The Turkey Thread

[Peter_Kleban]

@Bob Wood

One of our local magazines, one that purports to be at least partially about fine food and wine, has published the obligatory turkey roasting directions for the year. They say to cook until the internal temperature in the thigh is 180 degrees.

[suicide.gif]

deg C or deg F ?

[Kenny_H]

It is somewhat fitting that my first post on the forum is food related, I’m a little more schooled in that vein.

My prep is a 24 hr brine with fresh provencal herbs in addition to apple, anise, orange peel, tri-color peppercorn, juniper, etc. I replace 1/4 of the liquid in the brine with apple cider. I then do a medium speed charcoal smoke at a temp of about 200-220* for around 5 to 6 hours. The charcoals are off to the side for indirect heat. I do place a pan to catch drippings and make gravy, which has such a wonderful smokiness to it.

It would suffice to say that it tastes good.

[Dick_Krueger]

I ordered a 10-12lb Heritage turkey from Pollo Real. I pick it up Saturday or Tuesday. If its close to 10lbs, I plan to rotisserie it. If it’s too big for the rotisserie, I’ll roast it in the oven. Don’t know about the sides yet.

[Brett_Johnson]

Michael Voltaggio’s video(s) on preparing a turkey sous vide:

How to Sous Vide a Turkey with Chef Michael Voltaggio Part 1 | Williams-Sonoma - YouTube" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bob_Wood]

@Kenny H

It is somewhat fitting that my first post on the forum is food related, I’m a little more schooled in that vein.

My prep is a 24 hr brine with fresh provencal herbs in addition to apple, anise, orange peel, tri-color peppercorn, juniper, etc. I replace 1/4 of the liquid in the brine with apple cider. I then do a medium speed charcoal smoke at a temp of about 200-220* for around 5 to 6 hours. The charcoals are off to the side for indirect heat. I do place a pan to catch drippings and make gravy, which has such a wonderful smokiness to it.

It would suffice to say that it tastes good.

Welcome, Kenny. Check with the Admin about the full, real name policy. We’d like to know who you are and assume you’re not on South Park.

[Alan_Rath]

@ken emery

We’ll be doing turkey parts. The 2 half breasts will be cooked in the oven (forget exactly how but we just had one last week and it was delish, nice and moist). The four legs will be confit’d in duck fat.

Ken, have you done this before? I’m considering going this way, though I’ll do it all in the oven. Thinking of getting the turkey quartered (but leave the breasts intact, not separated). Leg is my favorite, so I want that roasted

[ken_emery]

@Alan Rath

@ken emery

We’ll be doing turkey parts. The 2 half breasts will be cooked in the oven (forget exactly how but we just had one last week and it was delish, nice and moist). The four legs will be confit’d in duck fat.

Ken, have you done this before? I’m considering going this way, though I’ll do it all in the oven. Thinking of getting the turkey quartered (but leave the breasts intact, not separated). Leg is my favorite, so I want that roasted

We have not done all of this at once but had the breast done a couple of weeks ago and it was nice a moist. Last year IIRC we did the legs confit’d in duck fat and they were very tasty. I can’t remember how they were finished up. I can ask my wife if you like.

Btw, Anthony Bourdain agrees that you should separate the parts of the turkey to get everything cooked right, and he gives a reason why:

http://www.eatmedaily.com/2009/11/anthony-bourdains-turkey-tips/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[John_S]

We’ll fry a wild bird that was procured last weekend. Stays very moist and the wild meat is almost a cross of domestic turkey and quail. Fantastic match with Red Burgundy. Wild turkey legs are usually too tough/stringy to be very good so we also fry a domestic bird.

[G_Bienstock]

Here are some of my oven roasting tips for a moist turkey, althought the skin may not get cracklin’ crispy:

Use a brined or Kosher bird. One day I hope to try a Heritage.

Let the bird warm up at room temp for 1 hour, and while it is warming place plastic wrap over the breast and then place icepacks over the breast. Since the dark meat takes longer to cook the breast can dry out before the dark meat is ready. Chilling the breast evens out the cooking time.

Put some chicken stock and a combination of celery and onions in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Roast the bird on a rack breast side down for 2/3 of the cooking time. Rotate the roasting pan 180 degrees every hour for even heating. Baste periodically.

Flip the bird breast side up and roast the remaining 1/3 of the time.

Let the bird rest 20 minutes before carving.

I always save the 2 “oyster” nuggets for myself. It is chef’s perogative afterall.

[Rich_Sutton]

No love for AB here? We use Alton Brown’s brine, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html" onclick=“window.open(this.href);return false; , combined with his stuffing, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/turkey-with-stuffing-recipe/index.html” onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . Skip the apple, cinnamon, onion aromatic step in the first recipe to accommodate the stuffing. The brine is a bit interesting with its allspice and ginger, and the stuffing, with its mushrooms and dried cherries, is very pinot-friendly. The brine recipe alone is also good on the smoker.