Scott Peacock's Thanksgiving Recipes

Learn how Southern chef Scott Peacock makes his Thanksgiving feast sing. You can prepare Peacock's entire menu for your holiday meal, or just a side dish or two. Either way, you and your guests are sure to be dazzled.

These feathery light potatoes are rich and buttery. To make the potatoes in advance, hold them in a slow cooker set on low and follow Peacock's thinning instructions (see recipe) to ensure creaminess.

Start off your holiday feast with this velvety soup. Slow-roasting brings out the squash's rich flavor with ease, while freshly grated nutmeg adds a touch of spice. To save time, make this soup the night before and reheat it before the meal.

Peacock uses an easy cooking method (see recipe) to achieve egg yolks that are slightly creamy in the center. Thinly sliced chives and fresh tarragon dress up this side.

Two teaspoons of garlic, a pinch of salt, and a dash of pepper are all you need to make these green beans a hit. Chop the garlic with a good pinch of salt -- it will soak up the garlic flavor and transfer it to the beans.

It's hard to believe these deliciously caramelized sweet potatoes require only 15 minutes of prep time; the light lemon syrup adds a surprising -- and sublime -- finishing touch.

This gelatin mold salad is vibrantly fresh and crunchy good -- a celebration of all things deliciously sweet and sour.

Peacock uses a 24-hour kosher salt brine to enhance the flavor of his turkey. Roasted citrus fruits and veggies make a colorful (and tasty) garnish.

Dress up your turkey with a chunky cranberry sauce infused with cinnamon and orange zest. This chunkier variation takes 20 minutes to make, from start to finish; simmer it longer for a smoother sauce.

To save time, bake these fluffy biscuits in the morning and reheat them just before dinner. For extra fluffiness, make them with homemade baking power. (Sift 1/4 cup cream of tartar with 2 tablespoons baking soda 3 times. Store 6 to 8 weeks in tightly sealed jar at room temperature, away from sunlight.)

Not too filling, not too sweet -- this old-fashioned dessert topped with Caramel Oranges has a smooth, silky texture and a zippy, refreshing tang from buttermilk.

These buttery, mildly sweet shortbreads are a beautiful accompaniment to Peacock's Buttermilk Pudding (previous slide), or cinnamon ice cream topped with warm caramel sauce.

Scott Peacock is executive chef at Watershed restaurant in Decatur, Georgia. An expert on Southern food, Scott is also coauthor of The Gift of Southern Cooking: Recipes and Revelations from Two Great American Cooks (Knopf, $29.95). He wrote the book with friend and mentor Edna Lewis, a noted authority on traditional Southern cooking.