Gobble Gobble. This recipe is for a 14 lb turkey. For a nice crispy skin, I start the prep one day ahead. Everyone has their turkey tricks. I found this one to actually work well. If you don’t have the room in your fridge to store your bird in the roasting pan, just be sure to start this process as early in the morning as you can fathom. It’s a process, yes. And, no, you don’t have to feel too guilty for buying stock…but a little guilt is healthy. Happy roasting and Happy Thanksgiving!
Butter Rub
1 bunch fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
1 bunch fresh sage, leaves finely chopped
Zest from 3 lemons
¾ lb unsalted butter, room temperature
Salt
Fresh Stock
(Amounts are approximate)
Giblets from bird (gizzard, liver)
Extra wings, neck bones, giblets
Water
1 bay leaf
4 carrots
4 celery stalks
2 onions
Gravy Base
2 large yellow onions, quartered
2-3 large carrots, peeled and chopped in half
2-3 ribs celery, chopped in half
4 cloves garlic, smashed
4 bay leaves
1 bunch thyme
Salt
10-12 cups stock, preferably fresh turkey or chicken
2 bottles dry white wine, Sauvignon Blanc
(one for you, one for the bird)
1/2 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Extras: Twine for trussing
Directions
The night before:
1. Clear a space in your fridge to accommodate your roasting pan with turkey, making sure there’s no other food that will come in contact with the raw meat. Salmonella, bad.
2. Remove any giblets from turkey cavity and reserve for stock. Rinse bird with cold water and pat completely dry with paper towels.
3. Combine the rosemary, sage, lemon zest and softened butter in a bowl and mix to incorporate. If your butter isn’t softened you can easily mix these ingredients in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Add a little crushed red pepper or cayenne for a kick
4. Rub the herb citrus butter under the skin of the turkey. Make sure you get that butter over the breasts and legs. Yes, it’s as weird typing that out as it is reading it. Rub the remaining butter on the outside of the bird.
5. Truss up your bird with the twine. Here’s a quick step by step slideshow for trussing a turkey or chicken
6. Place Onions, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme in your roasting pan and place trussed turkey on top. Place in your fridge overnight.
IMPORTANT:
Remember, if you prep this bird the night before, you cannot stuff it…food safety rules. You’ll be happy to listen or risk your making people sick. That’s not very festive.
Fresh Stock
1. Combine stock ingredients* to large stock pot and cover with water, at least 16 cups or so. The more the better. Bring to boil then simmer 2-3 hours (longer is better)
*You can usually easily purchase extra stock ingredients, giblets, etc. at any grocery store, during the Thanksgiving holiday.
2. When you’re happy with the flavor of your stock, refrigerate overnight (skim fat cap if you want). Or, make on the turkey roasting day and skim fat as you go. For Thanksgiving, I don’t skim. It gives the stock a little more oomph. Yes, oomph.
Preheat oven to 450°
1. Take pan out of the fridge and let bird come up to room temperature; 1 hour or so depending on the size.
2. Pour 2-3 cups of your stock and 2 cups of wine to the bottom of the pan and pop that bird in the oven. Roast for 45 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°and baste the turkey every 30 minutes or so until a thermometer reads 160° in the thickest part of the thigh. Be sure to avoid the bone when taking the temperature. The rule of thumb is generally 15-17 minutes per lb. Add more stock and wine to the pan as needed.
3. When turkey is done, remove from pan and place on cutting board for at least 30 minutes. Loosely tent the bird and make the gravy.
4. Strain the jus from the pan into a bowl and discard the vegetables. Skim off the fat and pour fat back to roasting pan (which is now empty). Reserve the remaining pan jus.
5. Heat the fat and add the flour. Cook the flour for a few minutes then slowly add the remaining pan jus, 2-3 cups of stock, a few glugs of wine (if there’s any left) and whisk away for a smooth gravy. Cook over medium heat to thicken and reduce added wine. Be sure to keep whisking! If the gravy gets too thick, add a bit of stock.
6. Break out the sharp knife, remove the trussing twine and carve it up. I prefer to remove each of the breasts and then carve it cross-wise (think, against the grain). The increased surface area for the typical large, flat, slices will lead to your white meat drying out faster. The rest is removed by finding the the joints and chopping away (carefully!).
Cheers and a very Happy Thanksgiving!
MJM
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