[Photographs: Vicky Wasik]
We’re placing a Korean spin on the traditional Thanksgiving roasted turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce by serving it ssam-style. Ssam interprets as “to wrap,” and describes a Korean approach of eating that entails wrapping numerous leafy greens round meat, condiments, banchan, and kimchi. It’s an especially interactive option to eat—excellent for the vacations, whenever you’re all the way down to bump elbows and double-dip round your loved ones and buddies.
Whereas ssam is historically made with steamed pork (bossam) or grilled meats, it really works completely with our Korean Thanksgiving dinner. For the turkey breast, we dry-brine it for at the very least 12 hours, then slather it in a cinnamon compound butter that bathes and seasons the pores and skin because it roasts to a wealthy golden brown.
The condiments for this ssam—honeynut squash ssamjang and candy jujube relish—fill in for the traditional Thanskgiving gravy and cranberry sauce. Ssamjang is the condiment served with ssam and Korean barbecue, a thick unfold that is candy, salty, spicy, garlicky, savory, and vibrant. Classically composed of doenjang, gochujang, garlic, sesame, and rice syrup, my model additionally incorporates roasted honeynut squash, which provides a candy earthiness and incorporates a traditional fall taste. This sauce will hold for as much as per week within the fridge, and it is an excellent condiment to have available so as to add depth to a pot of bean soup or as a ramification on a ham and cheese sandwich.
The relish options jujubes, that are a wide range of date frequent to many Asian cuisines. They’re drier and fewer candy than extra frequent date varieties. As soon as rehydrated in scorching water and softened, they tackle the feel and taste of baked inexperienced apples, with a slight butterscotch undertone. The jujubes are cooked with the turkey till these candy, fruity flavors tackle a deeper caramelized word, after which they’re blended with the entire buttery, cinnamon-spiced roasting juices to create a relish that offsets the leanness of the turkey breast.