13 Top NYC Chefs Share Their Favorite Thanksgiving Dishes

"I love the process of making a turkey, right down to the carving. I usually brine the bird overnight with veggie stock, salt, sugar, a ton of herbs, sweet spices (cinnamon, star anise, clove etc), apples, onions, garlic. On Thanksgiving morning, I stuff the bird with the same aromatics and rub it down generously with either butter or extra virgin olive oil. Then I cook it on very high heat for a half-hour, before shielding the breast with aluminum foil, turning the temperature down to 325 and cooking the bird to an internal temperature 160 Fahrenheit. Then I let it rest for half an hour and carve it. My uncle Joe used to carve the bird before he passed away and I think I'm carrying on his legacy whenever I cut the turkey. The ceremony of cooking and cutting the turkey is part of what jazzes me up about the Thanksgiving holiday. It's about family and those ties that bind. So whenever I cut the turkey it always reminds me about my late uncle and how he always loved cutting the turkey." - Paras Shah, Executive Chef Kat & Theo [Photo courtesy Paras Shah]