A modest Thanksgiving in London
The thanksgiving meal was more modest than Jackie’s, but captured the essence of it. It started with New England clam chowder, served with champagne. After that came roast turkey, with a chestnut based stuffing. The whole turkey was wrapped in foil for the first two and a half hours in the oven, then opened up for half an hour to get the top properly brown. Alongside it went sweet potatoes, peas and corn. Cranberry sauce and gravy were added to taste. It was eaten with Pouilly fume, a Loire favourite. Then came pumpkin pie, made with eggs and sugar whipped into the puréed pumpkin, and with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger added. The surface skin had parted slightly, giving it a smiley look. It was certainly popular, with everyone having at least two helpings. By this time we’d gone on to port and Madeira. We finished with big cigars over more champagne.
Now I look forward to a few days of fried sweet potatoes, sweetcorn soup, corn bread, pumpkin soup and bread, and cold turkey baps, of course.