Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 10A
> FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Friday, November 15,2002
Talking turkey: Make this Thanksgiving extra special
Have you ever seen Chevy
Chase’s movie, Christmas
Vacation? During one particu
larly memorable scene, the
entire (kooky) family sits
down to their holiday feast
and Chase begins to carve the
beautiful, picturesque turkey.
When the tip of the carving
fork pierces the turkey’s skin,
the whole thing literally
“pops,” exploding and deflat
ing with its own dryness. The
next scene is silent except for
the chewing noises of the fam
ily, as they desperately attempt
to eat the parched turkey meat.
Funny in a movie not so
funny if you are the chef.
Many people do not even
expect turkey to be moist and
succulent. One friend told me,
“Even the best cooks have a
hard time producing a moist
roast turkey. That is why
gravy was invented.” Should
we feel offended or relieved?
Thankfully, there are ways
around a dry bird. One of the
best tricks is to brine your
bird. What is brining, you ask?
Brining is simply soaking the
raw turkey in a salt and water
bath for 10 to 12 hours. The
only thing complicated about
the process is finding room in
your refrigerator. I highly rec
ommend you find the room.
Believe me, it will dramatical
ly improve the flavor, texture
and appearance of your turkey
even if you use a frozen
turkey.
Brining came to the fore
front in the culinary world
several years ago and now
chefs are brining pork and
chicken, among other meats.
The salt draws out impurities,
while sealing in moisture and
ACROSS
I Most under
grad degrees
(Abbr.)
4 TV revenue
source
7 Hand warmer
II Right angles
13 Furrow
14 Sutherland
solo
15 Unadulterated
16 Scratch
17 Benevolent
18 “Horse in striped
pajamas"
20 Gas-station
job
22 Under the
weather
24 Hoboes
28 Might they tie
up loose
ends?
32 Ongoing
33 Reed instru
ment
34 Computer
acronym
36 - podrida
37 Dutch bloom
39 With frugality
41 Puts into
words
43 Illustrations
44 Engrossed
46 Acclaim
50 Singer
Mitchell
53 Prior to
55 Totenburg of
NPR
56 Opposite of
Ad,en
Robinson WgMS
flavor. I know it sounds like
one more thing to do, but
Thanksgiving comes but once
a year, and, if you want to use
gravy to season the meat,
instead of masking its dryness,
please at least consider this
technique.
There are numerous
recipes for roasting turkey.
Indeed, entire books are
devoted to this one meal. My
favorite way is to stuff the
cavity of the bird with onions,
carrots, herbs, then lightly
truss. I do not believe in elab
< orate trussing. The point is to
hold the bird together, not to
strangle it. If you have a
homemade turkey or chicken
stock, that is great. But, I will
offer away to make a fairly
quick stock that you can use
for roasting the bird, making
the gravy, and for wherever
else you need stock, like the
dressing. You make it the
night before, while your bird
is brining.
How about size? The ten
dency many people have is to
buy big. But is bigger really
better? When it comes to
turkey, think it through.
Unless you are lucky enough
to have a second oven, you are
giving up a lot of space if you
are cooking a bird over 14
pounds. Not only that, but,
when you cook a big bird,
fully cooking the dark meat,
without parching the white
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58 Chows down
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61 Part of UCLA
DOWN
1 Mercedes
partner
2 Sheltered
3 Thick chunk
4 Get ready to
rumble
5 Two-way
6 Walk proudly
7 Hit the jackpot
8 Spoon-bender
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Answers
IN THE KITCHEN
meat, really requires turning
the bird no small task when
a bird weighs in at over 14
pounds. My preference is defi
nitely a smallish bird I
choose one between 12 and 14
pounds. A smaller bird has
numerous advantages, the
main one being manageability.
It will fit into a large stockpot
when you brine it and will fit
in your refrigerator. Also, you
can cook other dishes along
side it in your oven. Perhaps
most importantly, especially if
time is an issue, a small bird
cooks fast in as little as
three hours. Those big birds
can take all day. If you are
having a big crowd, consider
cooking two smallish birds.
Cook one the night before,
then one on the big day.
If you are using a frozen
bird, make sure you allow
enough time for defrosting. I
prefer to purchase a fresh
turkey, but it has more to do
with knowing it is thawed than
with taste. I have cooked
many a frozen bird and they
were delicious.
Brining and stock
making instructions
1. The night before
Thanksgiving, open turkey
and unwrap. Remove giblets,
liver, etc. and set aside. Rinse
turkey thoroughly. In large
stockpot or other container
large enough to hold bird,
combine water &nd salt. For
every two quarts of water, use
about 1/2 cup kosher salt or
1/4 cup plain table salt. Stir to
dissolve. Add a handful of
black peppercorns, several
teaspoons of dried herbs I
like thyme, rosemary, oregano
Geller
9 Half a saw
buck
10 Craze
12 Hit the jackpot
19 Every last
crumb
21 Monokini’s
lack
23 Got the ball
rolling
25 Double agent
26 Survey
27 Command to
Rover
28 Nursery
denizens
29 Touch
30 Soft-drink fla
vor
31 Brillo rival
35 Hot tub
38 Pod dweller
40 Clumsy boat
42 Bullock/
Reeves movie
45 Genealogy
chart
47 “- M for
Murder”
48 Aware of
49 Back talk
50 Pugilistic ploy
51 Eggs
52 Bottom line
54 Toy-shop
staffer?
and an orange that you
have cut up and squeezed into
the water. Add turkey to
herbed salted water, cover and
refrigerate.
2. Make a turkey stock
In another stockpot, heat
about 2 tablespoons vegetable
oil over medium-high heat.
Add giblets, except the liver
(which I discard because of its
overpowering flavor). Cook
for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Add 4 cups water, 4 cups
chicken stock, two cut-up
onions, a few cut-up carrots, a
stalk of celery (cut up), a
tablespoon of black pepper
corns, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, a
bay leaf and a handful of pars
ley. Boil. Reduce heat and
simmer, uncovered, for about
an hour. Let come to room
temperature. Strain and dis
card solids. Refrigerate stock.
The perfect herb
roasted turkey with
white wine pan gravy
Serves 10 to 12
1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds),
preferably brined, rinsed thor
oughly (if you did not brine
the turkey, remove all giblets,
and either make a quick stock
see recipe above or dis
card)
1 large onion, cut into
chunks
1 stalk celery, cut into
chunks
1 carrot, cut into chunks
2 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melt
ed
4 cups chicken or turkey
stock (see recipe above for
quick turkey stock)
2 cup white wine
5 tablespoons all-purpose
flour
5 tablespoons reserved fat
from roasted turkey, or butter
1/4 cup parsley, minced
1 tablespoon thyme,
minced
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Photo/Jonathan Phillips
Preheat oven to 400
degrees. Rinse turkey well to
remove all traces of brining
solution. Pat dry. Sprinkle all
over (including cavity) with
salt and pepper. Stuff cavity of
bird with onion, celery, carrot,
thyme and rosemary. Lightly
truss turkey with kitchen
twine, just to hold it together.
Brush the bird with melted
butter. Cover breast of turkey
tightly with aluminum foil.
Pour about 1/2 cup of stock
and 1/2 cup of wine into the
bottom of the roasting pan.
Roast the turkey for 30
minutes, then baste and lower
temperature to 325 degrees.
Continue roasting, basting
every 30 minutes or so, until
thermometer registers 180
degrees when put into the
thickest part of the thigh. Add
more stock and wine to the
bottom of the roasting pan as
necessary. Uncover the breast
during the last hour and a half
of cooking. If the breast is not
browning enough for your
taste, simply turn up the heat.
Remove turkey from oven.
Carefully place turkey on plat
ter. Tent with foil. Pour turkey
drippings into fat separator or
glass bowl. Place roasting pan
over two burners. Add some of
the accumulated fat from
turkey drippings or enough
butter to measure about 5
tablespoons. Heat to medium
high heat. Sprinkle in flour,
stirring constantly, scraping up
brown bits from the roasted
turkey. Cook flour for several
minutes. Turn heat to high,
pour in one cup wine and
enough stock and pan juices to
measure about 4 cups. Boil 5-
10 minutes until reduced and
thickened. Taste for seasoning.
Stir in parsley and thyme.
a. To dry out the French
bread, leave out overnight.
Alternatively, cut the bread
into cubes, and heat in a low
oven (300 degrees) for an hour
or so. Do not bum the bread.
To vary the recipe, just
substitute various ingredients
for the cranberries and pecans:
a. Wild mushrooms can be
chopped and cooked along
with the onions and celery;
b. Sausage may be cooked,
drained and added back to the
dressing.
c. Apples are also great
when peeled, chopped and
cooked along with the onions
and are also good when com
bined with the sausage.
d. Dried prunes and wal
nuts make a terrific combina
tion.
e. Chestnuts are a great
addition to dressing. No need
to go to the trouble of roasting
and peeling them just look
in gourmet cooking stores for
the already cooked, peeled
and bottled variety.
f. Try any variety of your
favorite dried fruits and nuts.