The 40 lb. Turkey Saga
18 years ago
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18 years ago- 18 years ago
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Will dividing conquer this 24-lb bird?
Comments (23)The results are in! Daughter's DH had no difficulty splitting Tom in half (though I did not ask her what tool he used, sorry). The smoked turkey was out of the smoker before we put the other half into the fryer (timing a result of the chaos associated with the fetivities!), so we kept the smoked half in a 225 oven until taking it out to "rest" for 15 min a bit before the deep-fried half came out. Since everyone was more than ready to eat, we sliced up the smoked part to serve first. It was very well received with a lovely smoked flavor. Now, I had not found out until we arrived at our daughter's that not as many people were coming as had originally planned (very rude, if you ask me, since we had made side dishes enough for several more people. I like leftovers but not for 4-5 days afterward...), so we did not need to serve the other half of the turkey -- AND there was plenty left from just the one half, too! But OF COURSE we sampled the other (always room for a smidgen more turkey)!--and found it to be moister as well as more tender & even more flavorful, with the herbs from the brining in evidence. The smoked flavor had masked that of the subtle herbs. Bottom line: next year, a smaller deep-fried turkey. Though if left up to me, I'd opt still for the old-fashioned roasting in the oven. The lovely smell tantalizing the appetites for hours in advance is worth a lot; but then I will gladly trade that for not having the shindig at MY house! I am much happier cooking all the side dishes myself at home and taking them with me! On Wednesday, I thawed the green beans from the garden (destined for the ubiquitous casserole with mushroom soup topped w/fried onions from a can), pumpkin roll, 2 pumpkin pies, and roasted the summer squash for the squash/corn casserole (the corn also was from my garden). Thanksgiving morning I made the 2 squash/corn casseroles (one with cheddar for the faint of palate, the other with pepperjack and other spicier ingredients) while our granddaughter, who had spent the night, used MY granny's old hand-cranked grinder to make the apple-orange-cranberry relish. This year we opted to forego the homemade dinner rolls (my late aunt's traditional recipe) since we really needed no more food! Maybe for Christmas... Thanks to all of you who offered suggestions!...See MoreTurkey, Turkey, Turkey -----------
Comments (38)Thanksgiving is the only day we eat turkey. The rest of the time, give me a roast capon or a duck prepared almost any way at all. DH and I are just not turkey lovers. My niece makes a very fine brined and roasted turkey, but once a year is enough for us. We're sauce and gravy people. Stews, braises, casseroles - we love them. I do a fair amount of cooking and a lot of dining out, and we hold that a fine sauce is a work of art. Even though we eat a lot of steaks and roasts, a great sauce is always to be admired. There are too many bad ones around to not acknowledge when something is done correctly. One of our favorite restaurants does a great poached monkfish. This is the fish known as "the poor man's lobster" for both its taste and texture. It's a great little fish, with wonderful flavor. But nap it with Amoricaine sauce, and it rises to a whole 'nother level. This is a Bretonnese classic, and for good reason. Red wine and marrow Bordelaise on a rib-eye? Absolutely! Black truffle cream sauce on a filet? Yum! Mop that goodness up with a well made starch - roasted fingerling potatoes, barley risotto, fresh pasta, freshly baked bread rolls. Gravy and sauce was the way to extend meat to feed a lot of people. Most of the world still loves sauced dishes as treasured childhood memories. Like soup, they are warmth and comfort, soothing and homey. Chicken strips that are velveted and steamed with lop cheong sausage (classic Chinese technique) are stunningly tender, almost as soft as sous vide but we like the flavor and texture better. Perfect with a roasted garlic-oyster sauce gravy over lots of rice! Far better than stir-frying or roasting. As Charles Phan of The Slanted Door restaurant in SF points out in today's WSJournal, steaming is considered the ultimate test of a professional chef in Asia. Getting back to the NY Times' and Pepin's suggestions for steaming, one of the greatest dishes in Chinese cuisine is steamed sliced chicken breast with thin slices of Hunan ham. My mother introduced me to this dish (she took classes from one of the leading Chinese restaurateurs in San Francisco) and it still ranks with DH and me as one of the three finest poultry dishes we've had in our 45 yrs of dining. A glaze should always be light. Heavy-handedness is the mark of a bad cook. Peking Duck would not be the same without the glaze applied, for example....See MoreTurkey, What Did I Do Right?
Comments (12)What consensus? The reason for allowing a turkey to rest is 2 fold. First to allow the temperature to equalize. If you cook it until the deepest center of the thigh measures 165, the outside of the bird will be much hotter and over cooked. If you under cook the bird and allow it to rest the temperature from the outside will be conducted to the inside and you will have a turkey that won't be over cooked. The second reason to rest a turkey is to allow the muscle fibers to cool slightly and relax and re absorb the juice. "They say"....people like the NY Times and professional cooks to let a turkey rest from 30 to 40 minutes, some say to let it rest for a time equal to 1/3 of the cooking time....and I have let a turkey rest for 2 hours ( not planned...but that's another story!). some people advocate leaving the turkey in a 150 degree oven for 2 hours. Cover it well so it stays warm....but as you found out....a longer rest makes for a moister, more tender bird. Ideally, I like a 16 to 18 pound bird. I stuff it and put it into a 450 oven uncovered for 20 minutes, place the lid on the roaster ( or tent with foil if your lid won't fit) and when the oven temp comes back to 450, turn the oven temp down to 275 and roast ( without basting or opening the oven door) until you suspect the internal temp might be nearing 155 to 160 at the center of the thigh. Then remove from the oven, put the turkey onto a platter or carving board, cover with foil and pile on some bath towels to keep it warm> Leave it that way for easily an hour while you mash the potatoes, prep and cook the veggies, cook the rolls and make the gravy. I have 7 grandchildren, born within 10 years. There were at least 8 holidays when there were 2 or more toddlers running around. One Christmas,while we were opening gifts, one toddler turned the oven which had been at 450 and was now at 275, down to 100....as low as the oven would go. When I fugured the turkey should be about done....it was pale and way under cooked. So I cranked the temp to 450, poured the wine and dinner was only an hour late. Another time the oven got turned to 500....but luckily we smelled hot turkey so it wasn't burned, but that year it was tented for 2 hours. Resting is good....as for how long, let your thermometer be your guide. Carve it and get it on the table if the internal temp sinks below 110....See MoreA PERFECT TURKEY!
Comments (13)I found a recipe using a technique I tried with roast beef and I really liked how this turkey turned out. Defrost the turkey, Remove the wrapper and let it sit in the refrigerator uncovered over night to dry the skin. Allow to warm to room temperature for 2 hours Stuff and cook uncovered at 300d for 1 hour. Then cover with aluminum tent for 18 - 20 hours at 200d. When ready to serve, heat oven to 400d and crisp the skin for 10 - 15 min. It was a 12lb bird. Start cooking at 6pm for a 2pm dinner. Stuffing temperature is to be 165d when done. Let it sit 15 - 30 min before carving. My stuffing is box and according to directions. I add cranberries, chopped walnuts, chopped onions, and sliced water chestnuts, half in the bird, half in a separate pan....See More- 18 years ago
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