| Turkey Recipes |
Here are a couple of our favorite ways to prepare turkey. Both recipes involve at some point separating the legs and thighs from the rest of the bird, as they cook at different rates.
The first recipe comes to us via Heritage Foods USA, our suppliers of heirloom variety pastured turkeys.
The second recipe is from Chow magazine, now in its second life as Chow.com
Heritage Turkey by Chef Dan Barber
Stone Barns and Blue Hill, New York
Below are some general cooking suggestions for heritage turkey from chef Dan Barber of the delicious Stone Barns and Blue Hill Restaurant in New York (75 Washington Place - 212-539-1776).
"I prefer these heritage breeds for their flavor, and the tendency for this meat to stay moist longer is a big reason for it.
I recommend cooking the bird (see recipe below) until the breasts are finished, and then removing the legs and continue cooking them in the oven. It's nearly impossible to get a perfectly cooked breast and legs at the same time because the legs take so much longer.
The result, if you follow the advice, is a turkey that doesn't need gravy.
I'd stay away from brining the birds as well. That's a good technique for a bird that's not on pasture. But these heritage breeds have distinct flavors reflecting the diversity of their diets. You'll lose that if you brine them.
Remember especially to take your bird out of the refrigerator a full 40 minutes before you roast it. The cooking time will vary dramatically.
I like to throw the carcass and scraps of meat into a big pot at the end of the night and make a rich turkey broth fort he next day. Just simmer the bones and meat for a few hours; add vegetables and herbs, and if you like a little wine, and don't let it boil. You want a clear broth."
Ingredients
1 Heritage Turkey
butter
salt and pepper
Directions
Pre heat oven to 475.
Let turkey come to room temp
Carefully separate skin from the breast meat and rub softened butter on to breast
Season liberally with salt and pepper
Set the turkey, breast side up, on a rack of a large roasting pan. Tie the legs together with kitchen string.
Roast for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and cover turkey loosely with tin foil. Roast for about 3 1/2 hours, or until the thermometer inserted into the inner thigh registers 150 degrees.
Transfer turkey to cutting board. Let stand for at least 45 minutes to cool down.
Remove legs and thighs, careful to not take too much skin with you.
Place legs and thighs, skin side, on a roasting pan and continue cooking, 40-45 minutes or until juices run clear.
Separately slice breast and thigh and plate while still warm.
Turkey Two Ways (Roasted Breast and Legs Confit)
By Max La Rivière-Hedrick
Note: I have prepared this recipe without brining the bird-- as with the above recipe, I don't believe this is necessary with a Heritage bird. Do use plenty of dry salt on the skin of the bird-- figure at least 1tsp of coarse salt, or 3/4tsp of fine salt per pound of weight. Salt doesn't penetrate the skin easily, so make this the first thing you do. Bird may be salted many hours in advance of cooking.
It is possible to substitute a good, neutral-tasting olive oil or chicken fat for the duck fat. I used about half duck fat and half olive oil-- the result was fabulous.
Also, I did not do the foie gras and mushroom sauce, but opted instead to prepare fresh gravy using butter, flour, chicken stock and pan drippings. --Matt Morgan
A gourmet’s alternative to a plain old roasted bird: brined, roasted breast and the legs cooked confit-style.
TIME/SERVINGS
Total: 2 hrs 45 mins, plus 24 hrs for brining
Active: 45 mins
Makes: 8 servings
What to buy: Look for a fresh turkey. They end up crispier and tastier than previously frozen ones. If you do go with a frozen turkey, make sure it’s completely thawed before roasting (this will take several days in the refrigerator).
Duck fat can be found at butcher shops or at the meat counter of gourmet grocery stores.
Game plan: To get an accurate reading, measure the temperature of the turkey on the inside of the thigh and make sure the thermometer is not touching the bone.
INGREDIENTS
1 (12- to 15-pound) turkey
For the brined breast:
1 gallon plus 1 quart water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 whole head garlic, sliced in half horizontally
2 bay leaves
2 juniper berries, crushed
Vegetable oil, for roasting
For the confit:
12 medium unpeeled cloves garlic
3 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 quart (4 cups) duck fat
2 cups vegetable oil
For the mushroom sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick) or duck fat
1 cup golden chanterelle mushrooms
1 cup black trumpet mushrooms
1 small lobe foie gras medium dice (optional)
1 small shallot, minced
1 quart (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth, reduced by half
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
To prepare the turkey:
1. Remove giblets and neck and freeze for some other use or discard. Rinse out cavity and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Trim most of excess fat and skin from neck and cavity.
2. Remove legs by cutting where thighs meet the body. Reserve legs for confit and remainder of turkey breast piece (breast and body) for brine.
For the brined breast:
1. Place all brining ingredients except vegetable oil in a large stockpot over high heat and bring to a boil. Remove and cool to room temperature.
2. When brine is cool, submerge turkey breast piece in brine. (Use a resealable plastic bag filled halfway with water or some other weight to keep it completely submerged.) Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
3. To roast, heat oven to 350°F. Remove breast from brine and thoroughly dry with paper towels. Rub skin with vegetable oil and place breast on a heavy baking sheet or in a roasting pan. Roast in oven until breast reaches an internal temperature of 150°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving. If not using foie gras in mushroom sauce, reserve 1/4 cup pan drippings.
For the confit:
1. Place turkey legs on a large platter and heavily salt both sides of each leg. Sprinkle garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns over top. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and let rest 12 hours or overnight.
2. Heat oven to 325°F. Scrape salt from legs. Place legs, skin side down, with confit flavoring ingredients (except salt) in a Dutch oven or a large heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid and cover with duck fat and vegetable oil.
3. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, making sure legs don’t stick. Cover, turn off heat, and place in oven. Cook until meat is very tender, about 2 hours.
4. Remove casserole from oven and cool on a rack. If serving immediately, brown legs as described in next step; if not, place cooled casserole in the refrigerator until ready.
5. To brown legs, heat oven to 350°F. Remove legs from casserole. Place a large nonstick frying pan on the stove over high heat. Carefully set legs skin side down in the pan and cook until skin is brown, about 2 minutes. Place in oven and cook until heated through, about 12 minutes.
For the mushroom sauce:
1. In a medium frying pan on medium-high heat, place duck fat or butter and sauté mushrooms in batches; season to taste. Reserve cooked mushrooms in a bowl. If using foie gras, quickly sauté it in the same pan used for the mushrooms (without any fat) on high heat and cook just until browned. Place on paper towels and reserve.
2. Add shallots and cook on low heat for 3 minutes, then add stock. If not using foie gras, add 1/4 cup reserved pan drippings from turkey.
3. When ready to serve, bring shallot mixture to a simmer, and add mushrooms, foie gras, and parsley. Mix well and serve immediately.
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