PANAMA CITY BEACH — Leave the sides to someone else so you can focus on Thanksgiving’s main attractions.
Ham often joins turkey on the Thanksgiving table, but when it comes to stuffing or dressing, there is more of a divide.
Harpoon Harry’s, 12627 Front Beach Road, makes a place for Southerners’ cornbread dressing and bread stuffing at its Beachfront Thanksgiving Buffet, served from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 27.
“We do two stuffings, a Yankee stuffing and a cornbread dressing,” said Jack Bishop, owner of Harpoon Harry’s, 12627 Front Beach Road.
Though this is the first Thanksgiving buffet for the newly renovated Harpoon Harry’s, the beachfront location has a long history of serving families holiday buffets. Harpoon Harry’s expanded into Breakers’ former location, keeping the same waterfront views, in the Spring.
The same “Yankee stuffing,” a Sausage and Apple Dressing, and the Classic Cornbread Dressing recipes were served at Breakers. Families often use the term“stuffing,” even if the dressing isn’t being stuffed into a bird.
“Breakers did it since ’89,” said Bishop, who is closing Harpoon Harry’s for the season Dec. 1 till February. “Remember this is cutting down our recipe for dressing. We make enough for 500 people. This should take care of a family of about 12.”
Harpoon’s Harry’s buffet also includes traditional roasted turkey with giblet gravy, roast baron of beef, baked ham and baked fish, as well as traditional salads, casseroles and pie.
Saltwater Grill, 11040 Hutchison Blvd., serves its annual Thanksgiving Day Buffet from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“We do a traditional cornbread stuffing and an Andouille & Pecan Stuffing,” said Saltwater Grill’s Executive Chef Rob Burgess.
The buffet also includes roasted turkey with giblet gravy and ham, slow roasted prime rib with horseradish cream, broiled salmon with dill cream sauce, traditional sides and dessert.
Burgess, who joined Saltwater in December 2009, served his first Thanksgiving feast in 2010 and has made his N’Awlins Style Glazed Ham a tradition.
“I like the different layers of flavor,” he said. “I love Barq’s Root Beer, then I add the spice and Pepper Jelly and it goes well together, making a nice crispy outside on the ham and a beautiful color.”
The Root Beer Glaze he makes for the ham at Saltwater includes 2 gallons of Barq’s Root Beer, 2 cups of Pepper Jelly and 2 cups of Pickapeppa Caribbean-style Tabasco “for a thousand people.”
But the recipe he shared makes enough for about 20 people.
“You gotta have leftovers,” added Burgess, who begins preparing the turkey days before Saltwater’s feast. “I soak my turkey for three days in a brine.”
Bill Holland of Somethin’s Cookin’ in Panama City began brining his Thanksgiving turkey a couple of years ago after learning the technique and recipe from Walt Abbott. Abott teaches cooking classes at the gourmet cooking shop and bistro, 93 E. 11th St., which Bill owns with his wife, Hannelore.
“I brine it for two days, 48 hours. It’s really simple, basically saltwater and orange juice. I put an equal amount of each, 1 cup orange juice and 1 cups sugar and 1 cups salt and enough water to cover the turkey,” said Bill, who added, “Walt’s been doing this forever.”
The Hollands usually just smoke a turkey breast for the two of them, which Hannelore later uses in other recipes.
“Smoking a whole turkey is a bit more difficult than just using a breast due to the cooking time for the dark meat is greater than for the white,” Bill said. “The combination of techniques I use to keep the breast from drying out from excess cooking is keeping the heat regulated to as low as possible - 200 degrees, and after the first two hours of smoking, basting the breast area and covering that area with tinfoil. Smoking a breast is a no-brainier when compared with doing a whole bird.”
It’s never too late to learn new techniques for the feast. Just in time for Thanksgiving, Abott is teaching Holiday Smokin’ at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, demonstrating how to brine and smoke the turkey.
“I think it tastes tender, you almost could cut it with a fork, and I think the brining is part of it,” said Hannelore, who always serves their Thanksgiving turkey with Sausage & Cheese Stuffing.
On Nov. 20, Win Vickers is teaching Turkey Stuffing and Brining at Somethin’s Cookin’.
For those who need a little more Thanksgiving help, the Hollands are taking orders for stuffing, a whole smoked turkey breast and other favorites from their Holiday Specialties Menu through Nov. 22.
Smoked Turkey
Brining: To brine a 6-9 pound turkey breast, you will need a pot large enough to completely cover the breast with the brine mix. Add ½ cup of salt, ½ cup sugar and ½ cup orange juice to a small amount of water in the pot.Add the juice of 1 lemon, then slice the lemon up and place in pot.Add 4-5 bay leaves and about 15 peppercorns to the pot. Place the breast in the pot and add enough water to totally cover with brine. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator 48 hours.
To brine a whole turkey (12-15 pounds) or two breasts, double the above ingredients.
Smokin’: Remove turkey from brine and separate the flesh from the skin so you can rub seasoning (Cherchies Lemon Spicy Blend, Cherchies Pepper Lime and a little twig of rosemary) directly onto the meat as far as you can evenly apply under the skin membrane. Wrap bird in a good quality bacon. I usually smoke a medium breast about 3 and a half to 4 and a half hours as close to 200 degrees as possible with apple wood chips.
Source: Bill Holland, Somethin’s Cookin’
N’Awlins Style Glazed Ham
- 1 10-pound cured smoked ham
- ½ teaspoon dried mustard
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
Root Beer Glaze:
- 24 ounces Barq’s Root Beer
- 1½ tablespoons Pepper Jelly
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1½ tablespoons Pickapeppa Caribbean-style Tabasco
- 6 cloves
- 1 stick cinnamon
- Peel and juice of half an orange
- Peel and juice of half a lemon
Combine all glaze ingredients in saucepan over medium-low heat; bring to simmer and cook 30 minutes. Strain and discard solids. Continue to reduce to 1 cup.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place ham on rack in broiling pan. Cut shallow criss-cross marks with a knife on the top of the ham. Spoon about ¼ cup glaze over the ham, just enough to completely to coat surface, reserving the rest for later.
Combine mustard and brown sugar, then rub the dry mixture all over the ham, getting in the crevices. Add ½ cup water in the broiling pan and stick it in the oven for 2½ hours, spooning the glaze over the ham every half hour.
Makes about 20 servings.
Source: Chef Rob Burgess, Saltwater Grill
Sausage and Apple Dressing
- 1 pound of ground pork sausage with sage
- 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 2 chopped white onions
- ½ cup celery, chopped
- 1 cup chopped apple, Granny or Honey Crisp
- 12 cups Japanese bread crumbs (or cubes of dried bread)
- 3 cups of turkey broth or chicken broth
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Spray a 2½-quart baking dish with non-stick spray or wipe with melted butter.
Cook sausage in large skillet till browned and crumbly. Drain and set to cool.
In skillet, melt butter, add onion and celery. Cook, stirring slowly, until glassy and tender.
Mix in large bowl, add remaining ingredients and spoon into baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and finish in about 20 minutes.
Makes about 12 servings.
Source: Harpoon Harry’s (recipe formerly used at Breakers)
Classic Cornbread Dressing
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups of diced onion
- 2 cups of dice celery
- ½ cup chopped fresh sage ( dry sage acceptable)
- 20 cups day old cornbread, cubed
- 6 cups of turkey broth or stock, or chicken broth
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking dish with nonstick or wipe with melted butter.
In large skillet melt bacon dripping or butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Stir slowly, till tender. Add sage and cook about 3 minutes.
In large bowl, stir together vegetable mixture, cornbread and all remaining ingredients. Spoon into baking dish, and cook till golden brown, about 40 minutes. Should be bubbling on the edges.
Makes about 12 servings.
Source: Harpoon Harry’s (recipe formerly used at Breakers)