So... it´s that time again for the Holidays!!! Everyone has, I´m sure good memories of it. The food, the family, the presents, the tree...joy, joy, joy!!!!!
The best part for me when I was a kid was being able to get toys in three different times, let alone the food. Santa would bring, well... let´s just say he would bring something! Then, because of my background, I would get a toy from the Three Holy Kings day, highly celebrated in Mexico!!! The "Rosca de Reyes" and Grandmas´ hot chocolate were the best complement! And last, the best part, my b-day, when I had a chance to finally get what I really wanted!
Now that I´m grown up... well I can buy my own toys, so... I´ve decided to fire Santa and combine all three into one big present (obviously with the previous signed authorization from my wife!)!!!!!!!
As usual, it is the busiest time of the year for any chef, be it at the Diner next door or the type of restaurant where I work. The one that gets the worst of it, of course is the turkey!!! Nobody leaves the poor bird alone!!!! I can only account for two countries, or maybe one country and one resort town, Cabo, but man... the guy gets it first in thanksgiving, and then in the customary Christmas dinner in Mexico. Sometimes the bird won´t even make it to seeing the new year, for it will be served for sure at someones table.
With its popularity as it is, I´m sure there are as many "celebratory" turkey recipes as there are turkeys in the world. I for one have seen at least 7 or 8 different recipes, depending of which aunt or grandmother we visit for that day! With that said, the challange of any restaurant is to come up to the standard of making something similar to grandmas gravy or my favorite aunts stuffing! At least for one, I always hope that as people are leaving the restaurant, they leave with a happy face and comments that the food was close to home! When the word "mother" or "grandmother" is used, I´m usually sweating cold bullets!
Obviously, this is a long introduction to what I will be posting as MY recipe in the "pages" section, though I will use this space to al least give some kind of explanation as to the "why´s" and "what´s" of the recipe.
My first note in cooking turkey, I´m sure would be rebuted, refuted and trashed by many readers. I might even lose some frineds over it, but trust me, I´m sure cooking 40 turkeys at once and having them all come out the same is a good enough credential in keeping my credibility! So what is the first note:
PUT THE NEEDLES ON THE TABLE AND WALK AWAY!!!!!
So many times I´ve seen so many ingredientes being injected into the bird, the poor thing might want to think that it is bieng resucitated. I´ve seen butter, olive oil, canola oil, wine, turkey juice, margarine.... you name it, I´m sure it has been tried to be injected into the bird!
Through the years, I´ve found that one techinique and only one -well, complemented with another- help in creating the most moist turkey I know and not only that, the most flavorful! The two key words are: the brine and the temperature!
The explanation behing "the brine"
A brine is usually a liquid used to "preserve" and to add flavor to a food stuff. You could say that when you pickle something, you are using a brine. It´s main components, in the case for the turkey, are water and vinegar. Obviously you can add any other ingredient that complements the bird, but in all, you have to have water and vinegar. Tha ratio, 2 lts of water for every cup of vinegar.
The water will be the medium in where the flavors of any herb, seed or whatever will combine and will penetrate the turkey with the aid of the vinegar. In turn, the vinegar will help in loosening the fibers and therefore will help in the absorption of the flavors on the water. Think of it as placing an egg with a cut up onion in a closed container. After a couple of days, if you cook the egg, it will most likely taste and smell like onions.
So... If we are to leave the turkey in the flavored brine for at least 24 hrs, the turkey will be very happy!!!!!!!
After this time, the only thing, and I repeat THE ONLY THING one has to do, is remove the turkey from the brine and let it air dry in the refrigerator. Do not pat it dry! Whatever remains covering the turkey will either be absorbed or removed form the skin through air and will leave a sticky feeling on the turkey. That´s what you want. Its now time to prepare it for the oven! That part, you can read in the recipe!
Now, the other culprit, the temperature!
One of the funniest things I´ve ever seen has been watching one of our friends juggling, literally, juggling, the turkey while its cooking to make sure that it is being basted correctly and injecting some more "stuff" in it while cooking and checking the temperature to see if it´s done and everything else. All of this, while leaving the door of the oven open! At least the house will be warm! After maybe 4 hours, the bird is finally done and, well, let´s just say that hunger takes over!
Temperature is king when it comes to cooking turkey. The oven, to start, has to be at its highest temperature, preferably as close to 500 F as possible. And one tip. Once the turkey is in, that door will only open twice, that´s it.... only twice!!!! I´ll explain!
Once the bird is prepared, the most important part is searing the outside as quickly as possible so as to keep the juices insde the bird, not on a pan! That´s why the oven has to bee at 500! If you are ready, place the bird in the oven and leave it uncovered! You want the skin to get golden brown fast, and at that temperature, that means about 15 minutes of cooking time, depending on the size of the bird. Once you are at that point, you have succeded in keeping the bird moist. Now... comes the time of patience.
Take the bird out and leave the oven open momentarily, lowering the temperature in your dail to 275 F. Cover the bird with aluminum foil and place it again in the oven. If you want to baste it with something, now is the time, though if things are going correctly, you will see very little juice if at all. Most of the liquid you see on the pan will be fat!
Throw it in the oven, close the door and forget about it for about 1 and a half to 2 hrs, again depending on the size of the bird! My rule of thumb, is 45 minutes for every 5 pounds after reducing the heat.
Do put a timer on and please DO NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE with the oven on!!!! You might not have one when you come back, though I´m sure the turkey will be done!
OK...
Le piece de resistance!!!!
How do you tell the "turkey is done". Well... for one, I always get rid of that plastic thing that comes with the turkey that is supposed to pop out when the bird is done. It never does what it´s supposed to, and personally, I don´t like the taste of plastic.
Carefully remove the bird from the oven and with a knife, carefully, "stab" the bird right in between the joints of the leg and the thigh. Liquid, meaning juice, will come out. It should trickel out clear. No blood should appear. If it does, then that´s your key to knowing how much time it has to go. If its is a lot, well, get it back in the oven because I´m sure you´ll be running out of time. If it´s not much, then maybe just 15 - 20 minutes will do. If it´s clear, Its done. Now you can relax.
Do remember that there is such a thing as residual heat or carry over cooking, as it´s called in the pro kitchens! So.... if you see just a trickle of blood, remove it fromt the oven. It will finish cooking on its own!
One final note!
Unless you are planning on making sandwhiches for christmas, try not to reheat the bird. You have worked too hard to dry it up the same day you roasted it. Try to keep it within a safe temperature -above 145 F will be enough- and maybe, then maybe, after carving, reheat each individual protion on its own!
Alright, so, now that you have the keys to heaven, make sure to read the rest of the recipe before starting to cook! And as usual, If it doesnt turn out, well, there is always next year!!!!!
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