How to make the Perfect Turkey...

This makes a seriously good bird... I have used this recipe the last two Thanksgivings and everyone says its the best turkey they have ever tasted... It is adapted from a Martha Stuart Recipe... in her November '08 Magazine... I have changed a few things but its mostly the same (my notes will be italicized) ... its super easy... but you do have to start like a week out... IT IS SO WORTH IT... okay, here is what Martha (well actually Ed Bruske... but he works for her) says about the Dry Brine meathod:

"The (salt) encrusted turkey is bagged and refrigerated for two days, allowing ample time for osmosis to act in miraculous ways: tenderizing the meat to its core, retaining its precious juices, and accentuating, but not overshadowing, its inherent flavor-minus the heavy lifting of a wet brine. Put simply, it ensures a perfect, pleasingly plump bird that will transcend everyones expectations."

Roasted Dry Brined Turkey
Serves 12-14


Make ahead tip: Salt the turkey and make giblet stock two days in advance. Make sure you take your turkey out of freezer in plenty of time... usually 5 hours per lb. to defrost in fridge... I take let mine defrost in fridge for 5 days... that means taking turkey out of freezer 7 days before cooking.

FOR THE TURKEY

• Course salt and freshly ground pepper
• 14 dried bay leaves, 12 crushed, 4 left whole
• 1 whole fresh turkey (22 to 24 lb..) I use frozen cause that is our only option here in Japan, giblets and neck reserved for Simple Giblet Stock (recipe follows)
• 8 ounces (2 sicks) unsalted butter, softened plus more for baking dish if needed
• 1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc I used white cooking wine once cause I forgot and it still was good
• Two crisp sour apples (granny smith, jonagold) and 1 onion all cut into 8ths
• 1 cup water plus more if needed

FOR THE PAN GRAVY

• Pan drippings, reserved from turkey
• 1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I use whole wheat)
• Simple Giblet Stock (recipe follows) or 4 cups homemade or store bought turkey or chicken stock
• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Course salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Make the turkey: Combine 2/3 cup salt and 10 crushed bay leaves in a small bowl. Rinse inside and outside of turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub 2 tablespoons salt mixture evenly inside turkey cavity, 2 tablespoons on each leg portions, 1 1/2 teaspoon on each wing, and 2 tablespoons on each breast. If you have extra salt just rub wherever looks empty. Place turkey in large oven bag and seal tightly, removing any trapped air. Place in a rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate for 48 hours.

2. Remove turkey from bag, and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Combine 1 stick butter, the wine, and whole bay leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer, then remove from heat.

3. Preheat oven to 425 with rack in lowest position. Rinse inside and outside of turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Gently work hands between breast and skin on top of turkey separating the two. Take 1/2 stick of softened butter, add two crushed bay leaves and fresh cracked pepper. Take butter mixture and spread in-between the breast and skin on the top of the turkey. Fill cavity with apples and onions and then tie the legs securely with kitchen string. Then tie the wings down by taking a string from the neck cavity around the sides and down to the legs securing them to the body of the turkey. Place turkey breast side down on roasting rack. Rub the remaining 1/2 stick of butter on the turkey and season with salt and pepper. Pour water into roasting pan. 

4. Place turkey legs first into the oven. Roast for 30 minutes, then baste with butter-wine mixture. Reduce temperature to 350, and roast, basting with butter-wine mixture & rotating turkey every 30 minutes for 2 hours. (Add more water to roasting pan if necessary to prevent pan dripping from burning.)  After the 2 hours flip turkey breast side up and continue roasting and basting until skin is golden brown and thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 45 to 1 hour more. Transfer turkey to a rimmed baking sheet, reserving pan juices and roasting pan, and let rest for 30 minutes breast side down before carving.

5. Make the pan gravy: Pour reserved pan juices into a glass measuring cum or a gravy separator, and let stand until fat rises to the surface, about 10 minutes, pour or spoon off fat.

6. Place reserved roasting pan on 2 burners over medium heat. Add wine, and bring to a gentle simmer, scraping browned bits with a wooden spoon. Whisk flour and giblet stock in a large bowl until combined. Add defatted pan juices, whisking to combine, then pour to roasting pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half and thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

7. Remove pan from heat, and whisk in butter. Strain through a sieve, and discard solids. Stir in parsley Season with salt and pepper if desired.

SIMPLE GIBLET STOCK

makes 4 cups

• Giblets and neck reserved from 1 turkey
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot scrubbed and coarsely chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 fresh bay leaf 
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 6 cups cold water

Put all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring all to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially, and gently simmer, skimming foam from surface as needed, until reduced to 4 cups, about 2 hours. Stain, and discard solids. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

YAY for turkey. I hope you try it... Let me explain the two biggest things I changed... 

1. not putting stuffing in the turkey... stuffing cooked in the turkey is often not done when the rest of the turkey is so that means an extra step taking it back out and putting it in a dish and then cooking it some more... or an overdone turkey... so instead I put apples and onion to enhance the turkey and make extra giblet stock to use in the stuffing (cooked separately) to enhance it. 

2. I roast the turkey breast side down for most of the time so the juices rest in the breast... this is also why I let it rest breast side down... trust me it works... when I go to check the temp of the breast and pull the thermometer out the turkey usually squirts juice across the room!

Thanksgiving Menu

I have spent all morning deciding what delicious things to eat for Thanksgiving... the best part is that we did Thanksgiving shopping yesterday... So now I have to find things to go with the food that we already bought! Yep thats how I roll...  

so after much flipping of the Martha Stuart Pages 

This is my menu... 

Dry Brined Roasted Turkey (stuffed with apples & onions)

White Wine Reduction Gravy

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Cornbread, Bacon & Leek Stuffing

Baked Artichoke Hearts

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Deviled Eggs

Spicy Sautéed Green Beans

Apple Pie

Pumpkin Pie with Fresh Whipped Cream

Right now I am making turkey stock out of the neck and giblets of my freakishly large turkey... I feel really bad eating this obviously massed produced bird and when I move back to the states vow to raise my own or eat wild turkey. And just finished making my cranberry sauce that will hold fine in the fridge till Thursday. Tomorrow I start the dry brine on the freak bird and make the pumpkin pie, Wednesday I make the apple pie... and everything else on Thursday...

 ITS GOING TO BE SOOO GOOD!!!

And Derick and I both have off work on Friday! BOOYAH! Now all we need is a fire place to cuddle in front of and sleep off our food coma!

WWHS (whole wheat honey sweetened) Cream Cheese Marble Brownies

Here is another one of Derick's favorite recipes! He LOVES brownies and has missed them since he went on his diet four years ago... SO being a super awesome wife I adapted this recipe for his birthday last year... and now I am sharing it with you... enjoy... guilt free!

Cream Cheese Marble Brownies
Adapted from "Cookies Brownies & Bars" by Elinor Klivans p.84

for the brownie batter
1/4 cup butter at room temperature
4 oz. chocolate semi sweet chocolate mini chips
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cut honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

for the cream cheese filling
6 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg
1tsp vanilla extract

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325. Press a piece of aluminum foil onto the bottom and over the sides of a 9x9x2 inch baking pan. Butter the foil.

2. To make brownie batter, in a metal bowl (I used glass) that fits the on the rim of a saucepan, combine butter and chocolate. Place the bowl on the saucepan over, but not touching, barely simmering water. Heat, stirring often, until the chocolate is melted and smooth, 3-4 minutes. Gently lift out the bowl and set aside to cool slightly. In a small bowl sift together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl combine the eggs and honey and whisk to blend, about 1 minute. Add the slightly cooled chocolate mixture and the vanilla and whisk until the mixture is evenly colored. Whisk in the flour mixture until just incorporated.

3. To make the cream cheese filling, in a bowl, stir together the cream cheese, honey, egg, and vanilla until smooth.

4. Pour two thirds of the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon the filling over the batter, Pour the remaining batter over the filling and, starting in 1 corner swirl a spoon through the batter and filling creating a marble pattern. Repeat starting from another corner.

5. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes our with moist crumbs attached, 35-40 minutes (mine took 50 minutes). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool until the top is room temperature, about 1 hour. Holding the ends of the foil, lift the cooled brownie onto a cutting surface. Using a warmed knife to cute the brownie into 25 squares. Store the brownie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Whole Wheat Honey Sweetened Banana Bread

This is one of Derick favorite things I make... he has many favorites... but I think this one is pretty high up there... on his diet he eats only 100% whole wheat and no processed sugar... so I adapt my favorite recipes with whole wheat flour and raw honey. They usually turn out delicious! When cooking with whole wheat I often find my recipes turn out dryer and more crumbly... but throw in honey... and they are moist and tasty! Whole wheat and Honey are the perfect marriage of ingredients.

This bread is more hearty and filling then its bleached flour cousin... also if you are not used to eating whole wheat it might taste a little denser and have a stronger wheat flavor. Derick and I both prefer whole wheat now that we have made the transition... I think it tastes more real... like I could be in the Little House on the Prairie and eat this bread...

Anywho... the inspiration: These beautifully ripe bananas I found at the Commissary for a buck!

Secret Ingredient (besides whole wheat flour and honey): Fresh Ground Nutmeg. I love nutmeg and this fresh ground nutmeg I found at an international foods store here in Japan is AMAZING!

Whole Wheat Honey Sweetend Banana Bread

(Adapted from Better Homes & Garden "The New Cookbook")

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/5 cups mashed ripe banana (5 medium)

3/4 cup honey

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven 325. Grease 1 inch up sided of loaf pan and line bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, baking power, baking soda, salt cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar and butter. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts.

4. Bake for 45-55 min. or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (if necessary cover wit foil the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent over browning).

5. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 min. Remove from pan. Cool completely. Wrap; store overnight before slicing.

Simple Syrup Mistake

So... I decided to make some simple syrup, just equal parts sugar and water that you dissolve on the stove and chill to add to drinks later... you know so I could make some old school amaretto sours and stuff and not use nasty sour mix. So I put my sugar water on the stove on low... forgot about it... and went to bed. This is what I woke up to the next day!

I cant believe I didn't burn the house down! I cracked and popped for like two hours after I pulled it off the stove. But I just soaked it all day and it came right off when I got home from work... CRAZY!

Crisp and Chewy Whole Wheat and Honey Sweetened Chocolate Chip Cookies

Crisp and Chewy Whole Wheat and Honey Sweetened Cookies

(adapted from a Martha Stuart Recipe)

Makes 20

3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon baking soda

2 sticks butter, softened

1 1/2 cups honey (I prefer raw)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (I do half chunks and half mini chips)

1. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

2. Preheat oven to 325. Beat butter and honey with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; beat until combined. Mix in chocolate chips.

3. Using a 2 1/4 inch ice cream scoop (about 3 tablespoons), drop dough onto parchment lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden around edges but soft in middle, about 13-15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

Make Ahead Dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.