Oy vey, braised chicken breast shanks anyone?! A classic example of how my "eye for details" NOT gets me in big trouble. I pulled out of the freezer what I thought was a big ol' hunk of frozen turkey thighs, and put it in a bowl of water to thaw while I made some cookies. Now I see that I have thawed three chicken breasts, which I had bought for a totally different purpose! Now I have to make them for dinner either tonight or tomorrow night, and tomorrow (Thanksgiving) BF and I had planned on dining on roast chicken! So that means I either have to make the turkey tomorrow and BF will have to have a less than favored meal for Thanksgiving, or serve chicken for dinner two nights in a row. LUCKILY, BF is a paragon of patience and tolerance, and a man who, in his own words, "knows what he likes and sticks with it" so I think it may be chicken both days. Just yesterday he told me that he could eat chicken for dinner every night of the week. I don't know if he was being sarcastic or not, be careful what you wish for! M-rivergirl you got that right! I don't know what I would do anymore without BF to help me keep track of my keys, shoes, mail and other necessities of life. On the plus side, I bring excitement into his life! :) And I may not have an eye for details, but I can remember the name of that movie, you know the one, with that actor, you know the one who is on that TV show, you know the one with that blonde actress that he likes . . . C'mon, you must know what I am talking about!! If I ever do manage to make the turkey thighs, I think I will use the Julia Child approved recipe linked below, with maybe some dried mushrooms thrown in that I have in the pantry. Then I can serve it with this apple-mustard braised kale recipe in my "to try" folder. Here is a link that might be useful: Braised lamb shanks

Like Linda I always made gravy from a brined turkey. Also with a presalted turkey. If you haven't tried pre-salting you might want to try that instead of brining. I was a big fan of brining until I was introduced to presalting. Better and much easier than dealing with a big pail of water. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Pre-Salting =========== Judy Rogers' Zuni Cafe method Servings: 11 to 15 Note: This is more a technique than a recipe. It makes a bird that has concentrated turkey flavor and fine, firm flesh and that is delicious as it is. But you can add other flavors as you wish. Minced rosemary would be a nice finishing addition. Or brush the bird lightly with butter before roasting. ADVERTISEMENT 1 (12- to 16-pound) turkey Kosher salt 1. Wash the turkey inside and out, pat it dry and weigh it. Measure 1 tablespoon of salt into a bowl for every 5 pounds the turkey weighs (for a 15-pound turkey, you'd have 3 tablespoons). 2. Sprinkle the inside of the turkey lightly with salt. Place the turkey on its back and salt the breasts, concentrating the salt in the center, where the meat is thickest. You'll probably use a little more than a tablespoon. It should look liberally seasoned, but not over-salted. 3. Turn the turkey on one side and sprinkle the entire side with salt, concentrating on the thigh. You should use a little less than a tablespoon. Flip the turkey over and do the same with the opposite side. 4. Place the turkey in a 2 1/2 -gallon sealable plastic bag, press out the air and seal tightly. Place the turkey breast-side up in the refrigerator. Chill for 3 days, turning it onto its breast for the last day. 5. Remove the turkey from the bag. There should be no salt visible on the surface and the skin should be moist but not wet. Place the turkey breast-side up on a plate and refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours. 6. On the day it is to be cooked, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 7. Place the turkey breast-side down on a roasting rack in a roasting pan; put it in the oven. After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and carefully turn the turkey over so the breast is facing up (it's easiest to do this by hand, using kitchen towels or oven mitts). 8. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees, return the turkey to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted in the deepest part of the thigh, but not touching the bone, reads 165 degrees, about 2 3/4 hours total roasting. 9. Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer it to a warm platter or carving board; tent loosely with foil. Let stand at least 30 minutes to let the juices redistribute through the meat. Carve and serve. Each of 15 servings: 564 calories; 77 grams protein; 0 carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 26 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 261 mg. cholesterol; 856 mg. sodium. . Notes: This same method can be used for chicken, chicken pieces, pork roasts, ribs, chops, etc.. With the smaller cuts just pre-salt 4 or five hours in advance. Even this short period of pre-salting makes an amazing difference. Don't cover, just refrigerate and then remove from the fridge in time for the meat to come to room temperature before cooking.

DC, you don't get a "salty tasting bird". You get a seasoned bird. You aren't getting a salty taste. dcarch got it. I didn't mean your bird will be TOO salty, just that it won't have anything else going on except the salt. Other than a saltier bird or piece of meat, what can you possibly get if you add salt? One might call it "seasoning" but salt is salt. You'll get the flavor of whatever you add. So if you smoke the salt for example, you'll get a slightly smoky taste. And if you include some chili powder, you'll get a bit of kick. It's impossible to rub salt on ribs or chicken or steak and not have it penetrate - that's the entire point of doing it, no matter what you call it. The flavors are completely different if you only use salt as opposed to other ingredients. I brine or use dry rubs for pretty much every meat and it all depends on what outcome you want. In this case and in fact in most cases, I WANT the other flavors in the meat, or I wouldn't add them. If you marinate a piece of steak or turkey in a combination of soy sauce, wine, honey, ginger, anise, and garlic, you'll get all those flavors even when you grill the food. But if you just rub with salt, and we do that often enough, you'll only have that. That's OK if it's all you want, but I kind of like things that are more fun. Just got done making the brine for this turkey BTW - apple cider, salt, honey, orange peel, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, fresh rosemary and thyme from the garden. We're having Korean guests and they're used to slightly sweet/salty flavors with meats, so it should be fine.

I accidentially "brined" (salt-free) a turkey one year. I always thaw the frozen turkey in the wrapping, covering it with cold water in a clean 5 gallon bucket. One year, when I went to remove the thawed turkey from the water, it weighed a ton! The wrapping had a small tear in it that alllowed water to get in and soak the turkey. I thought it was going to be awful but it was the best, most tender, most juicy turkey I ever made. Ever since I've been thawing the turkey without the wrapping in water overnight and dryng it well. I do not add salt or seasoning to the water, I just use plain water. No big mess to clean up. I season the turkey as usual after it has been soaked and dried with paper towels. A few years later I began seeing all the "brining" recipes! I still just use plain water. In fact, I started soaking chickens & parts as well with the same great results. All that water soaking does is replace the natural moisture that was there but lost during processing & storage. I guess I should call this method "soaking" not "brining" since there is no salt the water! I deep fry or roast the soaked turkey with great results.