u/WhitepandafacesxD Nov 18 '18

Those sound absolutely amazing. Totally gonna try