Different Ways to Flavor the Bird

For the "Perfect Thanksgiving," the perfect turkey is key. For many Americans, preparing this bird creates a lot of anxiety and emergency calls to mom or grandma or the annual butterball hot line.

So in The Early Show series with Williams-Sonoma, cookbook author and teacher Tori Ritchie has some really easy ways to prep your bird so you get a lot of flavor without too much elbow grease.

Buying A Turkey:
Ritchie suggests buying a fresh turkey rather than a frozen one. Not just for taste. You also avoid having to thaw the bird over a number of days. Just consider that a frozen turkey weighing between eight and 12 pounds requires two to three days in the fridge to fully thaw.

And when determining the size you need to buy, you should allot approximately a pound per person.

General Roasting Instructions:
Start in a hot oven (400-425°) breast side up for about 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 350/325° and roast 2-1/2 to 3 hours more (for a 12 to 16 pound turkey) until breast is 165° and thigh is 175°. Let turkey rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving. Tent the turkey while it's resting so that the juices can saturate the bird.

Infusing Flavor:
Ritchie has three easy ways.

1. Brined Method: this old-fashioned technique has gained popularity in recent years because it adds such deep flavor. People believe it firms up the turkey breasts resulting in a more flavorful bird. There are many recipes for brines, but all must contain salt and sugar. The remaining ingredients can be simple pantry items.

   You will need 10 to 12 hours (or more), a container large enough to hold your turkey and enough brine to cover it, salt, water, seasonings and enough room to refrigerate it all. You CANNOT brine a turkey at room temperature. A good container would be a large stock pot or even a five gallon, clean plastic bucket. You can also buy a brining bag, which makes the technique much simpler. When you are ready to start cooking your turkey, remove it from the brine and rinse it off in the sink with cold water until all traces of salt are off the surface. Safely discard the brine and cook your turkey as normal.

2. Injector Method: You may have seen these tools at your local culinary supply store. They look like a syringe you'd see at a doctor's office, but without that super-sharp needle. It works very much in the similar way. You fill the injector with your flavor ingredients into key points of your turkey. Ritchie says this will result in maximum moistness and tenderness.
3. Flavored Butter Method: Rubbing butter inside and all over the outside of the bird, especially underneath the skin over the breast meat, keeps meat moist, helps make the skin golden brown, and adds rich flavor to pan juices. Mixing the butter with herbs and spices adds extra flavor.

Roasted Turkey with Herb Butter

Ingredients:

1 fresh turkey, about 16 lb., neck, heart
and gizzard removed (reserved, if desired)
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 Tbs. Williams-Sonoma Turkey Herbs
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 Tbs. Marsala

Method:

1. Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
2. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400ºF.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter, herbs, salt, pepper and Marsala until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
4. Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off and discard excess fat.
5. Gently slide your fingers under the breast to loosen the skin and work your fingers down to the thigh, being careful not to tear the skin. Spread one-third of the butter mixture evenly under the skin. Spread one-third of the mixture inside the body cavity, then spread the remaining mixture evenly on the outside of the turkey. Truss the turkey as desired using kitchen twine.
6. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan and roast for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325ºF and continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes with any pan juices. After about 2 1/2 hours of total roasting time, begin testing for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and thigh, away from the bone. The breast should register 165°F and the thigh, 175°F. If the breast begins to cook too quickly, tent it loosely with aluminum foil. Total roasting time should be 3 to 3 3/4 hours.
7. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for about 20 minutes before carving.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Sage-Rubbed Turkey

For a moist, flavorful bird, always start with a fresh free-range turkey. When you carve the bird, arrange the white and dark meat separately so that guests will easily be able to find the cut they prefer at the buffet.

For the sage rub:

2 Tbs. coarse salt
2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. ground sage
2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
4 garlic cloves, chopped
Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 turkey, about 12 lb., rinsed inside and out
and patted dry with paper towels
1 recipe bread and sausage stuffing
(see related recipe at right)
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method:

1. To make the sage rub, in a spice grinder, combine the salt, pepper, ground sage, chopped sage, garlic and lemon zest and grind until fine. Rub the sage mixture evenly over the skin and inside the neck and body cavities of the turkey. Place the bird on a baking sheet, cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
2. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator about 1 hour before roasting it. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 425°F.
3. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Loosely stuff the neck and body cavities with the bread and sausage stuffing. Tuck the turkey's wings under to secure the neck skin, then loosely tie the legs together with kitchen string. Scatter the carrot, celery and onion pieces in a large, heavy roasting pan and add the wine. Place the bird, breast side up, on the vegetables.
4. Roast the turkey for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and continue roasting, basting with the pan juices every 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone, registers 175°F, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Transfer the turkey to a carving board and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
5. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the stock until simmering. Pour the juices from the roasting pan into a heatproof measuring pitcher. Skim off 3 Tbs. of the fat and return it to the roasting pan. Skim off and discard the remaining fat from the juices and pour the juices into the simmering stock. Place the roasting pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour while stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Add the hot stock in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly to break up any lumps that form. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a warmed bowl for passing at the table.
6. Remove the trussing string from the turkey. Scoop the stuffing out of the cavities into a warmed large serving bowl. Carve the turkey and arrange the pieces on a warmed platter. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma, Entertaining, by George Dolese (Oxmoor House, 2004).

Thursday, Ritchie will show easy, portable desserts you can bring to a Thanksgiving dinner.