A Christmas turkey
Friday, 09 December 2011 00:00
Being in America for Thanksgiving was a rare privilege. I was able to share this very important day in the country’s celebratory calendar with beloved family, while at the same time being tasked with the daunting undertaking of cooking the Thanksgiving bird.Whereas we do turkey for Christmas, it is the quintessential\[orielle.berry\]central item on the Thanksgiving menu. I heard a statistic which suggests that 95 million turkeys will have given their all in America, by the time the momentous day drew to a close. That’s one helluva lot of turkeys.
They say that everything is bigger in America, and when it comes to turkeys, that would be true. Birds of 24lbs (about 11kg) and even larger are routinely roasted for Thanksgiving. In South Africa, I don’t recall seeing anything larger than about seven or eight kilograms.
Daughter Robyn initially ordered a 24 lb bird from the local supermarket, but we were given a 14 lb (6.5kg) bird.. I’d planned to brine it for 24 to 36 hours, but as luck would have it, the weather warmed up to the point where I couldn’t risk leaving the bird in a brine bucket out of the fridge.
I cast about for an alternative, and lit upon one of Bobby Flay’s recipes, for herb-roasted turkey, along with a few of my own enhancements.
Ingredients, selection and preparation
1x 6 to 7kg turkey: the size you choose affects the cooking time of course, and since we usually only get frozen turkeys, the thawing time as well. Thaw the turkey in the fridge by preference, as our hot weather makes counter thawing a risky business.
The rule of thumb is 24 hours fridge time per 2kg. A quicker method is to immerse the turkey, in its sealed wrapper, in cold water for 60 minutes per kg. Changing the water every few hours also helps to speed up the process somewhat. Start earlier rather than later, because you can safely store a thawed turkey in the fridge for up to two days.
Rinse the turkey well under cold running water and pat dry inside and out with kitchen paper towel.
- 150g butter: softened.
- 2 tbsp each parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme: finely chopped.
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- Salt and pepper: to season the bird.
- 3 large carrots: peeled and chopped.
- 3 stalks of celery: chopped.
- 3 onions: quartered.
- 1 litre chicken stock: for basting.
- 1 litre chicken stock
- Sprig each parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme: rinsed.
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 250ml dry white wine
- Salt and pepper: to season to taste.
- Turkey neck and gibletsor that rich golden brown
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 230 deg C. Put the butter, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and the tsp each of salt and pepper into a food processor and blitz into a smooth paste. Season the inside of the turkey liberally with salt and pepper.
Rub the entire turkey with the herbed butter mixture, including the inside. Be sure to use all the butter. Scatter half the chopped vegetables and onions in a large roasting pan, and place the turkey in the centre. Stuff the cavity with the remaining vegetables and onion quarters. Season the bird liberally with salt and pepper.
Put four cups of chicken stock in a small saucepan on the stove top on a low simmer.
Put the turkey in mid oven, and roast for 45 minutes to brown nicely then turn down the heat to 180 deg C and roast for a further two hours 45 minutes to three hours 15 minutes. This time is good for a bird of between 5.5kg and 6.5kg. To be really safe use a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh, but not touching bone.
Once it reaches 74 deg C, it is done. Check the bird in a few other places with the thermometer to be safe. While the bird is roasting, baste it every 15 minutes with about a half cup of the warm chicken stock. Once the bird is done, remove it from the roasting pan and place it on a carving board, covered loosely with aluminium foil to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
Strain the liquid from the roasting pan into a medium saucepan. Add the cup of white wine, and bring to the boil for about 5 minutes. Add sufficient chicken stock to make four cups of gravy. Add the sprigs of herbs and the turkey giblets, bring to the boil then turn off the heat and allow it to steep for 20 minutes.
Remove the herbs and giblets from the gravy stock with a slotted spoon. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then whisk in the flour. Cook the roux for a minute or two, then add the stock a cup at a time, whisking briskly all the time, until the consistency is just right: smooth and silky, and not overly thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow it to bubble for a minute or two to thoroughly cook the flour. Carve the turkey as you like it, and serve with a generous slosh of gravy, and seasonal vegetables of your choice.
Preparation time: 60 minutes
Cooking time: 2 - 3 hours
Yield: 6 - 8
Written by Norman McFarlane You are reading A Christmas turkey articles
