best fancy turkey recipes
November 16, 2021 5:38 AM Subscribe
U.S. Thanksgiving is coming up and I seek your showstopper turkey recipes.
For Thanksgiving proper, the menu is pretty set and staid - we do everyone's favorites, and between likes and dislikes and food allergies and aversions and if we don't have X it's not Thanksgiving for someone etc, which is fine, this are pretty well the same from year to year. As the orchestrator of Thanksgiving in my family, I'm happy to make everyone happy.
But! We're doing Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving with my cousin, and this is my chance to make... exciting food. Food with spice. Food that says "Thanksgiving" without necessarily being traditional. Something that is not the same menu I've been cooking for a decade (okay, so not my only chance a year, we also did Thanksgiving with my cousin in June because why not, but you get the point). The only limitation for me is that for it to be Thanksgiving, the main dish has to be turkey (the three of us have allergies and such, but nothing I can't work around other than I don't drink so recipes that heavily rely on alcohol are out; I know it burns off but the smell gets me). Otherwise, it doesn't have to be traditional at all, just super tasty. Last year for Covid Thanksgiving my wife and I did Turkey Cordon Bleu Stuffed with Ham, Roasted Green Chiles and Brie and it was phenomenal.
TL;dr: I'd appreciate your suggestions for showstopper turkey entrees. I live in a mid-sized city with access to pretty much any ingredients I might need and we have no food issues I can't work around except for recipes that depend heavily on alcohol. Thank you!
(I think I have sides on lock, but if you have a showstopper side, I'm all ears too.)
For Thanksgiving proper, the menu is pretty set and staid - we do everyone's favorites, and between likes and dislikes and food allergies and aversions and if we don't have X it's not Thanksgiving for someone etc, which is fine, this are pretty well the same from year to year. As the orchestrator of Thanksgiving in my family, I'm happy to make everyone happy.
But! We're doing Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving with my cousin, and this is my chance to make... exciting food. Food with spice. Food that says "Thanksgiving" without necessarily being traditional. Something that is not the same menu I've been cooking for a decade (okay, so not my only chance a year, we also did Thanksgiving with my cousin in June because why not, but you get the point). The only limitation for me is that for it to be Thanksgiving, the main dish has to be turkey (the three of us have allergies and such, but nothing I can't work around other than I don't drink so recipes that heavily rely on alcohol are out; I know it burns off but the smell gets me). Otherwise, it doesn't have to be traditional at all, just super tasty. Last year for Covid Thanksgiving my wife and I did Turkey Cordon Bleu Stuffed with Ham, Roasted Green Chiles and Brie and it was phenomenal.
TL;dr: I'd appreciate your suggestions for showstopper turkey entrees. I live in a mid-sized city with access to pretty much any ingredients I might need and we have no food issues I can't work around except for recipes that depend heavily on alcohol. Thank you!
(I think I have sides on lock, but if you have a showstopper side, I'm all ears too.)
The best "simple" turkey recipe I've done is a smoked turkey, generally following this method. Two big advantages here - smoking meat is obviously excellent, and it frees up the oven for other stuff.
However, the thing that gets devoured every year - turkey sausage. I follow Ruhlmann's method in Charcuterie, sometimes replacing the dried cherries with dried cranberries. If you don't want to invest in a way to stuff sausages, then you could galantine it - starting with a whole bird, carefully remove the skin in one piece, and then take the farce and roll it in the skin. Tie it in to a log, and then the whole cylinder can be roasted or poached.
posted by backseatpilot at 6:28 AM on November 16, 2021
However, the thing that gets devoured every year - turkey sausage. I follow Ruhlmann's method in Charcuterie, sometimes replacing the dried cherries with dried cranberries. If you don't want to invest in a way to stuff sausages, then you could galantine it - starting with a whole bird, carefully remove the skin in one piece, and then take the farce and roll it in the skin. Tie it in to a log, and then the whole cylinder can be roasted or poached.
posted by backseatpilot at 6:28 AM on November 16, 2021
Please, please, PLEASE make the “Black Turkey” and report back!
posted by cakelite at 6:45 AM on November 16, 2021
posted by cakelite at 6:45 AM on November 16, 2021
WaPo recently put out some showstopping recipes. I really liked both turkey recipes they had. I thought the braised turkey thighs in cider would be great and a little non traditional.
posted by inevitability at 6:48 AM on November 16, 2021
posted by inevitability at 6:48 AM on November 16, 2021
My SiL suggested that we (the hosts) grill our turkey this year, because it frees up the oven for more and better side dishes. Perhaps this is a way to make your meal different, by doing fancier or more varied side dishes, even though you still serve a bird?
I have never done it this way, nor talked to anyone who has. (Example recipe grabbed from Google here.) So I would love to hear from anyone with firsthand experience!
posted by wenestvedt at 6:59 AM on November 16, 2021
I have never done it this way, nor talked to anyone who has. (Example recipe grabbed from Google here.) So I would love to hear from anyone with firsthand experience!
posted by wenestvedt at 6:59 AM on November 16, 2021
I don't have a recipe, since I've never done it, but my brother-in-law does fried turkey and it is super delicious. It involves an outdoor setup - burner, propane, and a truly obnoxious quantity of peanut oil, and you MUST make sure the bird is at room temp to avoid blowing the whole thing up when cold flesh meets hot oil. It cooks in 45 minutes or so, which is pretty cool. Looking online, there are a bunch of videos and an Alton Brown food network recipe in the top search results, look for something originating in Louisiana or Texas and you're good.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 7:12 AM on November 16, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Lawn Beaver at 7:12 AM on November 16, 2021 [2 favorites]
I am thinking of spatchcocking our turkey and doing this Pavo al Pastor version. Video of recipe including some side dish ideas.
posted by wwax at 7:30 AM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by wwax at 7:30 AM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
Smitten Kitchen's turkey isn't super fancy (or hard at all) but it just looks so gorgeous. We made it the last 2 years in a row and it's delicious.
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:53 AM on November 16, 2021
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:53 AM on November 16, 2021
You'll get the most evenly cooked turkey by spatchcocking, but you'll lose the traditional presentation of the intact bird if you do. One suggestion is to let it cool only enough to handle the carving, then carve and plate it directly or present the carved pieces on a serving platter. You have to work fast, though, because it does get cold quickly.
You'll get the best browning and pretty even cooking if you roast at high heat with the bird on its side, basting and flipping onto opposite sides every 20 minutes.
Between the two I liked the latter method better despite the difficulty (and, TBH, comedy) of flipping a hot bird, but I also hate poultry and resent being pressured into cooking it, so I don't know what my opinion is worth.
posted by fedward at 8:00 AM on November 16, 2021
You'll get the best browning and pretty even cooking if you roast at high heat with the bird on its side, basting and flipping onto opposite sides every 20 minutes.
Between the two I liked the latter method better despite the difficulty (and, TBH, comedy) of flipping a hot bird, but I also hate poultry and resent being pressured into cooking it, so I don't know what my opinion is worth.
posted by fedward at 8:00 AM on November 16, 2021
Functional link to the black turkey cakelite mentioned above.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:29 AM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:29 AM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
We have done multiple simultaneous deep-fried turkeys on Boy Scout campouts, but we also had a culinary school chef-instructor there to help, soooo.... *shrug* Depends on your level of confidence, I think.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:46 AM on November 16, 2021
posted by wenestvedt at 8:46 AM on November 16, 2021
We always brine and smoke our turkey, tasty but pretty simple. I just came across this Puerto Rican style turkey and it sounds amazing.
posted by brilliantine at 9:20 AM on November 16, 2021
posted by brilliantine at 9:20 AM on November 16, 2021
I am not a fan of turkey in any form, but I will eat turkey tonnato and turkey saltimbocca. The saltimbocca recipe uses marsala wine, but you can replace that with a mixture of balsamic vinegar and good turkey or chicken broth. I can't tell you the ratios, I usually start with heating a little less than 8 fl oz of broth, and then add a tablespoon of vinegar. When it has simmered for a while, I add more vinegar, salt, pepper and maybe a bit of lemon juice to taste.
posted by mumimor at 10:13 AM on November 16, 2021
posted by mumimor at 10:13 AM on November 16, 2021
I haven't made it but Cook's Illustrated put out a Porchetta-Style Turkey Breast (image) this year.
Porchetta-Style Turkey Breast
SERVES 6 to 8
TIME 3½ hours, plus 8 hours salting
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Turkey porchetta, or turchetta, is a flavor-packed, visually impressive turkey breast preparation that takes its name, shape, and seasonings from the iconic Italian pork roast called porchetta. After deboning a crown roast (better than starting with a boneless turkey breast, since doing the butchery yourself guarantees that the skin and meat are intact), we found it best to toss the breast halves and tenderloins with the herb-spice paste (ground fennel and black peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, salt, and olive oil) in a bowl rather than spread the mixture on one side of the meat. When we wrapped the meat in the skin into a cylinder, the paste was evenly swirled throughout, lending each slice attractive marbling and loads of flavor. Refrigerating the assembled roast for 8 hours (or up to two days) before cooking allowed the salt in the paste to migrate into the meat, seasoning it and helping it retain its juices during cooking. Starting the roast in a low oven and pulling it out 15 degrees shy of the target temperature (160 degrees) meant that carryover cooking could gradually raise its internal temperature so that it didn't overshoot the mark. Salting the exterior of the roast so that it dried out as it rested in the fridge and brushing melted butter (the milk solids in which encouraged browning) over the surface just before cooking led to rich, flavorful color development. Briefly blasting the roast at 500 degrees deepened its color.
GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
¼ cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
¼ cup fresh thyme leaves
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (7- to 8-pound) bone-in turkey breast
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
We prefer a natural turkey breast here; if you're using a self-basting breast (such as Butterball) or kosher breast, omit the 4 teaspoons of salt in the herb paste. This recipe was developed using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt; if you're using Morton Kosher Salt, which is denser, use 1 tablespoon in the herb paste and 1½ teaspoons on the exterior of the roast.
1
INSTRUCTIONS
Grind fennel seeds and peppercorns using spice grinder or mortar and pestle until finely ground. Transfer to food processor and add rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic, and 4 teaspoons salt. Pulse mixture until finely chopped, 15 to 20 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add oil and process until paste forms, 20 to 30 seconds. Cut seven 16-inch lengths and one 30-inch length of kitchen twine and set aside. Measure out 20-inch piece of aluminum foil and crumple into loose ball. Uncrumple foil and place on rimmed baking sheet (crinkled foil will insulate bottom of sheet and minimize smoking during final roasting step). Spray wire rack with vegetable oil spray and place on prepared sheet.
2
To remove back, place turkey breast skin side down on cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut through ribs, following vertical lines of fat where breast meets back, from tapered ends of breast to wing joints (A). Using your hands, bend back away from breast to pop shoulder joints out of sockets (B). Using paring knife, cut through joints between bones to separate back from breast (C).
3
Flip breast skin side up. Starting at tapered side of breast and using your fingers to separate skin from meat, peel skin off breast meat and reserve (D). Using tip of chef's knife or boning knife, cut along rib cage to remove each breast half completely (E). Reserve bones for making stock, or discard. Peel tenderloins from underside of each breast (F) and use knife to remove exposed part of white tendon from each tenderloin.
4
Lay 1 breast half on cutting board, smooth side down and with narrow end pointing toward your knife hand. Holding knife parallel to cutting board, slice into breast starting where breast becomes thicker (about halfway along length). Stop ½ inch from edge of breast (G) and open to create 1 long piece of even thickness. Repeat with remaining breast half. Transfer all meat to large bowl. Add herb paste and massage into meat to coat evenly.
5
Pat exterior of skin dry with paper towels and lay flat, exterior side down, on cutting board with long side running parallel to counter. Remove any loose pieces of fat. Lay 1 breast half on 1 side of skin with butterflied end closest to you. Lay second breast half next to first with butterflied end farthest away from you (H). Spread breast halves slightly apart and lay tenderloins between them with their thin ends overlapping in center (I).
6
Using skin as aid, fold up each breast half over tenderloins so skin meets directly over tenderloins. Slip one 16-inch length of twine under roast about 2 inches from 1 end and tie into simple knot, pinching skin closed as you tighten. Repeat tying at opposite end (J). Tie remaining five 16-inch lengths of twine evenly between 2 end pieces. Trim excess twine.
7
Tie 1 end of 30-inch length of twine onto loop farthest from you. Working toward you, loop twine over top and around each successive strand until you get to bottom of roast (K). Flip roast and continue looping to bottom of roast (L). Flip roast again and tie off where you started. Sprinkle roast evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons salt; place on prepared rack; and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.
8
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Brush roast with melted butter. Cook until thickest part of roast registers 125 degrees, 1½ to 1¾ hours. Remove roast from oven and increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. When oven is up to temperature, remove twine from roast; return roast to oven; and cook until skin is browned and roast registers 145 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes.
9
Transfer roast to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. Slice ½ inch thick and serve.
posted by jocelmeow at 10:34 AM on November 16, 2021 [2 favorites]
Porchetta-Style Turkey Breast
SERVES 6 to 8
TIME 3½ hours, plus 8 hours salting
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Turkey porchetta, or turchetta, is a flavor-packed, visually impressive turkey breast preparation that takes its name, shape, and seasonings from the iconic Italian pork roast called porchetta. After deboning a crown roast (better than starting with a boneless turkey breast, since doing the butchery yourself guarantees that the skin and meat are intact), we found it best to toss the breast halves and tenderloins with the herb-spice paste (ground fennel and black peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, salt, and olive oil) in a bowl rather than spread the mixture on one side of the meat. When we wrapped the meat in the skin into a cylinder, the paste was evenly swirled throughout, lending each slice attractive marbling and loads of flavor. Refrigerating the assembled roast for 8 hours (or up to two days) before cooking allowed the salt in the paste to migrate into the meat, seasoning it and helping it retain its juices during cooking. Starting the roast in a low oven and pulling it out 15 degrees shy of the target temperature (160 degrees) meant that carryover cooking could gradually raise its internal temperature so that it didn't overshoot the mark. Salting the exterior of the roast so that it dried out as it rested in the fridge and brushing melted butter (the milk solids in which encouraged browning) over the surface just before cooking led to rich, flavorful color development. Briefly blasting the roast at 500 degrees deepened its color.
GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
¼ cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
¼ cup fresh thyme leaves
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (7- to 8-pound) bone-in turkey breast
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
We prefer a natural turkey breast here; if you're using a self-basting breast (such as Butterball) or kosher breast, omit the 4 teaspoons of salt in the herb paste. This recipe was developed using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt; if you're using Morton Kosher Salt, which is denser, use 1 tablespoon in the herb paste and 1½ teaspoons on the exterior of the roast.
1
INSTRUCTIONS
Grind fennel seeds and peppercorns using spice grinder or mortar and pestle until finely ground. Transfer to food processor and add rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic, and 4 teaspoons salt. Pulse mixture until finely chopped, 15 to 20 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add oil and process until paste forms, 20 to 30 seconds. Cut seven 16-inch lengths and one 30-inch length of kitchen twine and set aside. Measure out 20-inch piece of aluminum foil and crumple into loose ball. Uncrumple foil and place on rimmed baking sheet (crinkled foil will insulate bottom of sheet and minimize smoking during final roasting step). Spray wire rack with vegetable oil spray and place on prepared sheet.
2
To remove back, place turkey breast skin side down on cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut through ribs, following vertical lines of fat where breast meets back, from tapered ends of breast to wing joints (A). Using your hands, bend back away from breast to pop shoulder joints out of sockets (B). Using paring knife, cut through joints between bones to separate back from breast (C).
3
Flip breast skin side up. Starting at tapered side of breast and using your fingers to separate skin from meat, peel skin off breast meat and reserve (D). Using tip of chef's knife or boning knife, cut along rib cage to remove each breast half completely (E). Reserve bones for making stock, or discard. Peel tenderloins from underside of each breast (F) and use knife to remove exposed part of white tendon from each tenderloin.
4
Lay 1 breast half on cutting board, smooth side down and with narrow end pointing toward your knife hand. Holding knife parallel to cutting board, slice into breast starting where breast becomes thicker (about halfway along length). Stop ½ inch from edge of breast (G) and open to create 1 long piece of even thickness. Repeat with remaining breast half. Transfer all meat to large bowl. Add herb paste and massage into meat to coat evenly.
5
Pat exterior of skin dry with paper towels and lay flat, exterior side down, on cutting board with long side running parallel to counter. Remove any loose pieces of fat. Lay 1 breast half on 1 side of skin with butterflied end closest to you. Lay second breast half next to first with butterflied end farthest away from you (H). Spread breast halves slightly apart and lay tenderloins between them with their thin ends overlapping in center (I).
6
Using skin as aid, fold up each breast half over tenderloins so skin meets directly over tenderloins. Slip one 16-inch length of twine under roast about 2 inches from 1 end and tie into simple knot, pinching skin closed as you tighten. Repeat tying at opposite end (J). Tie remaining five 16-inch lengths of twine evenly between 2 end pieces. Trim excess twine.
7
Tie 1 end of 30-inch length of twine onto loop farthest from you. Working toward you, loop twine over top and around each successive strand until you get to bottom of roast (K). Flip roast and continue looping to bottom of roast (L). Flip roast again and tie off where you started. Sprinkle roast evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons salt; place on prepared rack; and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.
8
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Brush roast with melted butter. Cook until thickest part of roast registers 125 degrees, 1½ to 1¾ hours. Remove roast from oven and increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. When oven is up to temperature, remove twine from roast; return roast to oven; and cook until skin is browned and roast registers 145 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes.
9
Transfer roast to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. Slice ½ inch thick and serve.
posted by jocelmeow at 10:34 AM on November 16, 2021 [2 favorites]
The best turkey we've had was this Tandoori Turkey. Definitely prepare your own spice blends as instructed in the recipe.
posted by metonym at 10:41 AM on November 16, 2021
posted by metonym at 10:41 AM on November 16, 2021
Saw this one on tv the other day which intrigued me… mezcal and maple roasted turkey in cheesecloth !
posted by actionpact at 11:09 AM on November 16, 2021
posted by actionpact at 11:09 AM on November 16, 2021
Brine the heck out of that thing - better than an entire smoked turkey (which is pretty hard to cook - smoked legs or torn to bits first is much easier to smoke) and deep-fried turkey, which I think is just ok. Deep frying really only changes the skin, the inside meat tastes pretty much the same as oven baked.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:24 PM on November 16, 2021
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:24 PM on November 16, 2021
Ordinarily I hate turkey. I dislike it so much that for most of the last decade we cooked a ham or something else for Thanksgiving. For whatever reason we decided to use J Kenji Lopez-Alt's spatchcocked turkey method.
I dreamed about that turkey for weeks afterward. Everyone we served it to said it was the best turkey they'd ever had. I will be making it again this year without question. Hopefully I will never eat turkey again that isn't cooked that way. It's so, so good. However, the initial cuts along the backbone are very difficult to do, or at least they were with my cutco kitchen shears. I wish I had a bone saw like I normally carry hunting to use when field dressing a deer.
Note: I used the recipe from his book The Food Lab, which is likely very similar to this online version.
posted by msbrauer at 1:54 PM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
I dreamed about that turkey for weeks afterward. Everyone we served it to said it was the best turkey they'd ever had. I will be making it again this year without question. Hopefully I will never eat turkey again that isn't cooked that way. It's so, so good. However, the initial cuts along the backbone are very difficult to do, or at least they were with my cutco kitchen shears. I wish I had a bone saw like I normally carry hunting to use when field dressing a deer.
Note: I used the recipe from his book The Food Lab, which is likely very similar to this online version.
posted by msbrauer at 1:54 PM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
Once you know about dry brining, you'll never heave a sloshy bucket of turkey water again.
posted by bink at 5:20 PM on November 16, 2021
posted by bink at 5:20 PM on November 16, 2021
Cakelite, the black turkey from The Haphazard Gourmet was my family's standard turkey for many years of my childhood. It is indeed black, it uses ridiculous amounts of ingredients, it uses every bowl and pan in the house and it takes all day to prepare. There is also an instruction in the recipe to measure an amount of wine and then pour it into the cook. My dad, who never cooked anything all year became the master chef of the black turkey. He had jobs for all 7 kids and it was still a lot of work. I vaguely remember the turkey tasting delicious but we kids preferred the brand new Stovetop stuffing mix rather than the elaborate soggy stuffing from the turkey.
posted by CathyG at 10:47 PM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by CathyG at 10:47 PM on November 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
My standard is to dismember the bird on the morning of the day before. I'll smoke the boneless breasts and bone-in thigh/legs (rub of salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, onion powder, and thyme) with apple wood on the day of. Back to the day before, the carcass goes in the largest stock pot I have, so the next day, the stuffing and the gravy are made with proper turkey stock.
You don't end up with a glorious bird, but it's a lot easier to carve. I slice the breasts, arranged in the center of the platter, with the dark meat around it, garnished with whatever looks nice (probably going with sauteed mushrooms this year).
I have made the Ruhlman sausages, and they are really good, though a little on the sweet side.
Not particularly a day of thing, but this thread just gave me the inspiration for how I'll be dealing with leftovers this year: tacos.
Cranberry sauce on the inside of the tortilla, shredded thigh/leg meat, gravy, and as a topping, stuffing crumbled and pan-fried with butter, corn, and jalapeno until it's crispy.
God, I wish I could easily get turkey thighs here.
posted by Ghidorah at 7:33 PM on November 17, 2021
You don't end up with a glorious bird, but it's a lot easier to carve. I slice the breasts, arranged in the center of the platter, with the dark meat around it, garnished with whatever looks nice (probably going with sauteed mushrooms this year).
I have made the Ruhlman sausages, and they are really good, though a little on the sweet side.
Not particularly a day of thing, but this thread just gave me the inspiration for how I'll be dealing with leftovers this year: tacos.
Cranberry sauce on the inside of the tortilla, shredded thigh/leg meat, gravy, and as a topping, stuffing crumbled and pan-fried with butter, corn, and jalapeno until it's crispy.
God, I wish I could easily get turkey thighs here.
posted by Ghidorah at 7:33 PM on November 17, 2021
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posted by mskyle at 6:09 AM on November 16, 2021 [7 favorites]