The 40 lb. Turkey Saga
18 years ago
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Bit OT: Capital Rotis & 20 lbs Turkey
Comments (12)I would absolutely brine that bird. Why? First of all, the injection is probably not a high concentration. And more importantly, I would flavor my own brine. Brining it will further enhance the flavor and deliver your desired flavor profile into the bird. I've done everything from a cider brine, to a citrus brine, to a Chinese five spice. So yes, you can and should brine a bird regardless of whether or not it has been injected. Of course you get more out of the brine by flavoring it beyond water and salt. Use a concentration as low as 3/4 cup salt per gallon up to 1 cup per gallon. I find half a cup/gallon a little light. A bird that size should be roasted low and slow. Think around 275 and up 300. You could go as low as 250, but you will need time. It's much too big to cook evenly at a high temp. You can also let it rest at room temp before roasting to remove the chill. See if you can still fit it on the rotisserie in the oven without making contact with the broiler. Here's the trick, you don't have to let the rotisserie rotate. You can roast the turkey elevated. In other words, the rotisserie can perform the function of a roasting rack. This will allow the bird to cook on all sides without you having to flip the bird (no pun intended). The rotisserie rod and prongs will also conduct heat into the cavity and meat of the bird, helping it to cook faster. Breast-side down closer to the pan will shield the breast and slow down its cooking. Put a pan underneath to catch the drippings. Once the bird hits 150-155 or even 160 in the thickest part of the thigh and breast, remove the bird and crank the oven up to 400-425. Put the bird back in and let it roast until the thigh hits at least 165. If you find that the brownimg is faster than the internal temp is rising, lower the oven to 375 or even all that way down to 325 to let it finish. It won't brown as quickly at this temp. Good luck. Oh, and next time, don't get a 20lb. It takes too much effort to cook right. The sweet spot for turkey size is 13-15 lbs. If you need to, you're better off roasting two smaller birds. You can roast them both side-by-side. Less time and effort, with better eats. This post was edited by jscout on Sat, Jan 26, 13 at 22:42...See MoreTurkey Day Tips
Comments (12)Sit down with paper and pencil and plan your day ahead of time. Write down in the order of time needed to cook each item, and when to put onto the fire, or in oven, so everything is ready and hot to put on the table at the same time. Take care not to overcook your veggies. I cook my vegetables just to the very brink of doneness; pull off of the heat; put a lid on the pot and allow to finish cooking on their own. Then when you are ready to put the vegetables into the serving dishes they will be cooked just right and not overcooked. (It took me a while to "catch wise" to this method....I had a tendancy to overcook!) Then post your schedule on the fridge door, or a spot where you can easily refer to the list as you work....See MoreMy turkey saga (long)
Comments (12)Garbage man took the turkey today - It's gone and I'm over it! Teresa - Butterflying the chicken is simple. Just take some shears and cut along both sides of the back bone to remove it. Flip it over, push down hard in the middle of the breast till it cracks and lays flat. Lay it on a broiler rack and pull up the legs to rest between the thigh and the breast. Here's the full recipe. It calls for putting potatoes under the broiler rack, and man do they come out tasting good! The turkey recipe used a 16x12 disposable roasting pan under the rack rather than the pan bottom so that you could fit more stuffing. In either case, the object is to have somewhere for the fat to run without smoking up your kitchen. It's a very effective trick. Crisp-Skin High-Roast Butterflied Chicken with Potatoes If you prefer not to brine, use a kosher chicken - it is salted and has a taste and texture similar to a brined bird. For extracrisp skin, after applying the flavored butter (if using), let the chicken dry uncovered in the refrigerator 8 to 24 hours. Russet potatoes have the best potato flavor, but Yukon Golds have beautiful color and better retain their shape after cooking. Either works well in this recipe. A food processor makes quick and easy work of slicing the potatoes. Serves 4 1 cup kosher salt (or 1/2 cup table salt), for brine 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 whole chicken , 3 1/2 to 4 lbs, preferably free-range or other high-quality chicken such as Bell and Evans, giblets removed and reserved for another use, fat around cavity removed and discarded 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (4 to 5 medium), or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick Vegetable cooking spray (nonstick) 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 teaspoon table salt (for potatoes) Ground black pepper 1. Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Immerse chicken and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line bottom of broiler pan with foil and spray with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Remove chicken from brine and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Following illustrations 1 through 6, butterfly chicken, flatten breastbone, apply flavored butter (if using), and position chicken on broiler pan rack; thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. 2. Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil, salt, and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Spread potatoes in even layer in foil-lined broiler pan bottom. Place broiler pan rack with chicken on top. Rub chicken with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle with pepper. 3. Roast chicken until spotty brown, about 20 minutes. Rotate pan and continue to roast until skin has crisped and turned a deep brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees in thickest part of breast, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to cutting board. With potholders, remove broiler pan rack; soak up excess grease from potatoes with several sheets paper towels. Remove foil liner with potatoes from broiler pan bottom and invert foil and potatoes onto cookie sheet or second cutting board. Carefully peel back foil, using a metal spatula to help scrape potatoes off foil as needed. With additional paper towels, pat off remaining grease. Cut chicken into serving pieces and serve with potatoes....See MoreWarning: This is a coffee saga...
Comments (66)>>The headline on the company history page says "It All Began on Vine Street", at the corner of Walnut in Berkeley.>> The first Peet's store was opened in Berkeley. But he sold his beans through a few other shops before opening the Peet's-only stores. I remember being very sad that his store opened in Berkeley instead of being in SF where I could reach it (didn't drive and no car in those days). Even Herb Caen mentioned it, I believe; the Peet's French was highly coveted stuff. We were all hoping his first store would be in SF.....sigh. Aliceinmd, interesting that your recipe uses salt. I used to work in a big hotel in Chicago way back when, and one of the waiters was known for making the best coffee of anyone. I watched him one day and he salted the coffee grounds before turning on the big urn percolator. Much later when "food science" started to become popular, I read that salt offsets bitterness and thought, "Aha, that's why he did that!" Intriguingly enough, according to several articles (NYTimes, Serious Eats) they still don't know quite how salt works to offset bitterness (whether the salt somehow disrupts the bitter receptors on the tongue or whether itâÂÂs some sort of post-processing by the brain)! This post was edited by jkom51 on Mon, Jan 12, 15 at 18:49...See More- 18 years ago
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moosemacOriginal Author