Bon Appétit

The technique: Simmering (to cook at about 185°F) cooks the berries and other ingredients at just the right rate. How to tell if your sauce is simmering? Small bubbles should break the surface around the edges of the pan.
The payoff: Simmering softens the berries and allows enough time for all of the flavors to meld.

The technique: It's ridiculously simple: Cut the potatoes into wedges, toss with olive oil and ground cumin, then roast.
The payoff: The ideal ratio of crisp to creamy, since there's more surface area exposed in the oven when the sweet potatoes are cut into wedges.

The technique: The perfect mashed potatoes aren't actually mashed. The key is using a potato ricer (which looks like a giant garlic press). This gadget gently breaks the potatoes into tiny, flaky pieces (rather than smashing them into a gluey mass), creating just the right texture.
The payoff: Light, fluffy, perfect potatoes. For horseradish mashed potatoes, replace the butter with five tablespoons olive oil (do not use extra-virgin), and mix in two tablespoons cream-style horseradish before seasoning the potatoes with salt and pepper.

The technique: Brining—soaking the bird in salt water—creates juicy turkey. Here, stout beer and barley malt syrup add a richness to the brine, which infuses the meat with flavor.
The payoff: Moist meat that tastes great. The malt glaze gives the bird a crisp, burnished skin. Roasted turkey: Prep 45 minutes Total 20 hours (includes brining and roasting time)
Grilled turkey: Prep 45 minutes Total 21 hours (includes brining and grilling time)

The technique: Pan juices—the flavorful liquid and crispy bits left in the roasting pan— form the base of this gravy. To prevent lumps, thoroughly whisk in the flour, then gradually add the wine and stock, whisking until smooth.
The pay off: Super-roasty flavor.

The technique: When it comes to poultry, butterflying means removing the backbone and flattening the bird like a book. This is easy enough to do with a chicken, but we suggest asking your butcher to butterfly the turkey.
The payoff: A flattened turkey cooks more evenly and quickly than a regular bird. Tucking the stuffing under the skin ensures that the meat will be moist and delicious.
Roasted turkey: Prep 1 hour Total 3 hours 30 minutes (includes roasting time)
Grilled turkey: Prep 1 hour Total 3 hours 30 minutes (includes grilling time) If roasting the turkey, serve it with the Fresh Fennel Pan Gravy . Grilling the bird? Try the Mixed-Mushroom and Tarragon Gravy.

The technique: On Thanksgiving, do-aheads are key. This super-savory gravy can be made a day ahead. All you have to do before serving is heat it up and stir in some tarragon.
The payoff: No last-minute pan-scraping and reducing required.

The technique: Rub the bird with an herbal, citrusy salt mixture and let it chill overnight. As the turkey sits, the salt draws moisture to the skin. During roasting, the flavorful liquid seasons the meat and keeps it moist.
The payoff: A superjuicy bird with crisp, browned skin.

The technique: Convenience and concerns about undercooking have made baking the stuffing in a pan the default for many cooks.
The payoff: Crispy topping and more stuffing (you can fit more in a pan than in the bird).

The technique: Cornbread made with masa (the corn flour in corn tortillas) is the foundation for this Latin-flavored stuffing. < The payoff: Masa adds a natural sweetness to the cornbread. Timing note: The cornbread needs to be baked at least one day ahead.

The technique: Whole-animal eating is trendy, but using all parts of the bird is nothing new when it comes to gravy. Giblets (the heart, liver, gizzard, and neck) really deepen a gravy's flavor. We recommend using only the neck, heart, and gizzard to make the gravy. The flavor of the liver can overwhelm the rest of the ingredients.
The payoff: You haven't wasted a thing, and you’ve added an earthy dimension to your gravy.

Set aside 1 1/2 cups beans for the Kale and Bean Bruschetta ; you'll also use the beans to make the Kale and Cannellini Soup later in the week.