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Brined Holiday Turkey

This was by far, the best holiday turkey I’ve made to date.  The brining process guarantees a tender, flavorful turkey.  You will not believe the difference!  After brining, I follow my “regular” turkey recipe from my book.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup salt
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
  • 1 orange, cut into wedges
  • 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • cold water to completely cover turkey

 

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place salt, lemons, oranges, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and pepper into a large pot. Place the turkey in the pot, and fill with water and two large bowls of ice. Refrigerate overnight. Discard brine after removing turkey.
  2. Proceed with your normal turkey preparation process  below(you will not need much salt because the turkey will already be salty from the brine)

Here was the final result, golden, moist, and delicious!

 

½ pound grass-fed butter
½ teaspoon dried sage
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon crushed rosemary

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Rinse the turkey inside and out then pat dry,  stuff (if desired), and truss.  Cut a piece of cheesecloth to a length that will cover the turkey and unfold to a single thickness.  Melt ½ pound of butter in small saucepan and completely saturate the cheesecloth. (You can also brush skin with herbed butter and base every 15 minutes.

Place turkey in oven and reduce heat to 325 degrees.  After 15 minutes, drape butter-soaked cheesecloth over the turkey so it is completely covered.  After an hour, baste the turkey every 15 minutes or so to keep the cheesecloth moist (you can use leftover butter as well).  Remove the cheesecloth for the last 30 minutes of cooking time for crisp skin.  Allow the turkey to sit for at least 20 minutes before carving.

 

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Grainless, Vegetable Nut Stuffing

This is a great stuffing option for a Thanksgiving feast.  It contains no grains so is perfectly acceptable on the advanced plan.  It can be made with or without meat and the flavors and the crunch of the nuts make it a great addition to the table.

Advanced Plan
Serves 4

1/2 large sweet (vidalia) onion, coarsely chopped
1 large bulb fennel (white part only) cut in half, then cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch-wide strips
4-5 stalks celery (including leaves), chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup organic chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 – 1 cup chopped walnuts  (matter of preference)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds (soaked if possible)
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
sea salt and ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 – 1 lb ground turkey, turkey sausage, or chicken sausage, crumbled and cooked on the stovetop (optional)

Heat oil in a deep saute pan. Add onions, fennel and celery. Heat on medium for several minutes until vegetables are lightly browned.

Add chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover pan. Simmer ingredients for 20 minutes. Add sage, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Add walnuts and sunflower seeds, cover and continue to cook mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms and meat (if desired), cover and cook on medium for an additional 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. If there is excess liquid, cook uncovered to reduce.  If the mixture is too dry, add more chicken stock, a little bit at a time.

Check seasonings and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment