“Haute for the Holidays,” written by Jeffrey Steingarten, first appeared in the November 1994 edition of Vogue. To explore more highlights from Vogue’s archives, subscribe to our Nostalgia newsletter here.

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the most renowned turkey in Franco-American culinary history. This is, of course, the bird that the esteemed French gastronome and judge Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin hunted in the Connecticut wilderness in October 1794. Fleeing the French Revolution, Brillat-Savarin spent three years in an America brimming with natural abundance—sweet corn, squash, persimmons, pumpkins, lobsters, oysters, and endless game like venison, turkeys, quail, geese, canvasback ducks, and passenger pigeons, whose massive flocks once filled the rivers and darkened the autumn skies.

In his classic work, The Physiology of Taste (translated by M.F.K. Fisher), he writes, “While I was in Hartford, Connecticut, I had the good fortune to shoot a wild turkey. This feat deserves a place in history, and I am eager to recount it, especially since I am its hero.” He and his companion, Mr. King, rode out from Hartford on rented horses and arrived at their host’s farm, about 15 to 20 miles away, in time for dinner. They enjoyed a feast of stewed goose, a fine piece of corned beef, a splendid leg of mutton, and assorted root vegetables. The table was flanked by large jugs of excellent cider, and their host had four lovely, healthy daughters, aged 16 to 20, whom Brillat-Savarin couldn’t help but admire.

The next morning, they set off hunting. “For the first time in my life, I found myself in a virgin forest, untouched by the axe,” he recalled with delight. They began by shooting some plump, tender gray partridges, then brought down six or seven gray squirrels, highly prized in America. Their luck continued when they stumbled upon a flock of wild turkeys. As the birds took flight, Mr. King fired first but missed, scattering the flock. However, one slower turkey lifted off just ten paces from Brillat-Savarin. “I shot it through an opening in the trees, and it fell dead.” Mr. King insisted he had hit one too, but even his dog, leading them through dense woods and thickets, couldn’t find it. Lost and disoriented, they were eventually guided back by the clear, singing voices of the farmer’s daughters.

The partridge wings were cooked en papillote, and the squirrels were braised in Madeira. As for the turkey, Brillat-Savarin regretfully omits the details of his elaborate preparation, saying only that it pained him to do so.

Modern readers might feel let down. Earlier, he hinted that the best turkeys are stuffed with truffles, but here he merely describes the roast as “charming to look at, pleasing to the nose, and delicious to taste.” As the last bite vanished, the table erupted in praise: “Very good! Exceedingly good! Oh, dear sir, what a glorious dish!”

How to honor the 200th anniversary of this historic turkey? I spent considerable time studying a map of Connecticut, drawing a 15- to 20-mile radius around Hartford. Eventually, I noticed the small town of Storrs on the eastern edge. I recognized it as the childhood home of my friend David Bouley, one of America’s top young chefs. Could this have been the very spot where Brillat-Savarin shot his turkey? History hasn’t given me a clear answer. I wondered if David would be interested in creating a Thanksgiving menu centered around a wild New England turkey. Happily, he agreed. As Brillat-Savarin once noted, “Poultry is to the cook what canvas is to a painter.” And as David told me when I called him with the idea, Thanksgiving is the one day of the year he truly enjoys cooking.Even though his restaurant was closed, David and I met a few days later among the yellow fingerling potatoes and long purple shallots at New York’s Union Square Greenmarket to talk about Thanksgiving. Two years earlier, he and friends gathered on Cape Cod for a meal that started with cold, fresh oysters from Wellfleet and Cotuit, moved on to a terrine of foie gras and asparagus, and ended with a crisp roasted wild turkey. Last year, he cooked dinner with a few friends in his empty restaurant kitchen, lighting the dining room with candelabras.

This year, for our shared Thanksgiving menu, he was considering squashes, chestnuts, root vegetables, and quinces. He thought about venison baked in a salt crust scented with pine needles, or perhaps wild game birds or rabbit—David’s French-born grandmother used to cook rabbit with prunes for Thanksgiving. David grew up in a French immigrant family of nine children in the farming region along the Connecticut-Rhode Island border. He recalls raking the fields with his siblings to gather small onions, potatoes, squashes, and turnips left behind by farmers, then wrapping them in foil and roasting them slowly over a fire made from tomato stalks until they caramelized in their own juices. He believes these outdoor vegetable feasts laid the foundation for his cooking style today.

Like Brillat-Savarin’s wild turkey dinner in 1794, David’s cuisine combines the finest organic American ingredients with precise French technique. But unlike Brillat-Savarin, David thickens his sauces with vibrant vegetable purées and herb oils instead of cream and butter.

Almost every Sunday, David and his family crossed into Rhode Island to visit his grandmother’s 40-acre farm for day-long feasts. From her, he learned that sharing a meal can “close the gap that separates us from our true selves and from our deeper connections with one another,” as he says. “That’s essentially why I do what I do—to create occasions that bring people together.” That’s also why Thanksgiving holds such meaning for him.

David started working in restaurants at fifteen. In 1977, he began traveling to France and Switzerland, apprenticing under many of that era’s great chefs—Girardet, Bocuse, Lenôtre, and especially Roger Vergé at the Moulin de Mougins on the Riviera. In 1986, David and his brother began building one of New York City’s most beautiful restaurants, with vaulted ceilings, creamy walls, and an 18th-century door from Provence, located in a Duane Street loft. Restaurant Bouley opened in 1987 when David was 34, just three unlucky weeks before the October stock market crash that would shutter many New York eateries. Yet within three years, David earned every major honor in the industry: four stars from The New York Times, James Beard Foundation awards for the city’s best restaurant and the nation’s best chef, the highest Zagat rating, and a reservation book that rarely had an opening for dinner sooner than two or three weeks away.

Over the following week, I eagerly waited for David to draft our Thanksgiving menu. One evening, he invited me to dinner at the restaurant. Between courses of blue Spanish mackerel with parsnip purée and rouget with a potato crust, a printed sheet on handmade paper arrived at the table. It was the proposed menu for Thanksgiving 1994—a lavish twelve courses:

– Maine Belon Oysters Steamed in the Shell with Fresh Bay Leaves, Rosemary, and Lemon Hyssop, Garnished with Golden Osetra Caviar
– Taos, New Mexico, Cèpes Roasted with Baby Fennel with Flourless Parmesan Chips
– Hookneck Squash Soup with Maple-Glazed Fall Sour Apples
– Cape Cod Steamer Clams Served with Tokay Wine Broth and Maine Scuba-Dived Sea Scallops Roasted with Lemon Thyme
– New England Wild Turkey Roasted with Aged Black Walnuts, Baked Quince Stuffing, and Organic Fingerling PotatoesHere is a simplified, home-cooked version of a restaurant menu, adapted for everyday kitchens. We started with a dish of wild Maine white-tail rabbit but later swapped it out for a family recipe of stewed rabbit with prunes, which we also ended up removing.

For two weeks, my kitchen was filled with the cozy scents of Thanksgiving—cinnamon, nuts, fresh herbs, winter fruits, brown sugar, and honey. My assistant Tara and I worked through faxes, phone calls, and plenty of roasting and baking to refine the menu into something practical for home cooks like us and my readers. We settled on steamed oysters, squash soup, wild turkey, lemon flan, and a new addition: maple walnut bread.

Each day, David sent his structured recipes—desserts by his pastry chef Bill Yosses—and we adjusted them for home kitchens and equipment. Finally, Tara biked over to the restaurant with bags of our test dishes to get David’s or Bill’s approval.

Here is our final, delicious menu. Feel free to prepare the delicate oysters a day ahead to avoid last-minute stress on Thanksgiving. Shop for ingredients early, as some might be hard to find. Consider adding a green vegetable or two, and if wild turkey isn’t to your liking, feel free to skip it. I think you’ll agree the squash soup is the best ever. The quince stuffing wasn’t ready in time, so use your favorite recipe and bake it separately—David even suggests serving it in a pumpkin. For dessert, the three parts are simple: make the gingerbread and Armagnac ice cream ahead, and assemble just before serving.

Steamed Maine Belon Oysters in the Shell
– 32 fresh Maine Belon oysters (or similar)
– 8 fresh bay leaves, quartered
– 4–6 sprigs fresh rosemary, cut into 32 one-inch pieces
– 32 fresh lemon hyssop leaves (or lemon verbena or small lemon thyme branches)
– 3 oz golden osetra caviar (or similar quality)
– Rosemary sprigs or seaweed for garnish

Wash the oysters and open them carefully, saving the juice in the shells. Loosen the oysters without detaching them. Divide the bay leaves, rosemary, and lemon hyssop among the oysters. Replace the top shells and wrap each oyster tightly in plastic wrap.

Preheat a steamer, add the wrapped oysters, cover, and steam for 3 minutes. Unwrap, discard the top shells and herbs, and arrange the oysters on eight plates garnished with seaweed or rosemary. Top each oyster with a generous ¼ teaspoon of caviar. Serves 8.

Note: If shucking oysters is daunting, ask your fishmonger to do it for you ahead of time. Store the oysters and their liquid in a container, and clean the shells. When ready to serve, strain the liquid, return the oysters to the shells, add the liquid and herbs. This works best with larger oysters.

Roast Hookneck Squash Soup with Maple-Glazed Tart Apples
– 4 hookneck squash (or butternut/acorn squash), about 6 lbs total
– 2 tsp. sea saltTo make the squash soup, start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Clean the squash, trim the ends, and cut it in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and place the squash cut-side up in a roasting pan. Season with salt, black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Drizzle three-quarters of the honey over the squash and dot with two tablespoons of butter. Pour 1.5 cups of water around the squash to prevent burning. Roast for about an hour until soft and caramelized, adding more water if needed. Let the squash cool, then scoop out the flesh and save the cooking liquid. Simmer the skins in 8 cups of water for an hour, strain, and reserve the liquid.

In a large pot, melt the remaining butter and sauté onions, carrots, and celery until soft. Add the rest of the honey and cook until caramelized. Stir in the squash flesh and roasting liquid, then add some of the reserved skin water. Bring to a boil, simmer for 30 minutes, skimming foam, and let cool.

For the apples, core them and place in a baking dish. Brush with half the maple syrup and fill with the rest. Add a bit of butter and mace to each, then pour wine and Calvados around them with a cinnamon stick and rosemary. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes until soft, basting often.

Blend the soup until smooth, strain, and adjust seasoning with more skin water if needed. Reheat the soup and warm the apples. Peel and halve the apples, then serve each bowl of soup with an apple piece and a spoonful of the baking liquid. Serves eight.

For the roast wild turkey, grate pears with skin and core, mix with oil, and rub inside and out of the turkey. Refrigerate for an hour, then let it come to room temperature. Wipe off the pear mixture, dry the turkey, and season with salt and pepper. Brown the turkey in butter and oil in a roasting pan on the stovetop for 10–15 minutes. Remove the turkey, preheat the oven to 350°F, and chop carrots, celery, and onion into half-inch pieces.Add the garlic to the roasting pan and brown the vegetables over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. While that’s happening, wrap the turkey legs with bacon slices and secure them with kitchen string, then truss the turkey. Once the vegetables are nicely browned, stir in the thyme and rosemary, gather them in the center of the pan, and place the turkey on top. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300°F. Continue roasting for about 12 minutes per pound, until a thermometer inserted into the thigh near the body reads 150° to 160°F. (Wild turkey should be cooked to a lower temperature than domestic turkey to avoid becoming tough and stringy.) Remove from the oven and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes before removing the string and carving.

Lemon Verbena Flan with Gingerbread and Armagnac Ice Cream

Ingredients:
– 2 tablespoons softened butter
– 4 Agen prunes, halved (see note)
– Juice of ½ lemon
– 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar (preferably muscovado)
– 1 quart whole milk
– 10 fresh or dried lemon verbena leaves
– Generous ¾ cup granulated sugar
– 5 egg yolks
– 5 whole eggs
– Armagnac ice cream
– A pan of gingerbread

The gingerbread and Armagnac ice cream can be made a day ahead. The flan, a variation of crème caramel, can be prepared earlier in the day and reheated. Use eight individual baking dishes—ramekins, small soufflé dishes, or straight-sided coffee cups—each holding about ¾ cup.

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Prepare a bain-marie by placing the baking dishes in a roasting pan and adding enough cold water to come three-quarters up their sides. Remove the dishes, dry them, and butter the insides. Place a prune half in the bottom of each dish, cut side up.

To make the caramel, combine the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in a heavy 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar turns a deep caramel color. Gradually add the remaining brown sugar, cooking until all the sugar is liquid and caramelized. Immediately pour about 2 tablespoons of caramel over the prunes in each dish and let cool.

For the custard, heat the milk in a 2-quart saucepan. Crush the lemon verbena leaves and add them to the milk along with a generous ½ cup of granulated sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring, then remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. In a 2- to 3-quart bowl, whisk the egg yolks and whole eggs with a generous ¼ cup of granulated sugar until the mixture lightens. Slowly whisk in the hot milk, stirring vigorously. Strain the custard and pour it over the prunes and hardened caramel in the baking dishes.

Heat the roasting pan on the stovetop until the water is very hot. Place the filled dishes in the hot water and bake for 45 minutes, or until the flan is set. Remove the dishes from the water bath, let cool for 5 minutes, then unmold onto eight dessert plates.

(If preparing the flans earlier in the day, reheat them covered with foil on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for 10–15 minutes before unmolding.)

Cut the gingerbread into 3/8-inch slices and then into triangles. Place two triangles on each plate beside the flan, with a scoop of Armagnac ice cream between them. Garnish the other side of the plate with fresh lemon verbena leaves if available. Serves eight.

Note: Agen in southwest France is famous for its prunes. The best ones are stuffed with prune purée, which Bill Yosses uses in this recipe. You can order stuffed Agen prunes from Dean & Deluca in New York City.You can find prunes at Williams-Sonoma (800-431-1691) or Joie de Vivre in Riverbank, California (800-648-8854). If unavailable, any moist, sweet, plump prune will work.

Muscovado sugar is an unrefined, light brown cane sugar that’s imported and sold under the Billington label at Balducci’s in New York City (212-673-2600). Domestically produced brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added, giving it a less pure flavor than muscovado, but it’s a suitable substitute. For a tasty alternative, Bill Yosses uses maple syrup that’s been cooked until caramelized.

Armagnac Ice Cream
Ingredients:
– 1 quart whole milk
– 1 generous cup granulated sugar
– 9 egg yolks
– ¼ cup Armagnac (a brandy from southwest France)

Instructions:
1. Boil the milk and sugar in a heavy saucepan, then remove from heat.
2. Whisk the egg yolks in a 2- to 3-quart bowl and slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the yolks while whisking vigorously.
3. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring continuously, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon (or reaches 180°F on a candy thermometer).
4. Strain immediately into a cool bowl, let it cool while stirring occasionally, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight until cold.
5. Once cold, add the Armagnac and freeze in an ice cream machine.

Gingerbread
Ingredients:
– 3 ½ cups sifted cake flour (measure after sifting)
– 1 tablespoon baking powder
– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– ½ teaspoon salt
– 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing pans, all softened
– 1 cup dark molasses
– 1 cup honey
– 2 tablespoons fresh, finely grated ginger
– 1 cup water
– 1 cup light brown sugar
– 2 eggs

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter.
2. In a large bowl, combine butter, molasses, honey, ginger, and water. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until the butter melts and everything is warm and well mixed.
3. In another bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs together, then gradually whisk this into the warm butter mixture.
4. Remove from heat and gradually whisk in the dry ingredients until the batter is smooth. Pour into the prepared pans.
5. Bake for about 1.5 hours, covering with foil for the last 15 minutes. The gingerbread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool in the pans for 15 minutes before removing, then cool completely top-side up.

Maple Walnut Bread with Corn and Persimmon
Ingredients:
– 1 ripe persimmon
– 2 ears fresh corn
– 1 tablespoon olive oil
– 1 cup walnut pieces
– 3 eggs
– ⅔ cup maple syrup
– ⅔ cup whole milk
– ½ cup vegetable oil
– 1 ⅔ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
– 7/8 cup cake flour
– 7/8 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
– 1 tablespoon baking powder
– ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel and roughly chop the persimmon.
2. Boil the corn in salted water for about 2 minutes until barely tender but still crisp. Cool under running water, pat dry, and cut the kernels from the cob.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, sauté the corn for 1–2 minutes, then add the persimmon and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat.
4. Toast the walnuts on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes, then stir into the corn and persimmon mixture and let cool.
5. In a 2- to 3-quart bowl, whisk the eggs, then add maple syrup, milk, and vegetable oil, mixing well.
6. In another bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, cake flour, rolled oats, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to the egg mixture, mixing until combined.
7. Stir in the corn, persimmon, and walnuts.
8. Pour the batter into a greased 9×4.5-inch loaf pan and bake for about 1.5 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a rack.

Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of helpful and clear FAQs about David Bouleys 1994 Thanksgiving menu from the archives

General Beginner Questions

Q What is From the Archives David Bouleys Thanksgiving Menu in 1994
A Its a look back at the special Thanksgiving menu served in 1994 at David Bouleys renowned highend restaurant in New York City It gives us a glimpse into how a worldclass chef approached the classic holiday meal

Q Who is David Bouley
A David Bouley was a celebrated and influential American chef known for his innovative French cuisine and his worldfamous restaurants in New York City like Bouley and Danube

Q Why is a menu from 1994 still interesting today
A Its a piece of culinary history It shows how a master chef elevated traditional comfort food with sophisticated techniques and ingredients providing inspiration for home cooks and food enthusiasts even now

Q Was this a traditional Thanksgiving dinner
A It was built on traditional foundations but it was far from a simple homecooked meal Bouley used gourmet ingredients and complex French cooking techniques to create a luxurious restaurantquality experience

Menu Ingredients Questions

Q What were some of the standout dishes on the menu
A The menu featured elegant dishes like a Roasted FreeRange Turkey with Black Truffle Jus Chestnut and Celery Root Soup and desserts like Pumpkin Crme Brlée

Q What made his turkey recipe special
A The key was the Black Truffle Jus Instead of a standard gravy he made a rich deeply flavorful sauce infused with the luxurious taste of black truffles elevating the entire dish

Q Did the menu include any unique sides or stuffings
A Yes Instead of basic bread stuffing you might find something like a Wild Mushroom and Herb Stuffing or other sides that incorporated seasonal highquality ingredients

Q What kind of ingredients did Bouley typically use
A He was known for using the finest freshest ingredients This included freerange poultry wild mushrooms fresh herbs black truffles and organic locallysourced vegetables