4 Alabama chefs’ recipes you’ll want to gobble up this Thanksgiving

Cran you believe Thanksgiving is already here? With the holiday ‘crust’ around the corner, these recipes will make your friends + family give thanks for your amazing cooking. 

Keep reading to find foods you can add to your feast!

Homemade cranberry sauce by Martie Duncan

Martie Duncan shared this cranberry recipe on her blog, Martie Knows Parties, in 2024. Duncan was featured on Food Network Star during their Season 8 + now has several books published.

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For a whole recipe of cranberry sauce, you will need:

• Makes 1 1/2 pints
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 package fresh cranberries
• Pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
• Juice of 1/2 orange with pulp

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to boil; add cranberries, salt, and orange zest.
3. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat. Add Grand Marnier.
5. Return to heat.
6. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange juice.
8. Cool completely. Store in a glass canning jar with a lid.
9. Keep refrigerated until serving time. Set out 30 minutes prior to serving to take the chill off.

Coconut-pecan cake by Dolester Miles

Dolester Miles, a retired pastry chef from Frank Stitt’s Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham + 2018 James Beard Pastry Chef Award Winner, made this recipe for a coconut-pecan cake. It was reviewed by NYT Cooking, where it was deemed “the best cake I have ever put in my mouth.” This cake recipe makes 12 to 14 servings.

Miles’ Instagram can be found here.

Cake ingredients:

• 1 cup firmly packed sweetened, shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup cream of coconut
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk

Filling and Simple Syrup ingredients:

• 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon cream of coconut
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup sugar

Icing ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 2 cups sweetened coconut, toasted

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each with a circle of parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper, then dust with flour, tapping out any excess.
3. Make the cake batter: finely grind the sweetened, shredded coconut in a food processor, then transfer to a bowl. Add the pecans to the processor, along with 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and finely grind together.
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the ground coconut and pecan–sugar mixture.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream of coconut, and the remaining 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the coconut extract. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the coconut milk, starting and ending with flour mixture.
6. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the top of each with a spatula. Bake until the cakes are golden and a tester comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each cake, invert onto wire rack, and remove the parchment. Let cool completely.
7. While the cakes are cooling, prepare the filling. Place the egg yolks in a small heatproof bowl.
8. Combine the condensed milk, butter, and cream of coconut in a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until hot. Whisk one-third of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks.
9. Transfer the egg mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture and whisk constantly over medium-low heat until the consistency of pudding, about 4 minutes. Do not allow the custard to become too thick. Transfer the custard to a bowl and stir in the shredded coconut. Let cool completely.
10. Make the simple syrup: in a saucepan, heat the sugar and 1/2 cup water, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat.
11. To assemble the cake, cut each cake horizontally in half. Build the layer cake in a cake pan: place one layer in the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan. Moisten the top with some of the simple syrup. Spread 1/2 cup of the coconut filling in a thin, even layer with an offset spatula. Repeat to make 2 more layers of cake and filling, then place the last layer on top.
12. Refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour. To unmold, run a spatula around the edges of the chilled cake, invert a cake plate over the top, and flip the cake over onto the plate.
13. Make the icing: whip the cream with the confectioners’ sugar and coconut extract until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream on the top and sides of the cake and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Turkey Panini by Pete Blohme

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Chef Pete Blohme, known in Fairhope, Ala., as “Panini Pete,” owns several restaurants on the Eastern Shore. Blohme’s “Rubbed and Almost Fried Turkey Sandwich” was highly recommended by Guy Fieri on his Food Network show, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

The recipe works perfectly as a way to switch up your Thanksgiving Day turkey — or for those post-holiday leftovers. This one yields four sandwiches + takes about 13 minutes in total to make.

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Ingredients:

• The 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Focaccia bread, about 10-inches square
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 pound thinly sliced Pete’s Almost Fried Turkey, recipe follows
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced roasted red pepper
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 2 cups mixed baby greens
• 3 tablespoons Key Lime Garlic Mayonnaise, recipe follows

Pete’s “Rubbed and Almost Fried Turkey” ingredients:

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh sage
• 2 lemons, zest finely grated
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds boneless, skinless turkey breast
• Oil, for frying

Garlic Mayonnaise ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• Juice of 2 key limes and zest of 1
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups vegetable oil

Pete’s Rubbed and Almost Fried Turkey instructions:

1. Special Equipment: deep heavy-bottomed pot for frying turkey
2. Process the garlic, herbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until coarsely ground. Rub mixture generously over turkey breast.
3. Roll the turkey breast into a compact shape by turning the smaller end of the breast under.
4. Wrap tightly in 3 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
5. Fill a deep heavy-bottomed pot 2/3’s full with oil.
6. Heat over medium-high until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350 degrees F.
7. Fry the turkey breast, wrapped in the foil, for 35 minutes or 12 minutes per pound.
8. Carefully remove turkey from oil and set aside, wrapped in the foil, to cool to room temperature.
9. Refrigerate turkey until firm enough to thinly slice, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Garlic Mayonnaise instructions (Yield: about 2 cups):

1. Pulse the egg, mustard, garlic and lime juice in a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
2. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. With the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream until the mixture is pale in color and thick.
4. Transfer mayonnaise to a bowl, stir in zest, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Sandwich instructions:

1. Whisk the vinegar and olive oil together in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
2. Slice the focaccia into 4 equal pieces; then slice each piece horizontally for sandwiches.
3. Spread some of the Dijon mustard on the cut side of the bottom half of each focaccia. Top bread evenly with turkey, peppers, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Add mozzarella and baby greens, and drizzle the balsamic dressing on top.
5. Smear the top half of each focaccia with Key Lime Garlic Mayonnaise, and place on top of greens to finish sandwich.
6. Brush the tops and bottoms of each sandwich with olive oil.
7. Heat a sandwich press, or use cast iron pans and aluminum foil covered bricks to press sandwiches.
8. Cook the sandwiches, in batches if needed, until the cheese melts and the bread is toasted.
9. Serve.

Southern cornbread by Edna Lewis + Scott Peacock

Scott Peacock is another James Beard Award-Winning Chef. Peacock, who has been featured in The New York Times, Food & Wine, The Martha Stewart Show + TODAY, now resides in Marion, Ala. This recipe for Southern cornbread, which makes a 10-inch cornbread, was made alongside Peacock’s long-time collaborator + friend, Edna Lewis. In total, it takes about an hour to prepare + bake.

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Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups white cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 4 large eggs, beaten

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Put the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and melt the butter in the oven.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the cornmeal with the cream of tartar, salt, and baking soda.
3. Add the buttermilk and eggs and stir to blend.
4. Remove the skillet from the oven and swirl to coat with the butter. Pour the melted butter into the batter and stir just until incorporated. Scrape the batter into the hot skillet and bake for about 35 minutes, or until crusty around the edge and springy to the touch.
5. Invert the cornbread onto a rack and let cool completely.
6. Enjoy! It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days.

For more recipes like this, check out another article from us here.

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