Posted on: Wednesday, November 21, 2007
TASTE
Avoid Turkey Day calamities
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
Thanksgiving, with the table as its centerpiece, presents a lot of challenges to the home cook — among them the fact that most of us rarely prepare the holiday's signature dishes at any other time.
It's hard to be good at something you don't do often. Here's help for common trouble spots:
TURKEY NOT THAWED
The only safe way to deal with a frozensolid turkey at T-minus 24 and counting is to place it in a clean sink, still fully wrapped in original packaging. Fill sink with cool tap water (NOT hot). Empty sink and refill every half-hour for about 7 hours for a 12-pound turkey, as long as 11 hours for a 22-pound turkey.
Option 2: Run out to the grocery or deli right now.
DRY, STRINGY TURKEY
Brine defrosted turkey: Mix 1 cup table salt to 2 gallons water (or 2 cups and 3 gallons, if the turkey is huge) in a large, clean picnic cooler. After 4 hours, drain, rinse, pat completely dry and refrigerate overnight uncovered (called "air-drying"). Roast as usual tomorrow. This technique creates crisp skin, tender meat.
If you do not brine and air-dry, push soft butter under breast skin; baste early in cooking with broth and drippings; stop basting late in cooking.
Start the turkey breast side down on a V-rack; after an hour, flip (with folded kitchen towels in both hands, grab the bird firmly on either side and turn over; get help with really large turkeys).
Cover loosely with heavy-duty foil during first two hours. Or use a roasting bag if you don't care about browned skin.
Do not stuff; stuffing absorbs juices. Instead, lightly fill cavity with roughly chopped vegetables (onion, celery, leeks, shallots), fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, sage) and raw fruit (lemon, tart apple), which give off flavor and moisture.
Rest meat, loosely covered in a tent of foil, 25 to 30 minutes before carving. (Retains juices, prevents burned fingers while carving.)
BAD MASHED POTATOES
Use russets (not new potatoes); peel but do not cut into pieces (potatoes get watery). Drain and mash while hot.
Reserve some starchy potato boiling water — 1/2 cup or so; add to mashed potatoes, gently mix, then add softened butter, warm milk or cream, salt and pepper to taste.
If you like light-as-air mashed potatoes, use a ricer (which forces boiled potatoes through tiny holes).
If you prefer a slightly more textured and less light mashed potato, use a hand masher.
NOT-SO-GREAT GRAVY
Flavorful gravy is all in the stock, but from-scratch takes time. To "doctor" canned broth: Combine 4 (12-ounce) cans chicken broth, 1 cup dry white wine, 3 cups roughly cut vegetables (onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, green onion top, leeks), 1 bay leaf, 5 black peppercorns, 1/2 bunch parsley, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme. Boil, turn down heat, simmer 1 to 2 hours to reduce.
Quick gravy: Melt 3 tablespoons melted butter; whisk in 3 tablespoons flour. Place turkey roasting pan, with drippings, on a burner over medium-high heat; pour 1 cup red or white wine or stock (above) into pan and cook, scraping up browned bits. Whisk in roux; cook 5 minutes. Whisk in stock to desired volume; simmer until slightly thickened. Taste, add salt and pepper. Serve in warmed gravy boat or pitcher.
TOO LITTLE TIME
Use store-bought goods — pies, cranberry sauce or chutney and even ready-made mashed potatoes (so long as you make the gravy, who'll care?).
Reduce the menu to essentials — turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce; whatever your family just has to have (which in Hawai'i includes steamed rice).
Roast or bake mixed vegetables rather than cooking them individually (see box).
Release the reins — ask family or friends to contribute.
TOO LITTLE SPACE
Clean and sanitize cooler(s). Store turkey in one, produce and other nondelicate foods in others. Keep dairy foods and eggs in refrigerator. Guard against cross contamination by raw meat or fish juices.
Barbecue, grill or deep-fry turkey, or serve store-bought or catered, so you can use the oven for other foods.
Sources: Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, Cook's Illustrated, Bon Appetit, Fine Cooking, Weber ... and Grandma
HOW TO ROAST A TURKEY
Assumes a 10- to 14-pound turkey; giblets, etc. removed; lightly oiled or buttered; unstuffed
Conventional — whole bird; 325 degrees, 15 minutes per pound.
High-heat — butterflied (cut down alongside backbone, cut out rib plates, with breast side up use rolling pin or meat pounder to flatten, arrange on broiling rack with legs tied together in center; 450 degrees 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Imu — whole bird, wrapped in heavy-duty foil; steamed in earth oven, Hawaiian-style for smoky flavor (you need willing uncles, a back yard, good rocks, the whole day and lots of beer)
Bird in bag — heat-proof bags guarantee falls-off-the bone moistness, but pale, soft skin; roast as conventional method.
Deep fried — Cajun-style whole bird fried in bubbling peanut oil (requires equipment and safety precautions); about 3 minutes per pound.
Barbecue or grill — whole bird, in large, heavy-gauge disposable foil pan; in covered, kettle-style grill with briquets at white ash stage; 11 to 13 minutes per pound.
WHEN IS THE TURKEY DONE?
Leg waggles easily.
Thermometer in thickest part of breast reads 165; thickest part of thigh, 170 to 175.
Allow bird to rest under foil tent; temperature will rise 5 degrees or so. Juices that have bubbled to surface will flow back into tissues.
WHAT'S THE CALORIE AND FAT COUNT?
Conservative analysis for 1/2-cup or 4-ounce servings:
4 ounces dark meat — 214 calories, 8 g fat
1/2 cup gravy — 46 calories, 2 g fat
1/2 cup mashed potatoes — 111 calories, 4 g fat
1/2 cup dressing — 195 calories, 8.5 g fat
1/2 cup cranberry sauce — 208 calories, no fat
1/2 cup green-bean casserole — 161 calories, 11 g fat
1 dinner roll — 85 calories, 2 g fat
1/8 of 9-inch apple pie — 411 calories, 19 g fat
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream — 133 calories, 7 g fat
2 tablespoons whipped cream — 104 calories, 11 g fat
Source: healthalliance.com
THE STUFFING FORMULA
1. Bread — crumbs or chunks, wheat or cornbread, well-dried OR rice or wild rice or other grains
2. Aromatic vegetables — onions, celery, parsley, mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, cabbage
3. Flavorings — cooked or cured meats, simmered giblets, herbs, spices
4. Texture — dried fruits, nuts, crisp fresh fruit
Be selective: Choose one bread or starch, two or three vegetables, one or two flavorings and something for texture.
To heighten flavors: Roast vegetables; roast, broil or saute meats; grind or cut herbs and spices fresh.
Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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