Ingredients:
• 2 turkey breast, bone-in, about 10-12 lb
• 1/2 gallon ice water
• ½ gallon boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3 bay leaves, crumbled
Brine directions:
Take ½ gallon of boiling water and add brown sugar, bay leaves, and salt. Dissolve and add ice water. At this point you can add the red pepper flakes.
Preparation:
Rinse turkey under cold water.
Place turkey breasts in a large deep pan or cooking bag. If you use a bag I still would place in a pan just in case the bag leaks. Add the brine ingredients to the pan or bag, then close the bag until brine is covering turkey. If you use a pan make sure it is a non- reactive pan. Make sure brine completely covers turkey breasts. Place in a refrigerator for 6-8 hours. Remove from brine.
Heat oven to 400°.
Remove turkey from brine and pat dry. Lightly rub turkey breasts with vegetable oil and season with kosher salt. Over your stove top oven, heat roasting pan to medium high heat. Place turkey breasts skin/fat side down in the hot pan. The fat in the skin will render down leaving a flavorful crispy crust. This will take 5-8 minutes or so. Flip and do the same to the other side. At this point I like to place seared turkey breasts on a rack on a sheet pan skin side up. This way they cook evenly in the oven. Place a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, not touching bone. Roast at 400° for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325° and continue roasting until turkey breast registers 155°-160° internal temperature. Poultry should reach 165° internal temperature, but because of carry over cooking, after resting 10 minutes out of the oven the turkey will reach that. This will ensure a moist turkey.
Note:
I debone a whole turkey ahead of time and braise down the dark meat and make turkey stock from the turkey bones (carcass). I brown the carcass in the oven then place it in a large stock pot. I like to break the carcass into two, so it fits better into the pot. Add 2 cups onions, 1 cup celery, and 1 cup carrots. These can be rough chopped and can be your end pieces/trimmings from these vegetables. If you have a little less or more than the amount I wrote that is fine also. I also add 1 tablespoon peppercorns, salt to taste, 3 bay leaves, and ½ cup parsley. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 1-2 hours. Strain solids out of stock and reduce stock by ½. This stock then can used to make your flavorful turkey gravy.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Turkey Leg Osso Bucco
Ingredients
• ½ cup baby bella mushrooms
• 1 cup red wine
• 4-6 turkey drumsticks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
•
Directions
Season the turkey with the salt and pepper and coat evenly with the flour. Place a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the 1/4 cup olive oil to the pan and once hot, sear the turkey in the pan until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes per side. Remove the turkey from the pan, and pour off the fat from the pan. Wipe the pan and return it to the stove. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and tomato paste to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the mirepoix and tomato paste are slightly caramelized. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for about 30 seconds.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Continue to reduce the wine until it is nearly evaporated. Stir the stock into the pan and add the bay leaves and thyme. Bring the stock to a boil and return the turkey to the pan. When the stock returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the turkey, covered, until the meat is tender, over 2 hours, turning the turkey every once in a while to ensure even cooking throughout the meat.
When the turkey legs are tender, taste the sauce and season accordingly. Serve the turkey over your favorite starch. Risotto, polenta, or even over grits would be good. Pasta would be fine also.
The great thing about this recipe is that it works for other game as well. I have made variations of this with wild rabbit and wild turkey as well. Wild turkey legs can be tough and this method makes for some very tasty tender turkey.
• ½ cup baby bella mushrooms
• 1 cup red wine
• 4-6 turkey drumsticks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
•
Directions
Season the turkey with the salt and pepper and coat evenly with the flour. Place a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the 1/4 cup olive oil to the pan and once hot, sear the turkey in the pan until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes per side. Remove the turkey from the pan, and pour off the fat from the pan. Wipe the pan and return it to the stove. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and tomato paste to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the mirepoix and tomato paste are slightly caramelized. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for about 30 seconds.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Continue to reduce the wine until it is nearly evaporated. Stir the stock into the pan and add the bay leaves and thyme. Bring the stock to a boil and return the turkey to the pan. When the stock returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the turkey, covered, until the meat is tender, over 2 hours, turning the turkey every once in a while to ensure even cooking throughout the meat.
When the turkey legs are tender, taste the sauce and season accordingly. Serve the turkey over your favorite starch. Risotto, polenta, or even over grits would be good. Pasta would be fine also.
The great thing about this recipe is that it works for other game as well. I have made variations of this with wild rabbit and wild turkey as well. Wild turkey legs can be tough and this method makes for some very tasty tender turkey.
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