Cooking Tips For Your Thanksgiving Feast

On this week's Louisiana Eats! we'll celebrate Thanksgiving by speaking with expert chefs, roasters, and bakers. First, Molly Stevens provides us with tricks of the trade for roasting everything from vegetables to seafood. Then, Chef Chris DeBarr and Lee Stafford collaborate to serve a Thanksgiving meal made entirely from local foods available at the time of Louisiana's settlement. Plus, Poppy teaches us how to deep-fry a turkey and Kate McDermott shares tips for baking pies.

Fried Turkey Injection Marinade

½ cup butter

¼ cup Lea and Perrin

½ cup frozen orange juice concentrate

¼ cup Crystal hot sauce

4 tablespoons all purpose Creole seasoning

½ cup bourbon

Melt butter in a saucepan.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and fill turkey injection syringe with marinade, injecting into all parts of the turkey before frying.

Eggplant with Rice, Ham and Shrimp (Serves 6-8)

Inspired by Madame Begue

1/2 cup ham, diced

1 onion, chopped

6 tablespoons butter

1 eggplant, peeled and cut into ¼ inch cubes

1 lb. shrimp, boiled and peeled

1 cup rice

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2 bay leaves

Salt and black pepper

In a 3 1/2 quart heavy saucepan, melt butter. Add ham and sauté until browned. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add eggplant and sauté until softened. Add the rice and combine well. Add the shrimp, water, thyme, bay leaves and black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to lowest setting. Cook undisturbed for 25 minutes. Stir well and, if necessary, add more liquid. Cover and cook for an additional 5 - 10 minutes until rice is fully cooked. Adjust seasonings for salt and pepper.