Recipes by Chef Edward & Chef Lisa & Chefs
Ingredients:
1
1 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. fresh ground Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground White Pepper
6 fresh sprigs of Rosemary,
or 2 Tbsp. Dried Cut Rosemary
3 fresh sprigs of Thyme, or 1 Tbsp. Dried Thyme
Mirepoix; Equal
parts of Carrots. Onions and Celery
1 Bay Leaf 1 Tbsp. Chicken Base + 2 Cups Water (for
gravy) 2 Tbsp. + Cornstarch + 1/3 Cup Water (for
gravy) 3 Tsp. Fresh Parsley (or get the dried parsley out of your spice rack, or click this link) To cook a really good Roasted Turkey
you need to carefully plan out your preparation. First you need to select your perfect Turkey, fresh or
frozen, size matters! When selecting a frozen bird, try to
avoid Turkeys that have additives
or a high water/salt content (also called brine). If cooking for a small group, a 10-12 pound Turkey might be
good for you. When cooking for large groups, a 15-20 lb. Turkey might be a better choice. There is a chart below to help you
correctly defrost the bird in the refrigerator. Do not put the Turkey in your sink and cover it with water, this can grow and spread bacteria, specifically Salmonella. No one likes a stomach ache or worse! If you purchase a fresh bird, it must be refrigerated and cooked within a few days.
Select a large enough Roasting Pan to hold the Turkey. Do not waste hundreds of dollars on a roasting pan, any thick metal roasting pan with handles will work fine. We like our heavy steel or aluminum pans with handles on the sides. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Its a good idea to use an oven thermometer to occasionally check the calibration of your oven (most ovens, even new, are off 25 to 50 degrees). Using a good quality Maple Cutting Board, and a sharp Chef Knife, to rough cut the Carrots, Onions and Celery (Mirepoix). We usually use 3 stalks of Celery, 3 Carrots and a large Onion. Add these to the roasting pan. We use a bench scraper to easily pick up the vegetables and clean off our John Boos Au Jus Carving Board (this might
be the perfect Carving Board, one side has a juice groove, the other is perfectly flat for food preparation, and maple wood naturally kills bacteria)!
Season the Turkey with Salt
& Pepper. Injecting with a brine needle to add spices and flavors is optional. We use a pair of Electric Salt & Pepper Mills, fresh
ground tastes better on everything. After seasoning the bird well with salt and pepper, place it on top of the Carrots, Onions and Celery (Mirepoix). Lift the skin thats on the top of the turkey and put the thyme and rosemary underneath. Do not add water or butter (this is a
myth). Never stuff a Turkey! It is too
large to properly cook the bird and effeciently heat the stuffing. Stuffing should be cooked in a separate pan (it only takes about 45 min. to cook stuffing (recipe
below). Place the Turkey in the oven,
right in the center. Roast for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees
F. and cook until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
We use a Digital Oven Thermometer for precise
roasting results. You can also us a standard dial thermometer or a digital pocket thermometer to check the thickest part of the breast. When the Turkey is done
roasting, remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before carving. Click Here to see a Perfectly Roasted Turkey.
The pan dripping and the Carrots, Onions and Celery (Mirepoix)
should be added to a saucepan and simmered with 2 Cups of
Chicken Stock with the bay leaf for 15 minutes, strained and then thickened
with the cornstarch and water mixture for a tasty gravy. Carving a Turkey; You will
need a sharp Carving Knife and Carving Fork, and a Carving Board
. With the larger part of the Turkey facing you, carefully slice off the entire
breasts, lay them on the carving board, remove the legs and thighs, there is a
joint to separate them in the middle, pull off the wings, slice the breasts
across (like carving a tenderloin), lay the thigh meat and legs and wings on
each side of your serving platter! Garnish with parsley! Enjoy!
With practice, your Turkey will look like this one - click here...
Stuffing Ingredients:
1 Large Loaf of Bread,
4 pc. Celery
Stalks
3 lg. Carrots
1 lg. Onion
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 C. Chicken Stock
2 Lg. Eggs
1 Tbsp. Rubbed Sage
1 Tbsp. Dried Parsley
Sea Salt & White Pepper, to taste
Cut the bread into a large dice, place
in a stainless steel mixing bowl. Cut the vegetables into a small dice. Heat a large Frying Pan and add the oil, when its hot, add the vegetables and saute until light brown, add the chicken stock and simmer for a minute.
Pour over the bread, add the eggs,
season with the herbs, salt & pepper, and mix well using your hands, some cooks prefer to
use latex gloves. Grease a small baking pan and
press the stuffing firmly into the pan, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F. for 30-45 min.
Chefs Note: This is a simple recipe for roasting a
turkey! Practice makes perfect with everything you cook. We usually use the leftover turkey for a pasta dish. Check the site, there are more Great Turkey recipes. Some of the bones get used for turkey stock and Turkey Barley Soup. Our Fresh ground Cinnamon, Whole Nutmeg, chopped, dried and minced Garlic or
Sun Dried Tomato Powder, CousCous and Beet Powder can add a few new
flavors to your meals, spice up your next meal! Great additions to pasta, saves time, and its always in the
cabinet!