All About Turkey Recipe

Ingredients

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• Brining the turkey shopping list
• by Patricia Mitchell shopping list
• The jury is in, and food authorities agree that the average supermarket turkey will benefit from a leisurely soak in brine, a simple saltwater solution. Brined turkeys that are not self-basting (more about that later) are moister, better flavored and have a crisper skin than turkeys straight from the store. The process is simple, with only three major elements to keep in mind: shopping list
• Brine formula shopping list
• Time shopping list
• Temperature shopping list
• Brine formula shopping list
• For a long soak (overnight, or 12 to no more than 14 hours), use 1/2 cup table salt for each gallon of cold water. For a 4- to 6-hour soak, double the amount of salt; that is, 1 cup table salt for each gallon of cold water. shopping list
• Time shopping list
• Following the long or short soak, whichever works better for you, allow enough time for your bird to soak, drain and "breathe" a bit before readying it for roasting shopping list
• Temperature shopping list
• It is essential that the bird be kept at a temperature of less than 40F degrees during the brining process. If you have a container large enough to accommodate your turkey that will fit in your refrigerator (and if there is enough room), the logistics are easy. If refrigerator space is at a premium, however, you may use an ordinary cooler or plastic tub with enough ice packs or sealed bags of ice to keep the temperature low. shopping list
• More brining tips: shopping list
• The turkey must be completely submerged in the brine. Most turkeys will require at least 2 gallons of brine, and larger turkeys may need 3 gallons. shopping list
• Make sure the salt has dissolved completely before adding the turkey. shopping list
• Use a sealed container of water or bag of ice to weigh down the turkey and prevent it from surfacing. shopping list
• Rinse the brined turkey inside and out with water, dry with paper towels and prepare according to your usual method. (See our article on how to make a turkey dinner for complete instructions.) shopping list
• You're probably asking yourself why commercial turkeys aren't brined in the first place. Good question. If turkey processors brined their birds prior to sale, turkeys would no doubt cost a great deal more because of the time involved. Just multiply the simple brining process by millions of commercially-sold turkeys, and you get an idea of the additional time and effort that would be required. Instead, many turkey processors "pre-baste" birds in an attempt to accomplish the same thing. All manner of ingredients, including turkey broth, salt, oils and artificial flavors and colors, are quickly injected into each turkey, with varying results. For this reason, self-basting turkeys should not be brined. The result will be too salty. shopping list
• The shopper has many turkey choices beyond self-basting these days. There are fresh turkeys (both frozen and unfrozen), natural turkeys (usually organic and minimally processed), and kosher turkeys (also minimally processed). shopping list
• It probably goes without saying that brining works just as well for chicken as it does for turkeys, but I will mention it just so you know. shopping list
• Using kosher salt shopping list
• kosher salt flaky in texture, less dense than table salt and varies according to which brand you use. Therefore, you must use more of it. For Morton kosher salt use 1-1/2 cups for 1 cup of table salt. For Diamond Crystal kosher salt, use 2 cups for 1 cup of table salt. shopping list
• If you brine your turkey this year, I think you will brine your turkeys forever after. Brining makes a real difference that you and those around your holiday table will appreciate, and if you are striving for the perfect turkey this year, then brining is for you. shopping list
• Talkin' turkey shopping list
• by John Raven, Ph.B. shopping list
• Here we are at the beginning of the holiday season. Time to haul out the roasting pans, turkey fryers and smokers. shopping list
• roasting and brining the bird shopping list
• Theres not a lot of new information on the traditional method of cooking the turkey. The only thing that might be interesting is to try "brining" your bird. This is nothing more complicated than soaking the bird overnight in salt water in the icebox. You need a container large enough to hold the bird submerged in water, and youll need room enough in the icebox for it to set overnight. shopping list
• The brine is composed of one cup of salt per one gallon of water. Ordinary table salt is fine. Make sure your turkey is completely thawed before you start the process, remove the giblets, and give it a good washing inside and out before you put it in the brine. shopping list
• When you remove it from the brine, rinse well in cold water and pat dry before roasting it as usual. The brine process is said to make for a moister, more flavorful bird with a firmer breast. shopping list
• Frying a turkey shopping list
• Deep-frying turkeys has become very popular over the past years. Nearly every hardware or home store has a batch of fryers on display. Buying a turkey fryer is like buying anything else: You get what you pay for. You want a fryer with at least a 28-quart cooking pot. It needs a large burner to heat the oil quickly. Look for workmanship on the product and brand names. shopping list
• With the fryer, you need a device for holding the turkey while you are moving it into and out of the hot oil. You cant do it with a pair of tongs or a fork. The device that goes through the cavity of the bird and has a removable retainer on the bottom works best. In a pinch, a large frying basket will do. shopping list
• There's a case to be made for "injecting" the turkey; that is, using a large hypodermic needle to inject spices under the skin of the bird before its cooked. Note: Thats under the skin -- not in the meat. Just pinch up a fold of skin so the needle goes between the skin and the flesh. You can find injectors at most kitchen or restaurant supply stores. Or the fryer you buy might include one. The seasoning you use is up to you. shopping list
• You DO NOT brine a turkey before frying. There will be excess water, and it will make a big mess when it hits the hot oil. shopping list
• The oil of choice for frying turkeys is peanut oil. peanut oil will not smoke at high temperature, as other oils will. I recently priced peanut oil at about seven dollars a gallon. If you have the minimum size pot (28 quart) you will need about five gallons of peanut or other oil. shopping list
• You want to keep the level of the oil at least four inches below the top of the pot. Six inches would be better. The oil will bubble up when the turkey goes in, and you do not want the oil to spill over the top of the pot onto the burner. shopping list
• When you get ready to do the frying, you want your cooking pot to be OUTSIDE. Outside as in out of the house. Never try frying a turkey inside a building unless you want to see fire trucks up close and personal. shopping list
• The turkey is patted as dry as possible with paper towels before frying. season the turkey inside and out with your favorite spices. If the turkey has one of those pop up things, get rid of it. It could cause an unusual taste if it gets too hot. Make sure the openings at the front and rear of the bird are open so the oil can get inside and drain out when its done. Use a thermometer and heat the oil to 400 degrees. Use a thermometer; dont guess at it. A candy thermometer will work just fine. shopping list
• Now that you have a dry turkey mounted on the dipping apparatus and the oil is the correct temperature, cut off the burner. Get an assistant to help you dip just the bottom part of the bird in the hot oil. The oil is going to sputter and bubble. Raise the bird and let the oil settle down. Dip the bird a little farther again raising and letting the oil quiet down. Do this until you have completely submerged the bird and the oil is not acting up too bad. shopping list
• Now you relight the burner. If the temperature has dropped below 350 degrees, turn the burner on "High" until the oil comes up to 350 to 365 degrees, then cut the burner back to maintain the cooking temperature. shopping list
• Cooking time for the turkey is 3-1/2 minutes per pound. A 15-pound turkey will be done in 52.5 minutes if I have the math correct. You dont want to try to fry a turkey larger than 15 pounds. Ten to 12 pounds is ideal. If you need a lot of turkey, fry two or three. Trust me. shopping list
• When you are ready to remove the turkey from the oil, cut the burner off. If you drip oil on the hot burner it WILL CATCH FIRE. Again, trust me. It wouldnt hurt a thing to have a good fire extinguisher on hand in case something goes amiss. shopping list
• I cant stress this enough, but again, be careful! You are dealing with oil twice as hot as boiling water. Keep the kids and clumsy adults way away from the cooker. Keep the pets away. Use good common sense and youll have a great fried turkey. shopping list
• smoked turkey shopping list
• smoked turkey is about as good as it gets. There are just a couple of things to pay attention to. You want indirect heat at about 250 degrees. For smoke flavor, oak is hard to beat. For something a little sharper, mesquite or hickory. Some prefer mild pecan or fruitwood, apple, pear, etc. shopping list
• Make sure the bird is completely thawed before starting the cooking process. Wash him real good inside and out with cool water. Pat him dry with paper towels. Add your favorite seasoning inside and out. Its not a good idea to try to stuff a smoked turkey. At the low temperature, it takes too long for the stuffing to come up to the 140-degree safe temperature. You can put a peeled apple or a big onion in the body cavity to promote moisture and flavor. Make sure the neck opening and the rear opening are not blocked so that the heat can enter the bird. shopping list
• The bird will need occasional basting with an oil based baste. Just plain old Italian dressing is hard to beat. shopping list
• You can start checking for doneness after about five hours. Use a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh. You need 160 degrees there. shopping list
• There we have it. Everything you need to know to have the best roasted, fried and smoked turkeys on your block this holiday season. shopping list