Turkey Talk

 OK. Thanksgiving season is upon us. You're either yaying or wigging out. I'm kind of both. 

I've been hosting Thanksgiving for many years now. So, I'm presenting my tips for a fabulous turkey. I mean, look at this yummy plate! 

You too can make this deliciousness happen!

Be sure to read this well ahead of Thanksgivng. Fresh and frozen large turkeys should be hanging out in your fridge at least five days before the day of eating them so that they defrost properly. Even the fresh turkey I purchase is partially frozen from the store. Yours may be, too! Also, this recipe has a dry brine that needs to be applied two days before roasting. DO NOT RINSE THE BRINE BEFORE ROASTING.

When defrosting the turkey, make sure you put it on a large plate or a baking sheet. They leak as they defrost and it ain't pretty. Also, not appetizing is when you unwrap the turkey from its packaging. You will discover the curious gizzards and innards. You can find ways to prepare these items elsewhere or you can discard them. Whatever you prefer. 

You may find while cleaning the bird that a weird plastic thing is inside of him. This is heat resistant and can stay put when roasting. Trust and believe I researched this A LOT, because no recipes ever mentioned it and when I first made a turkey I asked Jesus and Google for hours what the heck is this thing?!? 

Be sure to dry the bird after rinsing him from the packaging.

I always roast the turkey upside down. I did this the very first time I was in charge of the turkey cooking, unbeknownst to moi that  it was in fact upside down. My aunt pointed out it was upside down and declared it was the best turkey she's ever had. All in attendance agreed it was the best, so I always roast it upside down.

I use Ina Garten's Accidental Turkey recipe from "Barefoot Contessa: Foolproof."

I'm listing the recipe as it appears in the cookbook, which is for a 12-14 pound turkey. But, I never make a turkey smaller than 18 pounds for Thanksgiving, and in fact last year the bird in question weighed in at about 23 lbs. For the larger turkey, I do 45 minutes at 450 degrees as the recipe states. Once the temp is lowered to 325 degrees, I leave the turkey in for an hour and a half to two hours instead of just an hour for the 12-14 pound turkey. 

Likewise, I made a smaller turkey last week at 9 pounds. I still do the 45 minutes at 450 degrees, but then it only needed 45 minutes at the 325 degree mark.

These times will vary based on your oven and also if you use a fresh or frozen turkey and how well defrosted your turkey is.

A meat thermometer is your friend when making a turkey for sure. It should reach 165 degrees when done. You must let the turkey rest covered under aluminum for at least 20-30 minutes, but honestly I let mine rest for a good hour while other sides are roasting and the happy hour is on its way. 

This recipe ALWAYS makes my smoke detectors sound off during the high temperature portion of roasting. Be sure to clean your oven before Thanksgiving, and open windows to let air in.

In addition to onion, lemon and thyme, I also stuff my turkey with fresh parsley and fresh rosemary. With the larger turkey, I also adjust the seasonings and butter accordingly. I use a whole stick for the gigantic bird. I am convinced the brine and the boatloads of butter are key to turkey success.

I will also provide my tips for making gravy after the turkey recipe.

Enjoy!

Accidental Turkey

From "Barefoot Contessa: Foolproof"

Serves 10

Kosher salt

1Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 (12-14 lb.) turkey

1 large yellow onion, unpeeled and cut in eighths

1 lemon, quartered

8 sprigs fresh thyme

4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Freshly ground black pepper

Two to three days before you plan to roast the turkey, combine 3 Tbsp. salt, the rosemary and the lemon zest. Wash the turkey inside and out, drain it well, and pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. of the salt mixture in the cavity of the turkey and rub the rest on the skin, including under the wings and legs. Place the turkey in a shallow dish to catch and drips and wrap the whole dish tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one to two days. The day before you plan to roast the turkey, remove the plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge. The skin will dry out and turn a little translucent. 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Be sure your oven is very clean!

Place the onion, lemon and thyme in the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tie the wings close to the body. Brush the turkey with the butter and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.

Roast the turkey for 45 minutes, placing it in the oven legs first. Lower the temperature to 325 degrees and roast it for another hour, until 165 degrees for the breast and 180 degrees in the thigh on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven, cover the turkey lightly with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Carve and serve with the pan juices.

Turkey Gravy

Makes 6 to 8 cups

Pan drippings

3 packs (.87 ounces) McCormick's turkey gravy mix

3 Tbsp. flour

6 to 8 cups turkey broth, chicken broth or water

Place roasting pan with turkey drippings over two burners on medium-low heat. Add flour. Whisk for a minute or two. Add gravy mix packs and broth. Raise heat to medium high. Whisk for 5 to 10 minutes until gravy is your desired consistency. Place a strainer over a clean medium sauce pan. Gently pour the gravy through the strainer for a smooth gravy. Cover and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve. 

Roast Turkey Breast Barefoot Contessa Style

Roast turkey is a wonderful thing whether it is the fourth Thursday of November or any ole' day of the year.  Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast by Ina Garten is the perfect dish when you want home-cooked turkey deliciousness for a small crowd. Take a look:

You know you want a piece of that, right?!

I make this for my family of three throughout the year, but you could certainly rock it out for a party of up to six to eight for Thanksgiving. This is also a good first venture in turkey cooking for any newbies up in here as there is no trimming and tying and brining and sticking your hand into slimy holes of animals. TMI, but I'm just keeping it real. So, the turkey breast - you got this!

I follow the recipe exactly but I often use dried sage since it is a rare occasion that I find fresh sage in my markets. And this go-around the thyme in the store was a bust, so my dried spice to the rescue!

I like to whip up a gravy rather than just using the pan juices as Garten recommends. I mean, if you are having turkey in any form it needs gravy, in my humble opinion.

To make the turkey gravy, I place the roasting pan over a burner on medium heat. I add one .87 ounce packet of McCormick turkey gravy mix and 1 to 2 Tbsp. flour to the pan drippings. Whisk into the drippings. Add three to four cups of turkey or chicken broth. Whisk and bring to a simmer. Cook for about five minutes or so. Strain into a second pot for a smooth gravy. And that's it! If you need to adjust the seasonings, go for it.

Here is a pic of my gravy while it's cooking away. I forgot to grab a pick of it all strained and gorg.

 And here is how the turkey looks looks all plated up with mashed potatoes and some garlicky broccoli rabe and some silky smooth gravy, baby:

I also served a little romaine salad, too. Because you can never have enough veg!

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast
Serves 6 to 8
From "Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That?"
By Ina Garten

1 whole bone-in turkey breast (6 1/2 to 7 pounds)
2 Tbsp. good olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. dry mustard powder
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage leaves
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup dry white wine

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the turkey breast on a rack in a roasting pan, skin side up.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt and pepper.

Rub the mixture evenly all over the skin of the turkey breast (You can also loosen the skin and smear half of the paste underneath, directly onto the meat.) Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.

Roast the turkey for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest and meatiest area of the breast. Check the breast after an hour or so; if the skin is overbrowning, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.

When the turkey is done, remove from the oven, cover the pan with aluminum foil, and allow the turkey to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve warm with the pan juices.

Turkey Cutlets

Like most peeps trying to get din on the table day to day, I often rely on chicken making frequent appearances on the menu. Roasted, grilled, baked, breaded, sauced, stir-fried, slow-cookered. You follow me, I'm sure.

Of course noshing on the the same thing again and again no matter how you shake it up is the B-word: Boring. Oh, how I loath boring. Boring is a bore! Who wants to be boring? Nobody! That's who.

So I decided to get wild and crazy with chicken's unboring cousin: Turkey.

Right. Turkey is totally boring, too. It's not like I'm talking about quail or duck or pheasant. Just a turkey. But this recipe uses turkey cutlets. Ooooooh. Cutlets.

And turkey tastes way different than chicken. And it has it's own texture. And it's not chicken. So.....there.

Ta da:

No you aren't missing anything. This dish isn't exactly setting the culinary world on fiyah. Glamorous. Sexy. Food pornish. No. Not really at all. That's not what we're going for here, are we?

I can tell you it's good. And your kid will eat it. And it's fast. What more do you want from me?

If you do not have fresh rosemary or thyme just use some dried. As I often do, I cook din at 9 a.m. in the morning and the husband and kiddo heat up the grub at din din time while I work my weirdo-person hours. The turkey reheats just beautifully. It goes great with noodles, rice and of course potatoes in all forms. The last time I made it I put some buttered corn on the side because my kindergartner has a thang for corn. Yes it was frozen. But I made homemade bread that day, too, so we have that going for us.

I got this recipe on Pinterest. I love it. I made it twice and honest to goodness it works. 

This is like a very organized recipe. I love lining up the cutlets on a sheet pan to season them all orderly like so:

 Yeah. I said I love doing that. 

And everything cooks in one pan. First the turkey:

Then the sauce:

Easy peasy. This is a great recipe for all y'all who don't like to cook. Very low stress.

Rosemary and Thyme Turkey Breast Cutlets

From I Wash You Dry

Ingredients

• 1 lb. thinly sliced turkey breast cutlets
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 4 tbsp butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

1. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan.
2. Season the turkey breast cutlets* with salt and pepper on both sides. Once the pan is nice and hot, add the turkey cutlets and sear for about 1 minute on each side, then remove from skillet to a plate to keep warm. You might have to do this in batches if your skillet is not large enough to fit them all in at once.
3. Once all the turkey is cooked, pour in the white cooking wine** and use a spatula to scrap the bottom of the pan to loosen all the browned bits. Once the liquid has reduced, lower the temperature to medium-low and add in the butter, stirring till the butter melts. Add in the chicken broth, rosemary and thyme and simmer for a couple minutes.
4. Add the turkey breast cutlets back to the pan, including any juices that may have collected at the bottom of the plate. Coat the turkey with the sauce and let simmer a couple more minutes, until the turkey is heated through again. Enjoy!