Whether they’re leading a team in a commercial kitchen or whipping up meals at home, chefs all have a roster of tools they reach for time and again. Ready to cook a chef-worthy Thanksgiving dinner for your table? We asked seven Dallas culinary pros what gadgets and products are their own holiday must-haves.
Handheld immersion blender
Stephen Rogers, chef and co-owner of Gemma in the Knox-Henderson neighborhood and Sachet on Oak Lawn Avenue, recommends a handheld immersion blender that’s “perfect for gravy and for butternut squash soup.”
With this device, you’ll no longer need to transfer hot items into a blender or food processor to make them smoother — you can blend directly in the original pot or pan. Fewer dishes to wash? Yes, please.
Rotary food mill
“There’s always potato puree on our table for Thanksgiving, and a rotary food mill is my favorite tool for achieving a beautifully silky one,” says Matt Ford, executive chef at Billy Can Can in Victory Park. You can use a food mill beyond Thanksgiving, too, like when making pasta sauce from fresh summer tomatoes.
Zigzag-edge cutter
Make your dessert table a smidge fancier with a zigzag ravioli cutter. “I use it to cut the lattice crust for my rustic apple pie,” says Leigh Hutchinson, chef and owner at Via Triozzi on Lower Greenville. “Pasta cutters are good for more than pasta!”
Stainless steel roasting pan
If you’re taking on the important (and sometimes daunting) task of roasting a turkey, proper tools are essential. Christophe De Lellis, executive chef at Uptown’s forthcoming Mamani, recommends a stainless steel roasting pan. “I use it to get the golden, crispy skin on the turkey, and for catching all the flavors,” he says, noting that the dish is equal parts cooking tool and table decor. “For me, the roasting pan is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving. There is something special about placing the pan in the middle of the table with everyone gathering around to serve themselves. It embodies the spirit of sharing and coming together for a meal.”
Chad Houser, chef-founder at Café Momentum in downtown, agrees on the importance of a stainless steel roasting pan and notes a favorite brand. “I am a big fan of all things from Made In for their superb quality,” he says. “For Thanksgiving, I like to smoke a turkey. I place my turkey on my Made In roasting pan and put the whole thing in my smoker at 225 degrees for two hours before covering it with foil and finishing it in the oven. Not only is my turkey smoking and moist, but I also have all of the delicious, smoky pan drippings for my gravy.”
Fat separator with bottom-release feature
Separating fat for gravy is a messy but essential Thanksgiving task. Janice Provost, the chef and owner of Oak Lawn Avenue’s Parigi, says it’s easier with a fat separator. “I use a roasting pan with a rack that allows you to put the bird on top of the onions, celery and carrots, which will caramelize as they catch all of the delicious turkey drippings,” she says. “Once the turkey is done, remove the veggies, place the pan directly on top of the burners, add white wine to the pan and scrape every last bit of that caramelized goodness from the bottom, then add stock. This is the liquid gold to make your gravy, but it needs to have the fat removed to proceed to the next step of gravy making. This tool is perfect for that.”
Cast-iron plancha
Joel Orsini, the executive chef at Parigi, recommends a cast-iron plancha. “This is a great tool to have year-round, but specifically at the holidays,” he says. “It can help hold things warm on the table during the feast.” With so many dishes to coordinate and time perfectly, a product that provides a little wiggle room is something we’d certainly add to cart. And when Thanksgiving leftovers are exhausted and it’s on to simpler meals, the cast-iron plancha is great for toasting up a grilled cheese sandwich.
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