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Sauce Puppet
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It's November! How do you turkey?
I stole this recipe from the New York Times last year, and it turned out great! I cut out most of the chit-chat throughout the article, and put the actual recipe in bold.
Quote:
Paper: New York Times, The (NY)
Title: Pilgrims Didn’t Brine
Date: November 16, 2005
The key is a good meat thermometer. Some chefs take the turkey out when the legs hit 155, other at 165 degrees or 170 degrees. The U.S.D.A. says the thigh meat should be 180 degrees, which is insanely high but hospital safe. Ms. Moulton is not willing to buck the U.S.D.A. in print, but I am. Bringing the thighs to at least 165 degrees seems the best compromise between food safety and avoiding breast oblivion. The temperature will continue to rise as you let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving, another tip from Ms. Moulton…
…For a 12- to 14-pound turkey, my method takes about two hours, which should leave plenty of time to do more important things this Thanksgiving. Like call your mother.
A Plan That Leaves Time for the Parade
By KIM SEVERSON
Here are tips that will make roasting your turkey faster and easier.
PREPARING THE TURKEY – Don’t wash it, although this might go against your better judgment. The heat of the oven will kill any surface pathogens, and rinsing only splashes bacteria around the kitchen. Better to take the wrapper off in the sink, put the turkey in the roasting pan and pat it dry with a paper towel.
TYING THE LEGS – Using a piece of cotton string to tie the legs make a prettier bird, but for cooking speed, leave them untied. If you carve the turkey and put it on plates in the kitchen, the way the bird looks won’t matter.
START AT ROOM TEMPERATURE – Allow the turkey to sit out for at least a half-hour before roasting. This will speed the cooking time.
TENTING – About half an hour into the roasting, cover the breast with a foil tent. This will slow the heat and help keep the breast moist.
IF PAN SMOKES – Pour a little water or stock into the bottom of the pan if the juices start to burn.
BASTING – Resist the urge; the skin comes out crispy and bronze without it. Opening the oven door lowers the temperature and adds into the roasting time.
USE A MEAT THERMOMETER – About an hour and a half into roasting, begin testing the temperature. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh, perpendicular to the pan, at the point where the drumstick meets the thigh. Test again in the meatiest part of the thigh, horizontal to the pan. Keep checking until you get a couple of readings of 165 degrees.
REST THE BIRD – When roasting is done, take the turkey out of the oven and tip it so that juices from the bird drain into the pan. Place the turkey on a platter, cover it completely with foil and place a damp kitchen towel over the foil to help keep in the heat. Let rest for a half hour. During standing time, the internal temperature continues to increase by as much as 10 degrees. Resting allows juices to set in the meat.
AFTER SLICING – Pour a small amount of warm stock over the sliced meat to moisten it before serving. This can help rescue dry white meat in particular.
Simple Roast Turkey
Time: 1 ˝ to 2 ˝ hours, plus half-hour’s resting before serving
1 12- to 14- pound turkey, preferably fresh, giblets removed; if turkey was frozen, thaw completely in refrigerator (this can take days)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
3 stalks celery, each cut crosswise into two or three pieces.
1. A half-hour before cooking, take turkey out of refrigerator. Pat dry with paper towels. Place in large roasting pan and set aside. Place rack on lower third of oven; heat oven to 425 degrees. Higher heat speeds roasting without too much splattering and smoking.
2. Mix salt and pepper together and rub mixture all over skin and inside cavity of turkey. Stuff cavity with onion and celery. If you wish, tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wingtips under wing, but this will slow cooking time.
3. Put turkey in oven, uncovered. After a half-hour, remove turkey and place a sheet of foil over the breast, crimping edges to side of roasting pan. Place pan back in oven.
4. After another hour, remove turkey from oven, take off foil and discard. Do not baste. Begin checking temperature by inserting a meat thermometer straight down into fleshiest part of thigh, where it meets drumstick. Check a second spot, then remove thermometer.
5. Place bird back in oven, checking periodically until thermometer reads about 165 degrees. Total cooking time should be 1 ˝ to 2 ˝ hours, depending on size of turkey. If bird is larger than 14 pounds, keep foil on longer.
6. Remove pan from oven and cover turkey with fresh foil and then a damp kitchen towel. Let it rest for a half-hour before carving. Turkey will continue to cook and juices will set into meat.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
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I think I added an orange, or some fruit in the cavity per request of a family member. Definitely use kosher salt, and not table salt!
What Turkey or other Thanksgiving recipes do you have? |