Monday, December 14, 2009

Stacey's Famous Brined Turkey

My sister Stacey makes the best turkey for Thanksgiving. She has brined her turkeys for years, and has changed the original recipe she followed over the years to make it her own.
If you can get your hands on a local free-range turkey it will be even better. Remember that good all natural turkeys do not have over-inflated balloon breasts, they way commercial turkeys do. If you've never had a free-range turkey, you may be a bit shocked at how different he looks, but remember--this is the way he was meant to be. A well cared-for animal produces a higher quality of meat.

This recipe is great because it is very simple (although it does require some pre-planning). It is easy to make while you are running around (like a chicken with it's head cut off, har-har) doing all the other 5 million things you need to do when preparing a holiday meal. We buy our turkeys the day after Thanksgiving when they go on sale and throw them in the deep freezer. You may be sick of turkey right now, but come Feb. or March, that turkey in the freezer is going to look pretty darn good.
I'll shut up already and just give you the recipe.

4 cups (just under 1 box of Morton's) Kosher salt
2-4 gallons cold water
A big tub, plastic pail, or cooler that will hold your turkey
Ice (if you live somewhere that is not cold)
Carrots, celery, and onion
1 bunch fresh thyme (or 1 T. dried)
Butter
salt & pepper.

You've got to brine your bird the day before you cook it, so plan ahead. Take your 4 cups kosher salt and pour it into your bucket/pail/cooler. Add 2-4 gallons water, and stir till salt is dissolved. Now, before you add your turkey, make sure you've removed the neck and giblets, and all the other stuff that might be stuffed into him. Throw him in the brine, making sure the cavity fills up with water. He will float, so you might want to throw a plate on top of him to keep him submerged a bit.
Now, I just cover it and throw the bucket-o-turkey outside on my porch and let him brine for 6-8 hours. Where I live it is about 33 degress, so it's no problem. If you are somewhere that is above 41 degrees, you are going to want to throw a bag of ice on top of your bird. Keep the ice in the bag, just throw it on the bird to keep him and the brine cold. After he's had a good 6-8 hour soak, take him out and pat him dry. Put him in the fridge, uncovered, overnight. (I just cut open a paper grocery bag, line it w/ paper towels, and put him on that)
Cooking Day:
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Throw a bunch of carrots, celery, and onion all around the bottom of a roasting pan, covering the bottom of the pan entirely so that your bird will sit on top of the veggies. Add the thyme. Melt about 3-5 Tablespoons butter, and brush it all over your turkey, top and bottom. Then go back and sprinkle him with salt and pepper. You can tie up his legs or whatever here. Add 2 cups of water to the veggies in the pan. Put your bird on the veggies BREAST SIDE DOWN. That's right, BREAST SIDE DOWN. Fear not.
You're going to cook him at 425 degrees for one hour. Take him out, flip him right side up, and reduce the heat to 325. Put him back in and cook till a meat thermometer reads 175 degrees in the thickest part of the bird. This can take anywhere from 1 hour (a 10 lb bird) to 3-4 more hours (giant bird). It is very hard to overcook this bird because the brining process locks in the moisture.
Use the pan juices and fat to make your gravy after removing the veggies.
YUM!!!!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Roasted Winter Veg

Delicious and easy dinner tonight. I took an 8" round cake pan and lightly greased it with olive oil. Then I chopped up some winter veggies: carrots, onions, potatoes. You can also use sweet potato, turnip, celery root, parsnip. Lightly coat w/ olive oil, then add rosemary and sea salt. Lay a few links of sausage, a chicken leg, or some tofu on top, and throw in a preheated 400* oven for about an hour. That's it! The veggies get all caramelized and crispy...yum. If you think your meat is over cooking, just take it out after 30 minutes. You can use 1, 8 inch pan per person and serve it right on the table for that rustic look. This one is a keeper!