Thanksgiving in Switzerland

Here we are, back in Zug, for what has become a tradition of making Thanksgiving dinner with Nan in Switzerland. It's actually quite a convenient time to travel abroad because few Americans are doing it and it's also a quiet week at work so taking the three days isn't a problem. And so we arrived Tuesday morning without incident, back to foggy, cold Zug. It's about 32 degrees fahrenheit and damp -- enough to put a chill in your bones. That hasn't stopped us from shopping for our dinner, though, and roasting in the oven is a turkey from Aklin (4.5 kg!) and there are brussel sprouts and romanesco (combo broccoli, cauliflower -- google it!) awaiting preparation. And I brought cornbread stuffing from the states, as well as cranberry sauce.

Actually, there are so many Americans in Zug now (Last night, we tried a new place, the Widder, and there were more American tables than Swiss) that there are quite a few turkeys for sale. That didn't used to be the case. In fact, the supplement to the morning paper had a recipe for Thanksgiving dinner!

There are certain challenges to making Thanksgiving dinner at Nan's, the largest being size. Her oven and dishes are suitable for cooking small amounts, not a 10 lb turkey. Absent a properly sized roasting pan, the turkey is sitting in the broiler pan. We put it breast side up for 10 minutes at 220 and then flipped it over to let the juices from the dark meat penetrate the breast. Hopefully, it will be good as there is a lot of it!

Zug is changing with new shops and lots of new buildings. There are cranes everywhere and the traffic is worse than ever. I took a long walk yesterday past Oberwill along the lake; that, at least, is unchanged.

Post-meal, I am happy to report it was a delicious dinner -- I first put the oven to 220 and then place the bird in breast side up for 10 minutes. Took it out, flipped the bird and lowered the oven to 170. Next time I might do 160 or take the meat out earlier. It went in at 2:30 and I took it out at 4:45. Rested for 20 minutes or so while we finished the sides and the gravy.

Things to bring to Zug next time:

turkey baster
poultry bag?
pine nuts (for brussel sprouts)
pumpkin for pie