The most insane Turkey recipe ever.
November 24, 2009 10:36 PM   Subscribe

I'm searching for an completely insane recipe for a "blackened" roasted turkey that David Rosengarten prepared on his old Food Network show, "Taste".

Back in the early to mid 90s (when the Food Network had programs that were actually worth watching), the loveably snooty David Rosengarten had an awesome show called "Taste", where he would discuss one selected food item in excruciating and fascinating detail every week.

One one show, he demonstrated how to make a crazy Roasted Turkey recipe which required 30 or 40 steps to prepare. The culmination of the recipe, as I recall, was covering the whole bird with some sort of substance that caused the outer crust of the turkey to turn completely black.

The only other detail I remember is that the premise of the show was that the recipe was published by a newspaper or magazine writer many, many years ago, and that the pure insanity of the recipe had become an near urban legend that David Rosengarten sought to actually try out for himself to see if it was for real.

What's the name of this Turkey dish? (and an extra gold star if you can tell me where I can watch old episodes of "Taste" online)
posted by melorama to Food & Drink (4 answers total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: This is long as hell, but here it is:

Thompson's Turkey

Recipe By : David Rosengarten
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Main Dish Poultry
Turkey

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 Turkey - (18 to 22 lbs) -- giblets and fat
removed and reserved, rinsed, patted dry
Oil -- to taste
Salt -- to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste
=== FOR THE GRAVY ===
Giblets (neck, liver and heart)
4 cups Water
1 Bay leaf
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Ground coriander
1 Garlic clove
Salt -- to taste
=== FOR THE DRESSING ===
== Bowl # 1 ==
1 Apple -- peeled, cored,
and diced
1 Orange -- peeled, diced
1 can Crushed pineapple - (20 oz)
Grated rind of 1/2 lemon
1 can Water chestnuts - (10 oz) -- drained
3 tablespoons Chopped preserved ginger
== Bowl # 2 ==
2 teaspoons Colman's mustard
2 teaspoons Caraway seed
1 tablespoon Celery seed
2 teaspoons Poppy seed
2 1/2 tablespoons Minced fresh oregano leaves
1 large Bay leaf -- crushed
1 teaspoon Freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Mace
1/4 cup Minced parsley
4 Garlic cloves -- minced
4 Whole cloves -- minus the heads,
well chopped
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
4 large Onions -- medium chopped
6 Celery stalks -- medium chopped
1 tablespoon Minced fresh marjoram leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons Fresh savory, preferably summer
1 tablespoon Minced fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon Minced fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon Salt
== Bowl # 3 ==
1 1/2 pounds Fresh bread crumbs
3/4 pound Ground veal
1/4 pound Ground fresh pork
1/4 pound Butter
=== FOR THE PASTE ===
12 Egg yolks
2 tablespoons Colman's mustard
6 Garlic cloves -- minced
6 tablespoons Onion juice
1 tablespoon Salt
3/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper -- or to taste
2 tablespoons Lemon juice
1 cup Sifted all-purpose flour
(or enough to make a paste)
3 cups Cider
1 cup Water

Preheat oven to 500 degrees or as high as it will go -- for at least 1 hour.
Chop fine the reserved turkey fat. In a small saucepan set over moderate heat combine the reserved fat with 1/2 cup of the water, bring to a boil and simmer until all the water has evaporated and only clear fat and small pieces of solid remain. Reserve fat for stuffing.
Season the inside of the turkey with salt and pepper. Rub the skin all over with the oil and season with salt and pepper.
Make the gravy: In a saucepan set over moderate heat combine ingredients for the gravy, bring to a boil and simmer while preparing the dressing.
Make the dressing: Prepare and combine ingredients in bowl no. 1; prepare and combine ingredients from bowl no. 2; and prepare and combine ingredients from bowl no. 3. In a large bowl combine ingredients from all three bowls. Mix it well. "Mix it with your hands. Mix it until your forearms and wrists ache. Then mix it some more. Now toss it enough so that it isn't any longer a doughy mass."
Loosely stuff the turkey. Stuff the neck cavity and sew closed the openings. Tie legs together.
Make the paste: Combine all ingredients for paste in a bowl, adding enough flour to form a thick paste.
Arrange turkey breast-side down on a rack wrapped in foil sitting in a shallow roasting pan. Brush foil with oil.
Put the turkey in the oven and roast it for 15 minutes, or until browned. Turn it breast-side up and roast for 15 minutes more. With a pastry or paint brush coat the turkey completely with the paste -- in every nook and cranny. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
To simmering gravy add cider and water. Remove from heat but keep warm on top of stove. (This is your basting liquid.) Roast the bird, basting it frequently, (the original recipe says every 15 minutes) for 4 1/2 to 5 hours, or until an instant meat thermometer reads 180 to 185 degrees in the thigh; 170 degrees in the breast and 160 degrees in the stuffing.
Let rest 15 to 20 minutes, before peeling away crust.
This recipe yields ?? servings.

Recipe Source:
TASTE with David Rosengarten
From the TV FOOD NETWORK - (Show # TS-1G25 broadcast 11-22-1997)

(found here.
posted by srrh at 10:50 PM on November 24, 2009 [6 favorites]


Best answer: I found this description interesting.
posted by ZeroDivides at 11:28 PM on November 24, 2009


That sounds like a slightly modified version of the classic (for the Internet, anyhow) Black Turkey recipe. I've used this recipe many times, and it's wonderful. The recipe is a lot of fun, too, since it tells you what you should be drinking while cooking.
posted by cerebus19 at 5:02 AM on November 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I can't find the original Morton Thompson piece--which appears in his collection Joe, The Wounded Tennis Player--on the Interwebs, and I don't think I have JtWTP anymore, but Richard Gehman's very funny retelling of the Thompson Turkey recipe is given here.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:00 AM on November 25, 2009


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