PrettyFood

Creating memories around the table

  • Home
  • Capers
    • Hours and Location
    • Capers News
    • What’s New
    • Product Spotlight
  • Recipes
    • Visual Recipe Index
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Soups
  • Advice
    • The Basics
    • Ask PrettyFood
    • Critiques
    • Essentials
    • Gadgets & Tools
  • Make it Pretty
    • Tablescapes
    • Flowers
    • Garnishes
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Takeout Tricks
  • On the Road
    • Chicago
    • Florence
    • Honolulu
    • Los Cabos
    • Louisville
    • Napa Valley
    • Paris
    • Santa Fe
    • Scottsdale
    • Seattle
  • Special Features
    • A Week of Low-Carb Meals
    • More from Mary Beth
  • About
    • About PrettyFood
    • Contact Us
Home / Make it Pretty / Holidays & Celebrations / Terrific-Looking Turkey Ideas

Terrific-Looking Turkey Ideas

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

turkeylookingpretty

Don’t let your turkey sit on a platter naked and alone.  It isn’t polite and it will never get you nominated for the entertaining hall of fame.  (Oh.  There isn’t one?  Well, there should be!)  The majestic presence of a properly plated turkey can serve as the focal point for  a festive Thanksgiving table.   You will be the secondary attraction, but isn’t it lovely to let someone/something else shine?

Of course, I don’t limit turkey consumption to Thanksgiving or other major holidays, but it certainly is a staple at our annual turkey day feast.

Again, I implore you:  Never, never, never let your turkey sit on a platter naked.  It’s probably illegal in most states, plus it’s just wrong.  Accessorize your birds with appropriate garnishes to achieve truly terrific-looking turkeys.

beautifulturkeyonbrownbrocade

How many people own the same boring, white ironstone platter with the raised turkey image on it?  [Raising my hand.]  I think of all those sad, years when I simply positioned the turkey, all by its lonesome, on that plain white platter and called it good.  EEK.  The platter is fine and the right size, but see how exquisite it looks when adorned properly with lots of sage leaves, three colors of grapes, a couple of roasted onion halves, orange slices (although have you noticed that oranges aren’t as orange as they used to be?) and slices of pomegranates.  It also helped that the tablecloth the platter is nesting on is a beautiful silk fall brocade.  If I could do it over again, I would have smeared butter on the top of the turkey while cooking to ensure the divinely brown roasted color that is ideal.

featured-thanksgiving-turkey

Herbs like sage, parsley, or rosemary add a dash of green.  Fruits like figs cut in half, clusters of grapes, pomegranate halves, orange slices work well.  Those cute little kumquats can play, too.  Above, you’ll see carrot flowers made with the grande curler, and I think elsewhere on the plate there were others made with daikon radishes.   The hard part is getting the nibblers to keep their hands off!

This actually isn’t the above turkey’s best “side” – but I wanted to illustrate to you the importance of filling the cavity with lovely things.  If you aren’t going to actually stuff the turkey with some kind of stuffing, stuff it with onions, celery, citrus, then dress it up a little more after it has been cooked.

turkeywgrapes

Cooked artichoke halves are another option for adorning your platter  This beast was smoked by Michael and I assure you it looked like this for just a few short minutes before it was nothing but a pile of bones.  Just as it should be.

turkeywithveggarnishes

This is the “other” end of one of the turkeys pictured above.  I notice something that provides a teachable moment.  My sage leaves had gone limp.  Horrors!  Put the stems of your herbs into a small vase with water until it is time to use them.  Add them to the plate at the last minute for a divinely fresh-picked look.

turkeyonthetablewithplate

This year, get YOUR gobble on!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
« Pumpkin Pecan Bites
Thanksgiving Turkey Stack »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• Our store and more •

With Capers Emporium, Mary Beth and Michael Guard have given PrettyFood.com a real home — a large retail store where people can purchase elements to set beautiful tables, concoct wonderful meals, play with gadgets, take cooking classes, and much more!. Read more »

• Hours & Location •

Now open five days a week!

Sundays Noon – 4 p.m.
Mondays 10:00 – 5:00
Tuesdays 10:00 – 5:00
Wednesdays 10:00 – 5:00
Thursdays 10:00 – 5:00
Fridays 10:00 – 5:00
Saturdays 10:00 – 5:00

MAP »

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Email

Newsletter

Receive The News Bite each month.

• Find Recipes •

By Course

Archives


● Farmers Market to Table
● On the Grill
● Dining Outdoors
● Time-Saving Tools
● Mary Beth's Faves

• Visual Recipe Index •

View all of Mary Beth's delicious recipes at once with our Visual Recipe Index.

• Popular •

Crudités

Cranberry Goat Cheese Pudding Layers

Tilapia with vegetables

Tilapia Quick and Easy

• Tags •

Appetizers Asian Bacon Beef Breakfast Cheese Chicken Christmas Daily Meals December Desserts Dishes Easter Eggs Fall Farmers Market Fish Flowers Fruit Grilling Halloween Italian Low-Carb Meat Mexican Outdoors Parties party food Pasta popular Quick & Easy Seafood Seattle 2010 Snacks Southwest Spring Summer tablescape Thanksgiving Travel Turkey Vegetables Vegetarian Videos Winter
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Visual Recipe Index
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Soups
  • Advice
    • The Basics
    • Ask PrettyFood
    • Critiques
    • Essentials
    • Gadgets & Tools
  • Make it Pretty
    • Tablescapes
    • Garnishes
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Takeout Tricks
  • On the Road
    • Chicago
    • Florence
    • Honolulu
    • Los Cabos
    • Louisville
    • Napa Valley
    • Paris
    • Santa Fe
    • Scottsdale
    • Seattle
  • Special Features
    • A Week of Low-Carb Meals
    • More From Mary Beth
  • About

f-facebook f-twitter f-pinterest f-rss f-email
Contact Us
Site Map

Copyright © 2023 · PrettyFood | Privacy Policy