Let's take a break from all the TV and Card turnin stuff to consentrate on the two most important Holidays of the year.....Thanksgiving and Christmas.
We're not having the traditional Thanksgiving dinner this year. We are having......
Prime Rib (cooked by me) and
Filet Mignon
Mashed potatoes
Green beans
Corn
Patsa Salad
Rolls
Homemade pies
Cakes
Lots and lots of goodies.
We're going to Oklahoma, to my sisters and then Friday Morning........I'm going to join the other idiots (or smart people if they get good deals) hit the streets to fight to gather my plunder.
Sis. C, God love ya, Thanksgiving dinner is my favorite meal, next to breakfast.
I can eat turkey and the fixin's anytime of the year...this is my menu so far...
Turkey
Dressing
Ham (I do my own honey & brown sugar glaze...may add pineapple this time)
Mashed potatoes & gravy
Green Beans (we need to pull up Felicity's GB thread...that was fun!!)
Broccoli & cheese casserole
Maybe Chicken and noodles (depends on how I feel and how may hours I am working then)
Coleslaw
Dinner rolls
Felicity's Apple Pie
Peach Pie
Maybe Pumpkin Pie (I hate it, but the others like it)
This is the best Turkey recipe I've ever come across. It’s a Wolfgang Puck recipe and I have used it for the past several years. It is OUTSTANDING. Everyone that tried it said it was the best turkey they ever had. And they were all Louisiana people who get fried turkey and know what good turkey tastes like. Also a number of really good AFF Cooks have tried this and agree it is about the best there is.
I would make the brine and the turkey stock the day before. This is important because you need to brine the turkey for 24 hours for the best effect. Also you want the stock prepared so you can whip up the gravy.
DAY 1
Brine:
1 gallon water
1/2 ounce ground cloves
1/2 ounce ground ginger
4 ounces cracked black peppercorns
12 bay leaves
1 pound kosher salt
24 ounces honey
24 ounces maple syrup
1 (12 - 14 pound) whole fresh turkey, giblets and neck removed and reserved for stock
In a large stockpot, bring the water, cloves, ginger, black peppercorn, bay leaves and salt to a boil. Lower to a simmer and stir in the honey and maple syrup until well blended. Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold tap water. Reserve the neck and specialty meats for pan gravy. Set the turkey in the brine, making sure that the turkey is fully immersed in the brine. Place a weight on top of the turkey to make sure it is always covered with brine. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Turkey Stock (Can be made ahead up to 4 days. Keep refrigerated):
Giblets and neck from 1 turkey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup port wine
1 cup roughly chopped onions
1/2 cup roughly chopped carrots
1/2 cup roughly chopped celery
2 sprigs rosemary
5 peppercorns
Water, to cover
Heat a saucepan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and heat. Add the neck and giblets and cook until browned all over, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and deglaze with the port. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the port is almost completely evaporated, about 10 minutes.
Add the carrots, onions, celery, rosemary and peppercorns. Cover with cold water by 4-inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for 2 hours, adding a little more water, if necessary. Skim any scum that rises to the surface of the stock and discard.
Strain the stock.
DAY 2
Roasting:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
1 cup cubed carrots
1 cup cubed celery
1 cup cubed onions
In a shallow roasting pan, place the carrots, celery and onions. Remove turkey from brine.
Mix together the butter, garlic, chopped rosemary, and sage to make a compound butter. Using your hands, loosen to the skin from the breast by gently inserting your fingers between the skin and the flesh. Be careful not to rip the skin. Rub the compound butter underneath the skin. Insert the apples, onions, and whole rosemary and sage into the cavity of the turkey.
Place the turkey over the vegetables, breast-side up, in the roasting pan. Tuck the wings back and under the turkey. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. This will make a compact shape and will create a great presentation. Drizzle the turkey with olive oil and rub it into the skin.
Now this next part is VITAL! So don’t mess it up. Go buy yourself a good digital thermometer. It will have a long probe with a wire on it so you can stick it in the turkey and read the meter outside the oven. Roast the turkey to exactly 165 degrees F in the breast, It should take about 2 1/2 hours but don’t go by the clock. If the skin gets too dark during roasting, tent with foil.
When the bird gets to 165 take it out of the oven, Transfer to a platter and tent it with foil and allow it to rest. DO NOT CUT THE BIRD UNTIL IT RESTS FOR A GOOD 10 TO 15 MINUTES. IF you cut it too soon all the juices will run out and you will have dry turkey like last year.
While the turkey is roasting, prepare the pan gravy.
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup Madeira wine
4 cups turkey stock, recipe at the top.
1 sprig thyme
2 sprigs parsley
Beurre manie (2 ounces butter mixed with 2 ounces flour until it forms a soft dough)
Salt and pepper
Tilt the pan and skim as much fat as possible off the juice with a spoon. Set the pan on 2 burners set on medium heat. Deglaze roasting pan with white wine and Madeira. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Reduce until only a quarter remains. Add the turkey stock, thyme and parsley. Bring to a boil and strain into a saucepan. Bring back to a boil, skim and lower to a simmer. Whisk in the beurre manie until well incorporated and continue to cook until gravy has thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Note: For those of you who wont use wine, just use some of the turkey stock. That will be fine. For those of you who will use the wine and Madeira, go get a real bottle. Don’t use that cooking wine stuff. It will ruin the gravy. And remember all the alcohol will cook out so you wont have any issues with that. Trust me this is awesome stuff.
Happy Thanksgiving!
This is the most important part of cooking the Turkey. the rest is just flavor and you could do what ever you wanted for flavor. If you do the following EXACTLY you will have a wonderful turkey
Now this next part is VITAL! So don’t mess it up. Go buy yourself a good digital thermometer. It will have a long probe with a wire on it so you can stick it in the turkey and read the meter outside the oven. Roast the turkey to exactly 165 degrees F in the breast, It should take about 2 1/2 hours but don’t go by the clock. If the skin gets too dark during roasting, tent with foil.
When the bird gets to 165 take it out of the oven, Transfer to a platter and tent it with foil and allow it to rest. DO NOT CUT THE BIRD UNTIL IT RESTS FOR A GOOD 10 TO 15 MINUTES. IF you cut it too soon all the juices will run out and you will have dry turkey like last year.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
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