Let's talk turkey......

[craigster59]

A very good friend of mine gave me this recipe a few years ago. His uncle (long story) is Jeremiah Tower. If you're not familiar with him, he's an interesting guy:
Jeremiah Tower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chris (my friend) worked at both Chez Panisse and Stars doing prep work and a bit of sous che****** before he went to art school and worked with some heavy hitters in the culinary world.

Now I've roasted turkey, fried turkey, smoked turkey and bbq'd turkey, all with very good results. But last year I wanted to try something different. I pulled out the recipe that Chris gave me, that he had gotten from Jeremiah. It was a bigger hit than any turkey I've cooked before and everyone has called me to make sure I'm making this version again this year. The instructions jump around a bit, but hey, that's Chris and this is verbatim.

"Hey Craig, here's Jeremiah's recipe, let me know how it turns out! Well, I brine it first, two days before. Submerse the turkey in water with about three cups of sea salt. Has to be sea salt. Then let it sit uncovered in your fridge overnight before cooking...

For even cooking, don't stuff the bird. It slows things down. You'll need a pan rack to keep the turkey out of its juices. Cook at 425-450. Start bird with it's back up for one and a half hours, On it's sides for an hour each. Then finish breast up. At each rotation, slather the bird with butter and thyme.

The roaster pan should have broth, celery, onions, garlic and carrots. And a whack of vermouth, if you got it. And some thyme. That's for the homemade gravy later on.

The Stuffing actually goes under the skin. So careful not to pop a whole in it, separate the skin from the breast with the dull end of a cooking spoon. Then down onto the legs and thighs if you can. Just be careful not the tear the skin...

The prosciutto stuffing is merely fine-minced proscuito, garlic, thyme and softened, unsalted butter. Mix it together and spoon it up under the skin, Then spread it out from outside the skin, getting it down onto the legs if you can.

The brining may sound like a sick amount of salt to use. That's what I thought too. But all it really does is seal the turkey meat, curing the outside. That and cooking on a rack makes the whole damn bird crispy. It also takes some of the gamey taste off the dark meet.

Save your gizzards, necks etc to make turkey broth. This is what I put in the bottom of the turkey pan with the vegetables. Maybe a cup and a half. But make sure they never dry out, so add stock as needed during the cooking period.

Your cooking time is greatly reduced by rotating the turkey and the fact that it doesn't have stuffing IN it. Do the stuffing in a separate bake pan. Use turkey broth instead of water, so make alot of it. After cooked mince up some of your giblets to add to your stuffing. It will taste like it was cooked inside the bird.

When the turkey's done, take it out of the pan. Skim the roasting pan fat and then process the veggies through a food mill, put them back in the pan with giblets and a shot of vermouth and some turkey broth. Mix down, then add some corn starch to thicken it up.

Happy Holidays, Man!"

If you have any interesting turkey recipes, post them up!

[aigel]

I usually make wild turkey fricassee or wild turkey breast strips.

Other than that, my best TG turkey was a turducken we made a few years back using Prudhomme's recipe. (available online, just have to skip his spice mixes and do your own cajun seasoning).

G

[john70t]

The 7 Best Deep-Fried Turkey Disaster Videos

[gassy]

That sounds great. Here's the recipe I've used for a few years-- it involves brining like yours. I also throw a few cut lemons in the carcass.

Brined and Barbecued Turkey Recipe at Epicurious.com

[wdfifteen]

There a few turkeys around here, but. I hunt rabbit and pheasant - just no time for anything else. I'd be glad to share my recipe for Wild Pheasant with Buckshot.

[nostatic]

My wife is cooking her first turkey ever and she found a dry brine recipe. We set that up Sun, and it is sitting in the fridge now. It'll either be awesome or we'll kill all the guests.

She considers this a rite of passage. Hong Kong-born, now US-citizen cooking her first turkey making dinner for two dozen art students from throughout Europe (mostly Germany) and Asia. It's going to be a freakin' UN at our house...

[vash]

i think i am reconsidering the brining process. it is a PIA to find a container big enough (i use a clean icechest) and i think the meat comes out spongy. besides, most supermarket birds are injected..isnt that kinda like brined?

i am not doing the bird this turkey day..but i am for Christmas. i am either gonna try larding the bird ( i think that is what it is called) or i am going to break the bird down into pieces like a gigantic chicken and cook it faster. i'll do the gravy on the side with the bones.

[Laneco]

Originally Posted by nostatic

My wife is cooking her first turkey ever....
She considers this a rite of passage. Hong Kong-born, now US-citizen cooking her first turkey making dinner for two dozen art students from throughout Europe (mostly Germany) and Asia. It's going to be a freakin' UN at our house...

That is absolutely AWESOME! I'll bet it will be the most fun Thanksgiving you ever have!

angela

[M.D. Holloway]

Gonna smoke a 22lb...hope to feed 12 on it, prolly no leftovers...

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by NotaBRG

. . . but should it be covered? . . . .

. . . Would I be better with two 12 pounders or a single 20+ pound one? . . .

Traditionally you loosely cover with foil - shiny side in. Remove it ~ 1/2 hr before you yank it to brown the skin.

2 birds require 2 pans that will fit in your oven side by side with breathing room. It would certainly cut the cooking time.

Ian

[Shadetree930]

This Hillbilly's Kitchen on Thursday ....



Turkey Fryer .... Check
Dawg .... Check
Moonshine .... Check
Cigar .... Check
Fire Extinguisher .... Optional



The finished product ... (2 Cigars & 4 Shots Later) ....

[Rikao4]

Todd you can ease her worries a bit..
by letting her know..
most Germans wouldn't know good turkey from bad..
Truthahn // turkey ...never had it until I came here..
Goose is the holiday bird for Germans..

Rika

[vash]

wait!! that is legal moonshine?

turkey fry cleanup is very unpleasant for me. i told my office "no" this year..i wouldnt fry them one.

and your dog is awesome looking!!

[vash]

todd..good luck to your wife. if she is like the rest of us chinese people..she is gonna agonize about it.

[craigster59]

I fried turkeys for around 15 years in a row. I'd do a couple at work and then one on TG. Cleanup just got to be too much of a PITA to fry one bird.

Here's a good tutorial on cooking turkey.....

[vash]

haha. that is a nice kitchen.

[vash]

todd...be a superstar husband. buy your wife a kickass instant read thermometer.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by NotaBRG

I hope this isn't too much of a hijack, but I'm in charge of the turkey this week. My plan is to roast it in the oven, but should it be covered? In the past I've used an oven bag with pretty good results, but I'm not sure this yeas bird will fit in a bag.

And that brings up another question. I think I need 20+ poundss of bird. Would I be better with two 12 pounders or a single 20+ pound one? Right now I am leaning towards two smaller birds.

A 20# bird prolly won't cook all the way through without turning the white meat into cardboard, i suggest you get two smaller birds.

I use a cooking bag for the first hour, then cut it back to expose the bird and baste with butter on all the exposed skin and cook for a half hour, then put a piece of aluminium foil that covers the breasts and thighs for the remainder.

It turns out well cooked but not dry and gets a good brown color to it.

[Jim Bremner]

OP that sounds tasty! I might do it for christmas. 12-15 people one 20 pounder for the oven and a 12 pound legless center cection for the smoker. applewood and charcoal for fuel.

[Tobra]

Two small is better than one big, more drumsticks.

I have tried turkey a lot of different ways, deep fried gives you the best bird, moist, crispy skin, and the thing is done in a ridiculously short time too. I like it in the smoker too, but have had that turn out dry.

What is so bad about clean up for a fryer?