Gobble gobble. Thanksgiving 2008.

Posted by Michael on Oct 13, 2008 in Recipes | 4 comments

Exactly twice a year, I ask myself why I don’t eat turkey more often.   It’s cheap, fabulous, versatile and celebratory.  And that skin, oh that skin.  Those cracklins alone are worth the price of admission.  Here’s how I slap together my annual Thanksgiving or Christmas bird.   I usually buy a roughly 13-pounder from Cochrane’s Market in Rothesay, New Brunswick.  They’re New Brunswick-grown free range birds and taste just amazing.

Roast turkey

1 cup salt

1 cup sugar

13-15 lb turkey

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 onions, chopped

1 head garlic

2 cups chicken stock (or just use water)

fresh thyme and sage

1 onion and 1 orange to stuff the turkey

cracked black pepper

3 or 4 cups boiling water

1/2 cup unsalted butter

Rinse the turkey under running water.  In a large stock pot (mine was just large enough to hold the 13 pound bird with the lid on), add the salt and sugar.  Add a litre of water and stir to dissolve.   Add the bird to the brine and then add more cold water until the bird is covered.   Stir the water slightly so that it all mixes well.   Place in the refrigerator to brine for eight to 12 hours (overnight works well).  Remove the bird from the brine and dump the brine in the sink.  place the bird back in the pot and let cold water run over the bird continuously for five minutes (this removes excessive salt from the surfaces).   Meanwhile, add the carrots, onion, celery, chicken stock (if using, or water) and garlic to the roasting pan.  Add some fresh sprigs of thyme and several fresh sage leaves.  Season with black pepper.   Pre-heat the oven to 424 F at this point.   Place the turkey on the roasting pan and stuff it with a chopped onion and an orange.   Heat a kettle with the water until boiling.   Truss the bird well and then pour the boiling water slowly over the bird.  This will give the skin a head start on cooking and the immediate heat wll actually help to dry the skin so that butter will better adhere and brown on it.   Once the skin is dry (about a minute after you’ve applied the boiling water), brush on some unsalted butter, then season the whole bird well with black pepper.   Place uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes.   Baste again with butter and reduce heat to 350.   Roast another half hour and baste again.   Roast a further 30 minutes, baste again, then reduce heat to 300 F.   Cook gently until the thickest part of the breast registers 170 F, about two and a half hours.  With basting every 20 to 30 minutes with unsalted butter, the bird will be a deep, delicious golden brown.  Remove the turkey from the pan and set aside, covered, on a cutting board.   Strain the juices in the pan and make your gravy as you normally would.  Have all of your meal’s side dishes ready before slicing the turkey.  Carve the turkey and serve on a warm platter with a side of gravy.  Be sure to make some fresh cranberry sauce too!

Roasted dressing with sausage and cashews

My usual dressing gets a great kick from some Italian sausage and a cup of cashews (a great tip I picked up from my chiropractor last week).

1 loaf homemade bread, cubed

2 stalks celery, diced

2 onions, peeled and diced

1/3 cup butter

2 Italian sausages, cooked and cubed

1 cup salted cashews

heft pinch each of dried thyme, sage, oregano, salt and black pepper

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup juices from the roast turkey

Heat the butter in a large fry pan over medium heat for several minutes.   When the foaming stops, add the onion and celery.   Saute gently for five to seven minutes, until very soft.   Meanwhile, cube the bread and put in a very large bowl.  Add the sauteed onion and celery to the bread.  Saute the cubed sausage in the pan so that it browns a bit (add a bit more butter if necessary).  After a few minutes, toss in the cashews, toss well, then add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan.  Scrape that whole mixture into the bread mixture and toss well.   Place the dressing in a roasting pan.  When your turkey comes out of the oven, use a baster to grab about a cup or more of the pan juices and drizzle that all over your dressing.   Roast the dressing in the oven for about 40 minutes at 350 F while the turkey rests.