If you can afford to spend a few more cents per pound. I recommend buying a fresh turkey. We have always bought it fresh with great success and yes, it makes a difference. We also brine the bird starting the night before it is cook.
To brine the turkey:
After removing the giblets, wash the turkey and place it in a gallon of water with 1 cup kosher salt, (sal gorda). If you need to add an additional gallon of water to cover the turkey, then you add 1/2 cup salt. We place the bird in a 2 gallon container with the brine (these containers are easy to find in home improvement stores in the paint and tile section) and weigh it down to keep it submerged overnight in a cool place.
Stuffing:
There are many recipes for the stuffing/dressing. I am going to use my husband's grandmother's very traditional recipe that can be multiplied to serve more people..
4 Cups Fresh Bread Cubes
1 Cup Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Chopped Celery
1/2 Teaspoon Powdered Sage
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1-2 Cups Chicken Broth
Butter
Cook the onions and the celery in butter for 5 minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients. The miixture should be moist. Stuff the inside of the turkey with the mixture after the turkey has roasted for about an hour. More stuffing can be finished in a separate pan in the oven.
To roast the turkey:
Rinse the turkey and pat dry after you have taken it out of the brine. Rub it with butter to cover the whole bird and put it in a roasting pan in a preheated oven at 325 degrees to roast 20 minutes per pound.
Baste every half hour and if you see it getting brown cover with aluminum foil. Yesterday a friend, Kathy, gave us a new way to roast the turkey inside a brown paper bag.
Cranberry Sauce:
1 Pound Cranberries
2 - 3 Cups Orange Juice
1/2 Cup Sugar
In a pan place the orange juice, the cranberries (they are bitter) and the sugar. Cook and let it reduce until the cranberries are open. Taste for a balance in bitterness and sweetness.
Mashed Potatoes:
1 Garlic Head
12 Medium Potatoes
Salt
Cream
Butter to Brown the Top
Peel and cut the potatoes (Yellow Yukon Gold) and boil them with a head of garlic until tender,when done, strain any excess liquid. Then mash the potatoes and garlic with a masher and add cream until they are smooth and velvety. Put the mashed potatoes in a pan with slices of butter and place under the broiler until the top gets to be a golden color.
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| Turkey with all the fixings gravy, squash, garlic potatoes, chestnuts and cranberry sauce |
To brine the turkey:
After removing the giblets, wash the turkey and place it in a gallon of water with 1 cup kosher salt, (sal gorda). If you need to add an additional gallon of water to cover the turkey, then you add 1/2 cup salt. We place the bird in a 2 gallon container with the brine (these containers are easy to find in home improvement stores in the paint and tile section) and weigh it down to keep it submerged overnight in a cool place.
Stuffing:
There are many recipes for the stuffing/dressing. I am going to use my husband's grandmother's very traditional recipe that can be multiplied to serve more people..
4 Cups Fresh Bread Cubes
1 Cup Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Chopped Celery
1/2 Teaspoon Powdered Sage
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1-2 Cups Chicken Broth
Butter
Cook the onions and the celery in butter for 5 minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients. The miixture should be moist. Stuff the inside of the turkey with the mixture after the turkey has roasted for about an hour. More stuffing can be finished in a separate pan in the oven.
To roast the turkey:
Rinse the turkey and pat dry after you have taken it out of the brine. Rub it with butter to cover the whole bird and put it in a roasting pan in a preheated oven at 325 degrees to roast 20 minutes per pound.
Baste every half hour and if you see it getting brown cover with aluminum foil. Yesterday a friend, Kathy, gave us a new way to roast the turkey inside a brown paper bag.
Cranberry Sauce:
1 Pound Cranberries
2 - 3 Cups Orange Juice
1/2 Cup Sugar
In a pan place the orange juice, the cranberries (they are bitter) and the sugar. Cook and let it reduce until the cranberries are open. Taste for a balance in bitterness and sweetness.
Mashed Potatoes:
1 Garlic Head
12 Medium Potatoes
Salt
Cream
Butter to Brown the Top
Peel and cut the potatoes (Yellow Yukon Gold) and boil them with a head of garlic until tender,when done, strain any excess liquid. Then mash the potatoes and garlic with a masher and add cream until they are smooth and velvety. Put the mashed potatoes in a pan with slices of butter and place under the broiler until the top gets to be a golden color.
We have a seven lb breast to brine even though we had to cancel our dinner party. Austin is still going for it!
ReplyDeleteWe have being brining a fresh bird for the last few years and it makes a difference, go for it.! Put it to brine for 12 hours the night before, no more than 24 for a 16 pound.
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