SLCC Turkey Tips and Tricks

Turkey

The Holiday seasons are fast approaching.  I’ve received several emails about the best way to cook our holiday Turkey.  Here are a few tips/tricks that may help you make a decision come turkey time:

Some people are whining whether to “brine or not to brine?”  That is the question.  Soaking poultry, specifically turkey is an old trick to retain moisture during the cooking process.  Brining swells the muscle fibers, hence, retains moisture.  Brining is not difficult; you just have to be a little patient.  Also, this is a great way to infuse different flavors, e.g., 5-spice powder.  If you have the time and patience, I recommend brining your turkey.  A few things to keep in mind: 

• Container.  Make sure you have a container large enough to brine the turkey and that you can also store in your refrigerator, or a cooler that you can comfortably store the turkey and replenish with ice. 
• Temperature.  The brining temperature should be around 40 degrees.
• Type of turkey.  Do not brine self-basting or kosher turkey, the meat could get mushy.
• Gravy.  If making gravy from the “fond”, make sure to taste the salt content before adding more salt.

For a moister turkey, do not stuff it; however, for the traditionalist, if you are going to stuff, here are a few tricks:

• Room Temperature.  Make sure the stuffing is room temperature, to create an even cooking.
• Stuffing.  Don’t overstuff.  Spoon loosely.  Stuffing has a tendency to expand, especially if you’re using eggs to bind.
• Temperature.  If you’re checking the stuffing temperature, it should be 165 degrees.

An additional “security blanket” to ensure the breast is moist; when you’re prepping the turkey, do not discard the fat from the cavity.  Flatten it with a heavy skillet or with the palm of your hand and simply place it between the skin and the breast meat.  The extra fat self-bastes the breast and also adds flavor.  You can also place this fat on top of the breast skin, if you’re having difficult wedging it between the skin and breast meat.

Here’s a simple brine solution for a 13-14 lb turkey.  Adjust the liquids etc, depending on the size:

Stir 3 gallons of cold water and 1 3-lb box kosher salt.  Add your favorite herb(s) and spice(s), e.g., peppercorns, garlic, thyme, sage, etc.  Be careful when using strong herbs such as rosemary, it can impart a very strong flavor, so you can easily overpower the bird with flavor, but not taste the actual turkey.  This would be OK if you like strong flavors (e.g., rosemary).  Soak thawed turkey for a minimum of 8 hours, maximum 10 hours in refrigerator, if you’re using a cooler; be sure to add ice to the water to maintain 40-degrees.  You don’t want botulism.  That would guarantee a ruined holiday.  Rinse and pat dry before roasting.  Rub the turkey with butter or olive oil, or both.  Sprinkle salt/pepper.  Pre-heat oven to 425-degrees.  Place turkey in oven and immediately reduce to 325-degrees.  Roast until the turkey registers 175-degrees.  Let it rest for 30 minutes.  The temperature should reach 180 degrees during the resting period.

Note:  You can also use this brining method when deep-frying your turkey.

Cranberry Relish

Be a little creative this season.  While making your favorite basic cranberry relish, or using the recipe on the bag, try adding one or some of the following for added flavor:

• Fresh ginger.  Julienne or grate the fresh ginger and add it to the cooking relish.
• Candied Ginger.  When adding candied ginger, you may want to reduce the sugar in the recipe.  It just depends on how sweet you like it.
• Jalapeno.  This adds a nice bite.   For more heat, dice the jalapeno including the seeds and membrane. To reduce the heat, slit half the jalapeno in half.   For just the jalapeno flavor, seed the jalapeno and remove the membrane. and julienne the remainder to include in the relish.   Note:   you can use other chilies as well.
• 5-Spice powder or curry.  Use lightly.   This is just to enhance the flavor.   Be careful not to overwhelm the cranberry by putting too much.
• Fresh herbs.  Adding e.g., mint adds a nice touch.
• Fresh fruit.  Use your imagination, you can add various citrus (e.g., lemons, oranges, and limes), or you can use just the zest or both.  You can also add apples, pomegranate, and persimmons (fuyu).
• Dried fruit.  This is great to use since it absorbs the liquid, and it’s also a great way to absorb the liquid if you made the relish too watery.   Try dried apricots, raisins, cranberry assorted flavors (e.g., cranapple, cranorange etc.)
• Nuts.   Adding your chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans adds a nice crunch to the relish.
• Liquor.  Adding liquors can also enhance the flavor.  Simply substitute part of the water in the recipe with e.g., brandy, kirsh, etc.
• Fruit Juice.  Substitute the water with fruit juice, e.g., apple juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice etc.  Be sure to adjust the sugar accordingly, since the fruit juices already have a lot of natural and added sugar.
• Extracts.  Add your favorite extract.  I like adding lemon extract.