PSA - Brine your turkey.
Holy crap...it was probably the juiciest, most flavorful turkey I've ever had. For the first time, well, ever, I didn't have to salt and pepper my serving of turkey. I am now a believer in the brine.
So, as promised, some recipes from Saturday's dinner party for y'all to enjoy...
Brined Turkey
12 lb frozen turkey
4 cups apple cider (apple juice if you can't find cider)
1 1/2 cup kosher salt (must use kosher salt)
1 cup sugar
4 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp black pepper
24 cups water (about 1 1/2 gallon)
2 lemons, cut into wedges
1 yellow onion, quartered and cut into chunks
3 whole springs fresh rosemary
3 whole springs fresh thyme
Leaves from 3 springs fresh sage
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs-worth finely minced rosemary
2 sprigs-worth finely minced sage
2 springs-worth finely minced thyme
Turkey bags
Bucket
Ice
1.) In a large stockpot, heat apple cider over medium heat. Once bubbling, add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add kosher salt and stir for several minute until at least half of the salt is dissolved. Remove from heat and add ice cubes to pot to cool.
2.) In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup water, pepper and 3 sprigs thyme. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Allow to cool.
3.) Line bucket with turkey bag (this keeps the bag from busting once the turkey is in it!). Pour in cooled pepper/thyme water and apple cider mixture. Make sure to scrape any undissolved salt out of stock pot and into bucket/bag. Add remaining water and stir until salt is completely dissolved.
4.) Rinse off turkey and remove giblets/innards. Place turkey in bucket, making sure as much as the turkey is under the brine liquid as possible, especially the breast. Seal bag and refrigerate in bucket for 15-24 hours.
5.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove turkey from brine (keep bag in bucket to keep from bursting) and discard brine. Rinse turkey well with water (outside and inside body cavity) and pat dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss together onion, chopped garlic, lemon, whole rosemary/thyme/sage leaves, and stuff the body cavity with the mixture. Brush the outside of the turkey with olive oil, then rub minced herb/garlic mixture all over the skin of the bird.
6.) Place 1 tbsp flour in turkey bag and shake to coat inside (helps keep bag from bursting). Place turkey in bag, then flip so breast side is down. Brush bottom of turkey with olive oil and rub in herb mixture. Seal bag and place in roasting pan, breast down. Cut about 6 1/2 inch slits into top of bag.
7.) Roast turkey at 350 degrees F for approximately 3-3.5 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of meat reads 165 F. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes before carving, and discard stuffing (lemon/onion/garlic/herbs). Carve and platter before serving. Serves 10 ppl.
- If you want to have a pretty turkey that you carve tableside, roast breast side up. Roasting breast side down will give you a flat-topped turkey, but it helps keep the breast meat super juicy.
Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Rice Pilau
2 cups cubed peeled fresh pumpkin
1 1/2 cups cubed peeled sweet potato
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
1/3 cup diced celery (about 1 rib)
2 tsp minced garlic
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup brown rice
2 tsp fresh chopped sage
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 bay leaf
1.) Preheat oven to 400 F. Arrange pumpkin and sweet potato in a glass baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Roast for 18 minutes, toss, then roast for 18 more minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
2.) Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes, or until onions are tender. Add broth and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 50 minutes, or until rice has absorbed nearly all the liquid. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf. Add pumpkin/sweet potato mixture and stir gently to mix. Serve warm. Serves 6-8 ppl.
Diet Friendly Pumpkin Cheesecake
2 8oz containers fat free cream cheese, softened to room temp
1 can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 cups Splenda
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1 8-9 inch Pre-Made Graham Cracker Crust (I use Keebler Reduced Fat)
1 cup fat free whipped cream (kind in tub, not aerosol can)
Pumpkin pie spice for garnish
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.) In a large mixing bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar with a spatula. Add pumpkin, vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice and blend with hand mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, blending with hand mixer after each one is added.
3.) Pour batter into pre-made pie crust. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out relatively clean (may come out with a little bit of batter on it - that's ok). The surface of your pie will be cracked-looking (don't worry about it, it's just from using the FF cream cheese). Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate until cold.
4.) Before serving, spread whipped cream over top like icing and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice to garnish. Makes 12 small slices.
"Oceana swings from logical to anus punching." - Buttons
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