Armenian/American Holiday Gatherings
Bringing two cultures together with one local & healthy meal…
by Roffi Petrossian
So, here at the Nairian family house we got together to celebrate the most American holiday together a few weeks ago…. Thanksgiving! Although the Nairian team is almost entirely Armenian, many of us grew up in the United States. It was only natural for us to usher in the winter with a good old fashion family style feast before hibernating. But, this being Armenia some of our traditional foods were missing.
We looked and looked but could not find fresh cranberries, and the Tofurkey was just a disgusting dream. So, we got creative. The goal was to eat locally, very easy here in Yerevan, yet to keep many of the traditional American Thanksgiving dishes. Instead of cranberry sauce we had currant relish, and gravy was replaced with a truly Armenian addition of pomegranates and walnuts on the turkey and almost every dish.
The turkey came from a local farmer in Aragyugh, for the first time, I got to butcher and dress the bird myself (it was exhilarating). We piled the table with stuffing, mashed potatoes, persian style rice, kuku (persian herb souffle), pig leg, and more sides than an octagon. All prepared by our lovely host, Tanya Ohanian, who spent 3 days in the kitchen to accomplish such a feast.
I didn’t miss the gluten-free option (for that one cousin), the tofurkey for my vegetarian mom, the talk of someone having to leave early to get to their retail job for “Black Friday”, nor digesting in front of the tube to watch the football game. No, we brought the true meaning of Thanksgiving with us, held on, tweaked it a little Armenian-style, and rolled our fat selves home after a night of good food and familial fun.
All in all it was a wonderful Thanksgiving. We carried over the tradition of gathering with friends and loved ones, giving thanks for the blessings in our lives, and enjoying the peaceful daze after gorging on turkey.
Thanksgiving Menu
Main Dishes
- Herb Roasted Turkey
- Slow Roasted Pork Leg
- Ghapama
- Fessenjoon (Pomegranate, Walnut, Chicken Stew)
- Dolma w/ Grape Leaves
- Kukoo (Multi-Herb Frittata)
Sides
- Nutty Kielbasa Stuffing
- Mashed Potatoes
- Basmati Rice
- Olivia Salad
- Russian Vinigret Salad
- Current & Onion Relish
- Spinach Yogurt
- Pickled Carrot
Here is Tanya’s recipe for Nutty Kielbasa Stuffing:
Ingredients
- 2 lb. kielbasa sausage cut into ¼ inch slices
- ½ bacon cut into ¼ inch slices
- 1 cup roasted chestnuts
- 2 cup roughly chopped mushrooms
- 4 cups diced onions
- 2 cups leek (white part only)
- 1 1/2 cup celery cut into ¼ inch dice
- 1 loaf day old French bread, cut into ¾ inch cubes
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 3 tbsp. thyme
- 1 tbsp. sage
- Salt + Pepper
Preparation
1. Line a large heavy skillet with bacon and cook on low heat.
2. Remove bacon using a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Use the fat remaining in the skillet to sauté onions and leeks until translucent, about 4 minutes.
4. Add celery to mixture and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Make sure to stir mixture every few minutes.
5. Add kielbasa, bacon, chestnuts, mushrooms, thyme, sage, salt and pepper, cooking for 8 minutes.
6. Stir in cubed bread and cook for 3 minutes, then add chicken broth to soften bread.
7. Turn heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes
8. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.