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Bon Appetit!
Finding, selecting and preparing the ubiquitous Thanksgiving "vulo"
For many of us, facing the prospect of preparing the Holiday Bird is fraught with peril. Perhaps this is your first year not returning to your Home Stone to chow down on the Bird prepared by your Mamma, Grandmamma, Auntie ( whatever ) or maybe this year your Owner decided not to eat Bird at a local restaurant, or maybe you just decided to give it a try. In any case, before I tell you *how* to cook one, let's talk about selections available. The opinions expressed are my own based on many years of Bird cooking and are NOT product endorsements. Types of Birds available: Tom turkey = male bird. ok, don't faint at the thought of cooking something male... in case you didn't know, a capon is a castrated rooster that was fattened up for food instead of allowed to live as the local stud of the henyard. Many people think Tom turkeys are better tasting than the hens. I have never really seen and difference in taste between Toms and Hens, but then again, I am not a turkey purist. They usually cost more, which is a definite consideration for many cooks. Young Tom Turkeys = see above posting. I have yet to find anyone who could answer the question of how old a turkey has to be to be determined as "young". I darkly suspect this is an advertising gimmick to appeal to the belief that younger must mean more tender. Enriched turkeys = this means that oil or fat has been deposited into the meat artificially to improve taste. Every time I see this I think about a scrawney, wiry old bird that someone plumped up by adding liquids into the meat. I have cooked a few of these over the years and all I can saywas that they seemed not to need basting as often, but that there was a higher grease content in the drippings. Pre-Basted turkeys = similar to above, but the ingredient is usually specified as Butter and it is claimed to have been added to the white meat. Butterball® is a Brand name for this type of bird. Very dependable in quality, I have never had a bad experience with one. Highly recommended for the novice turkey cooker. Instructions inside the *packet* are easy to read, and they have that clever little red thing in the breast meat that pops up when internal temperature is sufficient, which is great if you dont have a meat thermometer. Frozen vs Fresh = primarily a price difference, with the fresh turkeys usually being more expensive per pound. I must admit, tho, that one year I really splurged and invested in a fresh turkey from a local market chain called Whole Foods... a pricey place that specializes in range fed meat and poultry and organically grown produce. Yes.. it was awesome looking and definitely better tasting... but the price was outrageous. I noticed no difference in the length of time it took for leftover turkey to disappear from the 'fridge, however. If the idea of *back to nature* appeals to you and you can afford it, I say great, lucky you... go for it. If you are like me, however, and a frugal shopper facing the cost of not only the Bird but the side dishes and *trimmings* a frozen turkey is cheaper and cost matters. Frozen turkeys require *thaw time*. DO NOT place your Bird in the kitchen sink overnight to thaw out. Salmonella is a real hazard! Because so many poultry products have been fed steroids to fatten them up, this germ is present in the meat and can result in severe nausea, cramping and several other *nasty* side effects if eaten, even after cooking. Poultry spoils easily. Thaw your bird in the 'fridge and allow several days for this to happen. In a *crunch* you can thaw it safely by filling your kitchen sink with cold water, placing the turkey in the water ( still in the bag ) and change the water about every 3 or 4 hours to make sure it stays cold. You can thaw a 14 pound frozen turkey this way in about 12 hours or so. One good way is to wrap your turkey in newspaper and place it into a portable cooler...the one you use for drinks during the summer or for camping purposes. Be sure and put a couple of bags of ice into the cooler to maintain temperature while your bird thaws. I put my cooler out on the back patio and allow 2 days or so for thawing, changing the ice when it turns to water. Thawing a turkey in a microwave oven is NOT suggested. When cooked, the bird gets this odd greyish color that is not very appealing. ok, so now you made your decision, shopped carefully, thawed it safely, and now you are ready to Do The Deed. Stuffing or not stuffing the bird is a personal choice, but my family and friends would stare at me with grim faces if there was no stuffing in the bird when it came to the table. Make your stuffing of choice first, and have it ready to put into the bird just before popping it into the oven. Meat, vs brea, vs cornbread vs oysters vs *whatever* is a matter of personal preference as far as stuffing is concerned. I admit to being a Basic Stuffing person, and do not like all sorts of wierd things like apples or nuts in turkey dressing/stuffing. Here is my Basic Recipe whach has been in my family for who knows how long. Feel free to add anything that appeals to you, but keep in mind that most Men really like the Basic Bread thing. How much stuffing you make depends on bird size and if you intend to cook it inside the bird or in a casserole dish and baste it with drippings. I put mine into the bird. Ama's Stuffing: for a 14 pound turkey (plan on 1/2 pound per person, so a 14 pound turkey should serve 6 easily with some leftovers) 2 onions, chopped Directions: Melt the butter careful not to scorch it. Put one half of the butter liquid in a skillet and add the onions , celery and carrots. Sautee until onions are limp. Add mushrooms and seasonings. Pour over the breadcubes and add the rest of the butter liquid. Pour the very warm stock and the lemon juice over the mixture and use your hands to mix it thoroughly. Add more stock if it seems too dry. Check your stuffing package directions to see how much liquid they suggest and ajust to personal taste. While your veggies are cooking in the butter, open the turkey and dig inside it and remove ALL packets from both cavities. Throw them out, give them to a housepet or use them to make gravy stock, but DO NOT cook them inside the turkey. (Some cooks like to chop them and toss them into the cooking veggies to improve the stuffing) Men in my family like LOTS of gravy with turkey, so I use them in a stock pot which has 2 onions, the rest of the celery bunch, a few carrots, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and the turkey neck cooked like a soup while the bird roasts. This *soup* is strained and used to make gravy after the bird is cooked. Have roaster pan ready and oven pre heated to 300 degrees F. Wash bird thoroughly under cold running water. I use lemon juice poured on a paper towel to rub out the inside cavities of the bird before stuffing it. Salt draws liquid out, so I do not salt the inside of the bird, there is salt in the stuffing and in the butter which seems to be plenty. Form the warm stugging into balls and pack into the turkey cavities. Follow the directions for preparing the bird for roasting included in the turkey bag. After it is stuffed and *trussed* pat the surface areas dry. Place in roasting pan. Use a papertowel dipped in butter or margerine or olive oil and coat the bird. Sprinkle the bird liberally with Paprika. I use small pieces of tinfoil to cover the wingtips to prevent them from drying out. Place bird in oven and allow about 30 minutes per pound for cooking time. Roast until golden brown, basting as necessary. Follow directions for specific cooking times based on size of your bird and the package suggestions offered by the people who packed your turkey. After cooking remove the bird CAREFULLY from the roasting pan and allow the bird to sit for at least 30 minutes before you try and carve it. This allows the meat to *settle* and makes it easier to slice. Drain or pour off all juices that accumulate under the bird while cooling. REMOVE ALL STUFFING!! DO NOT LET STUFFING SIT INSIDE A TURKEY!!! REMEMBER THAT SALMONELLA WARNING!!! Use the drippings to make gravy in whatever way you are most comfy. Anyone reading this unsure of how to make gravy can e mail me for my tips on how to do it. Easiest way: Buy 4 or 5 cans of Swanson® turkey gravy, toss out the empty cans, heat gravy in a large skillet, add some of the drippings and a few shreds of turkey meat. Keep your mouth shut and smile sweetly and say thank you when people rave about your gravy. For additional tips from a 20 year expert in the field, I offer this link. http://www.butterball.com Great ideas on leftovers, cooking tips and lots of pictures! No Fail Fudge ( the Famous Version ) Ingredients: Directions: Butter a 9x18x2-inch pan. Open the chocolate chips and the jar of marshmellow creme. Have the nuts ready with the Vanilla. These ingredients must be added with the cooked mixture as it is removed from the heat. Into a heavy 4-quart pan combine the sugar, butter and evaporated milk. Cook over Medium heat to the softball stage. If you are not familiar with what *softball* means, make sure you have a candy thermometer that indicates the correct temperature. [ Note from Ama: softball means that when you dribble some of the mixture into ice water that you can then put your fingers into the ice water and collect the mixture into a very soft ball...]Stir the mixture constantly while it is cooking with a wooden spoon or spatula constantly, it scorches easily... When it has reached the correct stage (that softball thing, remember??) remove it from the heat Immediately. (No, turning off the electric burner isn't enough, heat remains in the burner... get it away from heat har-ta before it overcooks.) Add the chocolate chips, marshmellow creme, nuts and Vanilla. Stir quickly and vigorously until chocolate is melted and all ingredients are well blended. Dump the mixture into your prepared pan and let it sit for about 2-3 hours before cutting. Take a sharp knife and dip it into HOT water before slicing into the cooled mixture, this will cause the knife to slip through the fudge easily. Use a spatula to remove the pieces if you so choose, or just take the pieces as you want them from the pan. Either way, your family will Love this, your FC will be happy, and if your Master likes chocolate you will no doubt be suitably "rewarded" for your efforts later. Bon Appetite! OVEN CARAMEL CORN Ingredients: 3 3/4 quarts popped corn (not the pre-salted or buttered microwave variety, get the *real* popcorn and follow popping directions) Directions: Pre heat your oven to 200 degrees F Divide popped corn between 2 greased baking pans (9x13x2 is fine) In a saucepan heat the sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt over Medium heat stirring occasionally until bubbly around the edge. Continue to cook stirring constantly to prevent scorching for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the Baking Soda until it is all foamy looking. Pour it over the popped corn, stirring untill the corn is well coated. You can add pecan pieces if you like, or unsalted peanuts for a nice texture and taste variety. Bake this for one hour, stirring about every 15 minutes or so. Makes about 15 cups of caramel corn...enough for 4 little kids, 2 teenagers or 1 Man who really likes caramel corn. (PS... slaves, if your Master likes to munch on popcorn in bed and watch TV, this type of corn is a lot easier to deal with than the salted/buttered/cheesed variety when found in the furs... at least, that is what I have been told... *grins*) With the bounty of the Autumn and the beauties of the Fall Season upon us, let us all take time to think how grateful we are to the sacrifices of so many. Try and think about the hours of toil needed to produce our food, thededication of those who prepare the items and deliver them to our shops and stores, and the patience of those who present it to us in SuperMarkets and convenience stores. We are a fortunate people. I hope this has been helpful for all of you aspiring Holiday Chefs. I wrote this from my own memories and experience so my apologies if something you want to know is not included. Please feel free to e mail me here at the TGV if you have questions. My heartfelt wish for a healthy, safe and Happy Thanksgiving to you all. ~Amaneris~ |
