Menu Makeover: Updating a 1904 Thanksgiving Meal

We caught up with Estate Executive Chef Mark DeMarco to do a complete menu makeover of the Vanderbilt family’s 1905 Thanksgiving menu. Knowing how much tastes have changed in the last century, we’ve put together a real feast for you!

A food-focused holiday

“Thanksgiving is a food-focused holiday,” said Lauren Henry, Curator of Interpretation, “and that tradition is as true today as it was in 1904 when George and Edith Vanderbilt celebrated the holiday with a multi-course dinner for family and guests.”

According to Lauren, Biltmore’s archives include a handwritten menu for Thanksgiving Dinner 1904 that features time-honored favorites like turkey, ham, and sweet potatoes, plus more unusual offerings such as braised calves’ brains.

“While some of those dishes don’t sound as appealing today, they were the height of elegant dining during the Gilded Age,” Lauren said. 

In addition, the original holiday menu topped out at eight courses. That seems like a lot of food to modern diners, but Lauren noted that the portions were fairly small, and it was also common for a formal dinner of the era to last two hours or more.

Menu makeover: easy appetizers

The Vanderbilts’ 1904 celebration began with oysters on the half shell, followed by “Consomme Royal” and broiled Spanish mackerel. For a more modern adaptation, Chef DeMarco kept the seafood theme with an appetizer of Salmon Rillettes.

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Salmon Rillettes

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces fresh salmon
• 6 ounces smoked salmon, minced
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 3 tablespoons chive, minced
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 cups white wine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Baguette for serving

Instructions:

• In a small pot, add fresh salmon and shallot, and cover with white wine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; do not boil.
• Allow to cook for 4 minutes or until the middle is opaque. Remove salmon and shallot from the pot and cool in refrigerator for an hour or until cold. Discard white wine.
• Place cooked salmon and shallot in a large bowl and flake into bite-sized pieces. Add smoked salmon, chives, and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, and mix gently until combined.
• Season with salt and pepper and serve on toasted or grilled baguette.

Wine pairing suggestion: Savor your salmon rillettes with our Biltmore Estate® Reserve Chardonnay—it’s a perfect complement for this rich, savory appetizer and a wonderful way to welcome family and friends to the table!

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“There was a real emphasis on meat on the Vanderbilts’ menu—both roast turkey and Virginia ham were served, plus those previously noted calves’ brains,” said Chef DeMarco. “While turkey is still the main feature at most Thanksgiving dinners, today’s cooks also give just as much attention to the accompanying dishes.”

Mix and match an array of meats (George’s favorite!), cheeses, crackers, fruits, nuts, preserves, and spreads. For a special touch, check out your local artisan shops for some amazing goodies, and consider adding our favorites: Marcona almonds, crunchy crostinis, and seasonal preserves. It’s all about what you love and what looks delicious!

Wine pairing suggestion: Light-bodied reds, like the Vanderbilt Reserve® Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2020, have fresh berry flavors that counterbalance salty, nutty cheeses.

Menu makeover: updating George Vanderbilt’s favorite dish

We know from archival information that George Vanderbilt loved roast turkey and it was frequently served at Biltmore. For our modern menu makeover, Chef DeMarco recommends our Simple Brined and Roasted Turkey to ensure you bring the most tender, flavorful main dish to the table. 

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Ingredients:

• 1 18–20 pound turkey

Brine

• 2 gallons water
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons yellow or brown mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons whole fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 12 cloves fresh garlic
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme

Roasting

• 1 brined turkey
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Butcher’s twine

Instructions:

Brine Method

You will need a heavy-duty plastic brining bag and an ice chest large enough to hold a 20-pound turkey.

• In a four-quart saucepot, combine 2 quarts of water, vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns, red pepper, mustard seeds, and fennel. Simmer the brine for 5 minutes, ensuring that the salt and sugar have dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Crush garlic cloves.
• Fill a quarter of the ice chest with ice. Place the turkey in the brining bag along with the cooled salt-water mixture, crushed garlic, thyme, and the remaining water. Tie the bag securely and cover with as much ice as the cooler will hold, packing it around the sides and top. Let the turkey brine overnight or up to 24 hours.

Roasting Method

You will need butcher’s twine and a roasting rack.

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a roasting pan and a roasting rack.
• Remove the turkey from the brine, pat dry with paper towels, and place it in the roasting pan, breast side up.
• Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 45-60 minutes. Brush all over with butter and season liberally with salt and pepper, including inside the cavity. Tuck the wings under the turkey and tie the legs together with twine.
• Roast for 2 ½-3 hours, basting every 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the dark meat.
• Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Wine pairing suggestion: Enjoy the classic varietal character of our smooth Biltmore Reserve® Chardonnay—handcrafted from estate-grown grapes—with your Thanksgiving turkey, on its own, or as part of our Thanksgiving Wine Trio, carefully curated to complement your celebration.

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Menu makeover: sensational sides

Cranberry jelly and a medley of vegetables appear on the 1904 menu. Our modernized dinner brings brighter flavors to the meal with two different styles of cranberry sauce—elegant and easy Red Wine Cranberry Sauce and the sophisticated flavors of Bittersweet Cranberry Sauce—alongside Green Beans with Pancetta and Hazelnut Brown Butter, a dish that elevates green beans to something sublime!

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Green Beans with Pancetta and Hazelnut Brown Butter

Ingredients:

• 1¼ pounds thin green beans
• 1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts
• 4 ounces pancetta
• 2 ounces butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt

Instructions:

• Trim any stems from the ends of the green beans and set aside. Crush hazelnuts with the side of a knife or rolling pin and reserve.
• Set a six-quart pot filled with water over high heat and bring to a boil. Salt the boiling water to taste.
• Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Dice pancetta into 1/4-inch pieces and add to the skillet. Cook until crisp on the outside but still tender on the inside, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove cooked pancetta from the skillet and set aside.
• Add butter to the same skillet. Cook the butter over medium heat until it becomes light brown, about 30 seconds, and then turn off the heat.
• Add green beans to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 2 minutes for haricots verts. Remove the cooked green beans from the water and add them to the skillet with the browned butter.
• Add the reserved pancetta and hazelnuts to the skillet. Toss well to coat the green beans, and season to taste with salt.

Wine pairing suggestion: While it’s normally considered a bit difficult to pair certain sides with wines, our Thanksgiving Wine Trio brings together Biltmore Reserve® Chardonnay, The Hunt Red Blend Sonoma County, and Biltmore Estate® Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine covers most options.

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Menu makeover: dessert decadence

Cake was one of Edith Vanderbilt’s favorite desserts, so the inclusion of pineapple cake (along with mince pie) on the 1904 menu is not surprising. For our updated interpretation of classic holiday flavors, try our Pumpkin and Pecan Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting—it’s a flavorful combination to round out your holiday meal in style!

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Pumpkin and Pecan Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 3/4 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Caramel pecan filling

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 cups toasted pecans

Frosting

• 2 pounds cream cheese
• 12 ounces butter
• 6 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 vanilla bean

Instructions:

Cake

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 1½-inch-high sides. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper and dust with flour.
• Sift 3 cups flour and the next 7 ingredients into a medium bowl.
• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat both sugars and oil until combined (the mixture will look grainy). Add eggs one at a time, beating until well blended after each addition.
• Add pumpkin and vanilla and beat until well blended. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
• Bake for about 1 hour, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cakes completely in pans on a rack. Run a knife around the cakes to loosen, then invert onto racks. Remove parchment paper and turn cakes over, rounded side up. Using a serrated knife, trim the rounded tops to level and cut each layer in half. Fill with Caramel Pecan filling and top with Cream Cheese Vanilla Bean Frosting.

Filling

• Stir sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring, occasionally swirling the pan and brushing down the sides with a wet pastry brush, until the caramel is deep amber, about 12–15 minutes.
• Add honey and return to a boil, stirring often for about 1 minute longer. Add butter and stir until blended. Add cream (the mixture will bubble vigorously) and whisk until smooth. Stir in pecans and let cool until spreadable. Apply the mixture to each cake layer.

Frosting

• Soften cream cheese and butter and mix together until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla, and vanilla bean seeds, and beat until smooth. Spread over the top and sides of the cake.

Wine pairing suggestion: Uncork the festive bubbles of Biltmore Estate® Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine with a decadent dessert like this and offer a toast to celebrate the occasion.

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Bring our Thanksgiving Wine Trio to the table

Whether your Thanksgiving table is laden with tried-and-true classics or modern new dishes, we hope your holiday is filled with fellowship, good memories, and delicious wine-and-food pairings like our menu makeover options and our favorite picks for Thanksgiving wine pairings:

• Complement creamy mashed potatoes or a vegetarian main course with our crisp Biltmore Reserve® Chardonnay.
• Savor heartier meat dishes with The Hunt Red Blend Sonoma County, a bold Bordeaux-style blend.
• Bring on the Biltmore Estate® Blanc de Blancs bubbles for everything from a heartfelt toast at the beginning of dinner to the most decadent of desserts, at the end.