Roast Brined TURKEY

Brine time: 12-24 hours

Ingredients:

1 turkey, about 20 pounds

Brine:

1 cup sugar

1 1/2-1 3/4 cups kosher salt

2 1/2 gallons cold water

2 bay leaves, torn into pieces

1 bunch fresh thyme

1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled

5 whole allspice berries, crushed (opt.)


Roasting:

2 tablespoons softened butter + butter for basting

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 cup chicken stock, or more as needed



Brining:

Remove giblet bag from turkey, along with any extra internal fat and pin feathers.
Rinse well under cold tap water.
Combine sugar, salt and 3-4 quarts of water in a large bowl. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Add remaining brine ingredients except for the remaining 1 1/2 gallons water. Double-bag two heavy-duty, unscented trash bags (not made of recycled materials), then put them in an ice chest that is large enough to hold the turkey.
Place turkey in bags, pour in brine and remaining 1 1/2 gallons water -- there should be enough liquid to completely cover the bird.
Press out air in bags; tightly close each bag separately. Keep turkey cold with bags of ice, which will also help keep it submerged.
Brine for 12-24 hours.

Alternate method: Place turkey and brine in a large pan. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours. If turkey floats to top, weight it down with a plate and cans to keep it submerged in brine.

Roasting: Preheat oven to 350°. (Turkeys 16 lb. and smaller should be roasted at a higher heat, 400.) Remove turkey from brine, rinse and dry well. Spread 2 tablespoons softened butter over skin. Sprinkle pepper over skin and in cavity. Tuck wing tips under, loosely truss legs and place turkey on a V-shaped rack in a roasting pan.  Cover the bird tightly with foil for the first half of the cooking time, then remove the foil and baste with stock and pan drippings every 30 or 40 minutes for the remainder of the time. A 22-pound bird should be done in about 5 hours.

To assure that the bird cooks evenly, rotate roasting pan 180° every 30 minutes while turkey is roasting. Let bird rest for at least 20-30 minutes before carving.

Serves 18-20, with leftovers

Adapted from the San Francisco Chronicle (Nov. 16, 2005)


Gravy

#1 for brined turkey


The amount of pan drippings will vary, depending on the size of the turkey, how much water or stock you use to baste it, and how much liquid evaporates during cooking. However, because the bird has been brined, you won't need to season the gravy as much. Streamline the gravy-making process -- make the roux ahead of time, transfer it to a bowl, cool, then cover and refrigerate.


4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Pan drippings to taste

1/2 cup dry unoaked white wine (optional)

4 cups low-salt canned chicken broth or homemade turkey broth/stock

Pepper to taste



The roux: Melt the butter in a skillet. Add flour all at once, whisking until incorporated. Cook, whisking occasionally, for 3 or 4 minutes, until it begins to look grainy.

The broth and drippings: When turkey is done, pour pan drippings into a bowl. Deglaze roasting pan with the wine by boiling and scraping pan with a wooden spoon, adding a little water as needed to incorporate browned bits. Add to drippings in bowl. Skim off fat with a spoon.

Putting gravy together: Bring broth to a simmer in a covered saucepan. Put cold roux in a skillet, over medium heat. Slowly add 3 cups of the simmering broth to the roux, whisking constantly. Add reserved drippings slowly, starting with a few tablespoons; taste, then whisk in more, a little at a time, until gravy tastes right to you. Season with pepper and additional salt if needed.

To adjust consistency, add more broth or simmer for a few minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

#2 Giblet Gravy

INGREDIENTS

1 turkey gizzard plus 1 turkey heart, about 1/4 pound
1 turkey liver, about 1/4 pound
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups fresh or canned chicken broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons tomato paste
PREPARATION

1.
Cut away and discard outside tough membrane from the gizzard. Trim off end of the heart. Place gizzard and heart on a flat surface and chop finely with a heavy knife. There should be about 1/3 cup.
2.
Chop liver separately. There should be about 1/3 cup.
3.
Heat butter in heavy saucepan. When melted add onions and garlic. Cook until wilted and add chopped gizzard, heart, liver and thyme. Cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
4.
Sprinkle with flour, stirring to distribute evenly. Add broth, water, bay leaf, salt, pepper and tomato paste and stir to blend. Let simmer over very low heat, stirring often and skimming surface of fat and scum as necessary, about 1 1/2 hours or until reduced to about 3 1/2 cups. Combine gravy with turkey basting juices from roasting pan as directed in recipe for roast stuffed turkey.
YIELD 3.5 cups
Originally published with AT THANKSGIVING, TRIMMINGS STEAL THE LIMELIGHT; THE TURKEY STILL PLAYS A LEAD ROLE
By CRAIG CLAIBORNE, November 20, 1985

#3 Gravy From Scratch

By JULIA MOSKIN (NY Times 2008)
Time: About 9 hours, plus cooling

FOR THE TURKEY STOCK:

4 tablespoons butter, more if necessary for gravy, and for seasoning (optional)

6 turkey legs or other dark meat turkey parts (thighs, wings, etc.), to make about 6 pounds

Salt and black pepper

1 medium onion, peeled and stuck with 3 cloves

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

3 stalks celery with leaves, trimmed and cut into large chunks

2 bay leaves

12 black peppercorns

1 cup white wine, Madeira, vermouth, dry sherry or water

FOR THE GRAVY:

12 tablespoons ( 3/4 cup) all-purpose flour

Salt and black pepper.


1. For the stock: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 4 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle turkey parts with salt and pepper, place in roasting pan and brush with melted butter. Roast 2 hours, basting with butter every 20 minutes or so.

2. Transfer roasted turkey to a stockpot and set roasting pan aside. Add onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns to stockpot. Add cold water just to cover, bring to a simmer and cook, slightly uncovered, about 6 hours.

3. Meanwhile, place roasting pan on top of stove and bring juices to a simmer over low heat. Pour in wine (or water), stirring and scraping to bring up browned bits. (If using wine, simmer at least 5 minutes.) Pour all liquid into a bowl and refrigerate. When deglazing liquid is cool, lift off top layer of fat; reserve fat. Add deglazing liquid to stockpot.

4. When stock is golden and flavorful, strain into a large container and refrigerate. When cool, lift off fat and mix it with reserved fat from deglazing liquid. Reserve 3 quarts stock for gravy and refrigerate or freeze the rest for another use.

5. For the gravy: In a deep skillet or large heavy pot, melt 12 tablespoons ( 3/4 cup) reserved turkey fat over medium heat. If you do not have enough turkey fat, use additional butter to make 3/4 cup. Gradually whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking, until golden brown and toasty-smelling, 3 to 5 minutes or longer for darker gravy.

6. Whisk in a small amount of stock (this prevents lumps), then add remainder more quickly and whisk until smooth. Simmer, continually whisking, until thickened. If too thick, thin with more stock or a little wine and simmer briefly. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, whisk in a few tablespoons cold butter to smooth and enrich gravy.

Yield: 3 quarts, about 20 servings.

To make ahead: Gravy can be made up to a month ahead. It freezes well in plastic containers or bags. Thaw in refrigerator or over low heat. Whisk in a little water if it appears curdled or too thick.

Note: Recipe can be halved to make about 6 cups gravy. Or for more gravy, use remaining stock and add 1 tablespoon fat and 1 tablespoon flour to the roux in Step 5 for each cup additional stock.

Fruit And Nut Stuffing

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh chestnuts
1 cup dried apricots
1 1/4 cup plump raisins (3/4 cup sultanas and 1/2 cup regular variety)
1 cup minced yellow onions
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped, unpeeled apples (Granny Smith, Wolf River or any tart cooking apples)
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups croutons made of stale or toasted whole-wheat bread
Rind of one orange, minced
1 cup minced parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme, or more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
1 cup defatted stock made from turkey giblets
Salt to taste

PREPARATION

1.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Score the chestnuts and place them on a baking sheet in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until they have opened and the tough outer shells have loosened. Then peel the chestnuts, being careful to remove the fuzzy inner membrane. If they are difficult to peel, return them to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. When all the chestnuts are peeled, blanch them in a small pan of boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes, or until they start to soften. Drain immediately.
2.
Place the apricots and raisins in separate bowls and cover them with boiling water. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
3.
Over low heat, gently saute the minced onions and garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until they are soft and just starting to change color; this will take about 25 minutes. Place the onions and garlic in a mixing bowl.
4.
Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan along with the chopped apples. Turn the heat up to medium and stir continuously. When the ap-ples brown along the edges and start to soften, transfer them to the bowl with the onions and garlic.
5.
Chop the chestnuts coarsely and add them to the bowl. Drain the apricots and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Then drain the raisins and put them and the apricots in the bowl. Add the celery, croutons, orange rind, parsley, thyme and pepper. Pour in half of the turkey stock, mix, then stir in the remaining stock. Taste and season with salt and more pepper or thyme if desired. Set aside until you are ready to stuff the turkey.

Bread and Fruit Stuffing

TOTAL TIME 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 onions (about 1 pound) coarsely chopped
4 ribs celery, finely chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, cultivated or wild, trimmed and cut coarse
4 large apples, coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dried apples, diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, or 3/4 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, or 3/4 teaspoon dried
10 slices stale bread, broken into bite-size pieces
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
PREPARATION

1.
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Saute onion and celery until onion begins to brown.
2.
Add mushrooms, apples and parsley, and continue cooking until apples soften and mushrooms release their liquid.
3.
Reduce heat, and stir in dried cherries, dried apples, sage and thyme. Continue cooking until mixture is well blended.
4.
Add bread and stock, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, then stuff the mixture into a 12- to 14-pound turkey just before cooking. Stuffing may be made ahead and frozen for a week or two. Or it may be refrigerated for two days.
YIELD 10 cups stuffing

Marian Burros, 1993 (NY Times)


James Beard's Buttery Bread Stuffing

TOTAL TIME 1 hour
INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
6 to 8 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon or sage leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon or sage, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

PREPARATION

1.
Melt butter over medium heat in a large, deep skillet, Dutch oven or casserole. Add onion and cook, stirring, until it softens, about 5 minutes. Add nuts and cook, stirring almost constantly, until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
2.
Add bread crumbs and tarragon or sage and toss to mix. Turn heat to low. Add salt, pepper and scallions. Toss again; taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add parsley and stir. Turn off heat. (You may prepare recipe in advance up to this point; refrigerate, well wrapped or in a covered container, for up to a day before proceeding.)
3.
Pack into chicken or turkey if you like before roasting, or roast in an ovenproof glass or enameled casserole for about 45 minutes, at 350 to 400 degrees; you can bake this dish next to the bird, if you like. (Or you can cook it up to 3 days in advance and warm it up right before dinner.)

YIELD 6 - 8 cups

Originally published with THE MINIMALIST; To Stuff or Dress the Bird? James Beard Had It Covered
By MARK BITTMAN, November 15, 2006