Make-Ahead Turkey

One of the challenges of making a Thanksgiving meal is to have enough time (and oven space) to get everything done.  Here's a recipe from Cook's Country that I put in my newsletter a couple of years ago.  They've come up with a way to make a delicious turkey prior to Thanksgiving Day--so you can concentrate on other things.  The techniques are a little unusual, but, if it saves you valuable time, it's worth the try!

MAKE-AHEAD ROAST TURKEY AND GRAVY (Serves 10-12)
Check the label when buying a turkey.  If there's an ingredient list, the turkey's been enhanced and will work for this recipe.  If you prefer a natural turkey, brine it by dissolving 1 cup of salt in 2 gallons of cold water.  Submerge the turkey in the brine, cover and refrigerate for 3-6 hours.  Proceed with Step 1, Day 1, omitting the salt for seasoning.

INGREDIENTS
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
4 (1 1/2-1 3/4 lb) turkey leg quarters, trimmed
1 (6-7 lb) whole bone-in turkey breast, trimmed
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Salt & pepper
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

DAY 1

1. Adjust oven racks to middle and lowest positions and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place first 5 ingredients in a large roasting pan.  Set V-rack inside pan.  Pat turkey legs and breast dry with paper towels.  Arrange 2 legs and breast, skin side up, in rack.  Brush with butter and season with salt and pepper.  Place other 2 legs in 13x9" baking dish and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place roasting pan on middle rack and baking dish on lower rack.  Roast until breast registers 160 degrees and thighs, 175 degrees, about 2-2 1/2 hours.  Transfer turkey in rack to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
3. Transfer veggies and legs in baking dish to a large pot, scraping up any browned bits.  Add broth, water, bay leaf and 1 tsp pepper and bring to a boil.  Simmer over med-low heat until reduced to 5 cups, 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours.  Strain into a large container, discarding solids.  Let cool for 1 hour, cover, refrigerate 4 hours or up to 2 days.  Wrap cooled legs and breast tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

DAY 2

1. Scrape fat from top of chilled stock and reserve 5 Tbsp.  Bring stock to simmer in a medium saucepan.  Set aside 1/4 cup.  Heat reserved fat in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden, 3-4 minutes.  Slowly whisk in remaining stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened and reduced to 4 cups, 12-14 min.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 500 degrees.  Transfer legs and breast to cutting board.  Separate legs into thighs and drumsticks and arrange on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.  Cut breast meat from bone into 2 single breasts.  Remove skin from each in 1 piece, reserve.  Slice breast crosswise into 1/4" slices and place on 18x12" piece of foil, keeping slices together.  Pour 2 Tbsp reserved stock over each breast and top with reserved skin.  Wrap tightly and place on rack with legs.
3. Roast until turkey is heated through and thighs and drumsticks are crisp, 20-25 min.  Discard breast skin.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with gravy.

Slow Cooker Turkey?



Photo courtesty of Cook's Country.

The latest issue of Cook's Country magazine has a recipe for a turkey breast--with gravy--made in a slow cooker.  Now really, can that be any good?

Well, we just so happened to have a turkey breast in the freezer and I thought trying out the recipe was a good way to get our taste buds ready for Thanksgiving.

As I would expect from Cook's Country, the recipe was very good.  OK, if you're looking for a real roasted turkey flavor, you're not going to get it here.  But if you're cooking for just a small number of people and you want a more hands-off way of cooking turkey, this is the way to go.  It's flavorful, extremely moist and the gravy is really tasty.  It's definitely worth a try--if not for Thanksgiving, at least another time.

SLOW-COOKER TURKEY BREAST AND GRAVY
Serves 8-10

If you don't have quite 3 Tbsp of drippings in Step 1, supplement with additional butter.

INGREDIENTS
1 (6-7 lb) bone-in turkey breast, trimmed
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped coarse
1 carrot, chopped coarse
1 celery rib, chopped coarse
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
7 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme plus 1 tsp minced
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper

1. Pat turkey dry with paper towels.  Remove skin and cut into 4 equal pieces.  Cook skin in 12" skillet over medium heat until browned, 8-10 min.  (I found that I needed a little longer.)  Transfer skin to slow cooker.  Pour off all but 3 Tbsp fat from skillet.  Add butter, onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook until veggies are browned, 8-10 min.  Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden, about 2 min.  Slowly whisk in broth and wine and bring to to a boil.  Transfer gravy, thyme sprigs and bay leaves to slow cooker.
2. Season turkey with salt and pepper and place meat side up in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low until breast registers 160 degrees, 5-6 hours.
3. Transfer turkey to carving board, tent loosely with foil and let rest for 15-20 min.  Strain gravy into a serving bowl; discard solids.  Stir minced thyme into gravy and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Carve turkey and serve.

Turkey revisited

As I write this, I am trying out a Cook's Country recipe for "roast" turkey breast with gravy--made in a slow cooker!  I know, doesn't seem like it would work, but I trust their recipes.  I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out.

Below is a post I made last year at this time (slightly edited)--all about turkeys and the yummy Thanksgiving meals they give us. As a side, check out this post with a strange, but tasty sounding stuffing recipe.

Thanksgiving is coming up on us pretty quickly.  In just over 2 weeks, we'll be searching out our stretchy pants and getting ready to stuff ourselves with our favorite holiday fare.   (Choose your favorite in the poll to the right.)  And I'd be remiss in telling you that Mary Beth and my wedding anniversary falls on the day after Turkey Day this year--just as it did 17 years ago.  17 years!?  How does she do it?

If you are like 97% of Americans, you will be eating turkey this Thanksgiving.  Although more people are eating turkey at non-holiday times (consumption has increased 116% and production is up 300% since 1970), most Americans see turkey as a holiday dish.  Too bad, though.   Turkeys are very low fat and very high in protein (more than chicken or beef).  The average gobbler eaten at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds (much less than the largest turkey on record—86 pounds!). 

Oh, and studies show that there’s way too little tryptophan in turkey to cause drowsiness.   All the wine and food you stuff in your stomach pulls blood away from the brain to aid in digestion and prevents you from seeing the 2nd half of that football game or helping with the dishes.  You’ll have to find another excuse.

Ben Franklin famously nominated the wild turkey as our nation’s symbol (rather than the bald eagle).  He saw that these relatives to the pheasant were hearty, tough and plentiful—just like the early Americans.  Wild turkeys can fly up to 55 miles per hour for short distances and can run up to 20 mph.  They were nearly wiped out in the U.S. in the early 1900’s, but now thrive in every state except Alaska.   (Most of them seem to live at Peace Valley Park!)

Many of us use frozen turkeys and most of them are fine.   However, there are plenty of places locally to get delicious fresh birds.   Check out this Bucks County Taste post for more information where to get them.   Just remember that they're in demand, so don't wait to long to reserve yours.

There are literally thousands of ways to roast a turkey.  There are recipes with different kinds of rubs and brines.  Some use low heat, some high.   Some roast breast up, some breast down.  Here’s my favorite way to roast a turkey—on the grill.  It turns out juicy and delicious—and cooks very quickly.  It’s from America’s Test Kitchen.  The recipe is for a charcoal grill (with directions for gas grilling at the end of each step.)

1. Dissolve 2 cups kosher or 1 cup table salt in 2 gallons of water in a large stockpot or clean bucket.  Add a 12-14 pound turkey, giblets & tail removed, rinsed thoroughly and wings tucked under.  Refrigerate or put in a very cool spot (32-40 degrees), 12 hours or overnight.  (I have used a cooler and added ice packs to keep cold.)
2. Toward the end of the brining time, cover six 3-inch wood chunks with water in a bowl; soak for 1 hour, then drain and set aside.  (For gas: soak 3 cups of wood chips for about 30 minutes, drain and place in smoker box of gas grill or make a foil pan to hold the chips.)
3. Keep bottom vents on grill completely open.  Start charcoal.  (For gas: place tray of chips on burner and preheat to high for about 20 minutes or until chips are smoking heavily.)
4. Spray a V-rack with nonstick cooking spray.  (Before I had a rack, I made a big foil ring to hold the bird.)  Remove turkey from brine and rinse inside and out with cool running water to remove any salt.  Pat dry with paper towels; brush both sides with 2 tablespoons melted butter.  Set turkey, breast-side down, in V-rack.
5. Arrange coals into one side of grill, piling them up 2-3 briquettes high.   Place 3 wood chunks on top of charcoal.  Put grate in place and put V-rack on with turkey over cool side of the grill.  Open lid vents halfway and cover, turning lid so vents are opposite wood chunks to draw smoke through grill.   Grill-roast for 1 hour.  (For gas: Turn off one burner—not the one with the wood chips—and put turkey over that burner.)
6. Remove lid from grill.  Using thick potholders, move V-rack (with turkey) to rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan.  Remove grate and put 12 new briquettes and the last 3 wood chunks on top (For gas: add more chips, if necessary); replace grate.  Using wads of paper towels, flip turkey breast-side up in rack.  Return to cool side of grill so that leg & wing that were facing the heat are now facing away.  Cover and grill-roast for 45 minutes.
7. Using thick potholders, turn V-rack with turkey so the leg & wing facing heat is now facing away.   Using an instant-read thermometer, check temperature in each thigh.   The target temp is 175-180.  If it’s close, cover and check the temp again in about 15 minutes.   If it’s below 145, cover and check in a half-hour.
8. Remove turkey from grill, cover loosely with foil, and let rest 20-30 minutes.  Carve and serve.

Really, this sounds more difficult than it really is.  You will LOVE the smoky, moist meat that results from this process.  Save the giblets and find a good giblet gravy recipe to go with your bird.  You’ll be thankful you tried it!

Stuff It

OK.  I have a confession to make.  I periodically buy frozen White Castle hamburgers.  They're nutritionally horrible, expensive (I only buy with a coupon), but God, they're tasty.  They're tiny, so you have to eat a bunch to make it worth-while and, because they're heated in the microwave, you have to eat them fast or the buns start to get hard.  I think there's some conspiracy between the White Castle company and cardiologists.

Google "White Castle Hamburger" and you'll see all sorts of ways to eat these things--deep-fried, a "casserole" with WCH's, Hormel chili, Velveeta and Tater Tots (pardon me while I fetch my Tums), and more.

Now to top it off, inside the box there is a little insert that asks the question, "What does a true CRAVER eat on the HOLIDAY?"  (As a side note, they end this sentence with a ".", not a "?", which drives me NUTS!!!  It's a question, people!)  Anyway, the answer to the question is: White Castle Turkey Stuffing!

Now, really, how strange and delicious must this be?  So here's the recipe:

WHITE CASTLE TURKEY STUFFING

INGREDIENTS
10 White Castle hamburgers, no pickles
1 1/2 cups celery, diced
1 1/4 tsp ground thyme
1 1/4 tsp fresh sage
3/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1/4 cup chicken broth

In a large mixing bowl, tear the burgers into pieces and add diced celery and seasonings.  Toss and add chicken broth.  Stuff cavity of turkey just before roasting.  Recipe makes about 9 cups (enough for a 10-12 pound turkey).  Note: Allow 1 hamburger for each pound of turkey, which is the equivalent of 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound.

Please, someone make this and tell me if it's any good.  I has to be, right?

Let's Get Ready to Gobble!

Thanksgiving is coming up on us pretty quickly.  In just over 2 weeks, we'll be searching out our stretchy pants and getting ready to stuff ourselves with our favorite holiday fare.  (Choose your favorite in the poll to the right.)  And I'd be remiss in telling you that Mary Beth & my wedding anniversary falls on the Turkey Day this year.  She's survived 16 years with this turkey!

If you are like 97% of Americans, you will be eating turkey this Thanksgiving. Although more people are eating turkey at non-holiday times (consumption has increased 116% and production is up 300% since 1970), most Americans see turkey as a holiday dish. Too bad, though.  Turkeys are very low fat and very high in protein (more than chicken or beef). The average gobbler eaten at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds (much less than the largest turkey on record—86 pounds!). Oh, and studies show that there’s way too little tryptophan in turkey to cause drowsiness.  All the wine and food you stuff in your stomach pulls blood away from the brain to aid in digestion and prevents you from seeing the 2nd half of that football game or helping with the dishes. You’ll have to find another excuse.

Ben Franklin famously nominated the wild turkey as our nation’s symbol (rather than the bald eagle). He saw that these relatives to the pheasant were hearty, tough and plentiful—just like the early Americans. Wild turkeys can fly up to 55 miles per hour for short distances and can run up to 20 mph. They were nearly wiped out in the U.S. in the early 1900’s, but now thrive in every state except Alaska.  (Most of them seem to live at Peace Valley Park!)

Many of us use frozen turkeys and most of them are fine.  However, there are plenty of places locally to get delicious fresh birds.  Check out this Bucks County Taste post for more information where to get them.  Just remember that they're in demand, so don't wait to long to reserve yours.

There are literally thousands of ways to roast a turkey. There are recipes with different kinds of rubs and brines. Some use low heat, some high.  Some roast breast up, some breast down. Here’s my favorite way to roast a turkey—on the grill. It turns out juicy and delicious—and cooks very quickly. It’s from America’s Test Kitchen. The recipe is for a charcoal grill (with directions for gas grilling at the end of each step.)

1. Dissolve 2 cups kosher or 1 cup table salt in 2 gallons of water in a large stockpot or clean bucket. Add a 12-14 pound turkey, giblets & tail removed, rinsed thoroughly and wings tucked under. Refrigerate or put in a very cool spot (32-40 degrees), 12 hours or overnight. (I have used a cooler and added ice packs to keep cold.)
2. Toward the end of the brining time, cover six 3-inch wood chunks with water in a bowl; soak for 1 hour, then drain and set aside. (For gas: soak 3 cups of wood chips for about 30 minutes, drain and place in smoker box of gas grill or make a foil pan to hold the chips.)
3. Keep bottom vents on grill completely open. Start charcoal. (For gas: place tray of chips on burner and preheat to high for about 20 minutes or until chips are smoking heavily.)
4. Spray a V-rack with nonstick cooking spray. (Before I had a rack, I made a big foil ring to hold the bird.) Remove turkey from brine and rinse inside and out with cool running water to remove any salt. Pat dry with paper towels; brush both sides with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Set turkey, breast-side down, in V-rack.
5. Arrange coals into one side of grill, piling them up 2-3 briquettes high.  Place 3 wood chunks on top of charcoal. Put grate in place and put V-rack on with turkey over cool side of the grill. Open lid vents halfway and cover, turning lid so vents are opposite wood chunks to draw smoke through grill.  Grill-roast for 1 hour. (For gas: Turn off one burner—not the one with the wood chips—and put turkey over that burner.)
6. Remove lid from grill. Using thick potholders, move V-rack (with turkey) to rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Remove grate and put 12 new briquettes and the last 3 wood chunks on top (For gas: add more chips, if necessary); replace grate. Using wads of paper towels, flip turkey breast-side up in rack. Return to cool side of grill so that leg & wing that were facing the heat are now facing away. Cover and grill-roast for 45 minutes.
7. Using thick potholders, turn V-rack with turkey so the leg & wing facing heat is now facing away.  Using an instant-read thermometer, check temperature in each thigh.  The target temp is 175-180. If it’s close, cover and check the temp again in about 15 minutes.  If it’s below 145, cover and check in a half-hour.
8. Remove turkey from grill, cover loosely with foil, and let rest 20-30 minutes. Carve and serve.

Really, this sounds more difficult than it really is. You will LOVE the smoky, moist meat that results from this process. Save the giblets and find a good giblet gravy recipe to go with your bird. You’ll be thankful you tried it!