Talking turkey
Serving roast turkey is a good way to feed the holiday crowd: the bird looks impressive on the buffet table and is cheaper than other types of meat. But it's awful when it's overcooked: the white meat becomes dry and stringy. United States government guidelines say turkey should be cooked to 73 degrees Celsius, which is still overcooked to our tastes. I remove it from the oven at 64 degrees; as the turkey rests, the temperature rises to about 70 degrees, which yields moist white meat and just-done dark meat.
Roast turkey (pictured)
My mother was dry-brining turkey long before it became fashionable. She would rub a little wine and a fair amount of salt into the skin, flesh and cavity of the bird several days before cooking it. The salt initially draws out moisture from the bird but, through osmosis, it's then sucked back in, making the meat moist and flavourful. Be sure to use a brand of salt that sprinkles evenly, without clumping - we use Morton kosher or the Silver Crystal brand of medium-grained salt.
Turkey takes about 15 minutes per 450 grams to cook.
1 turkey, thawed, if frozen
Salt (for rubbing) and black pepper
100ml dry white wine
1 medium-sized carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
About 30 grams unsalted butter, or as needed
For the gravy:
45 grams rendered turkey fat (or use butter)
About 30 grams plain (all-purpose) flour
Turkey neck, giblet and heart for the stock
600ml unsalted chicken stock (preferably home-made)
Salt and pepper as needed
Start preparing the thawed turkey three days before cooking it. Remove the innards from the cavity. Sprinkle salt lightly but evenly over the entire turkey - in the cavity and over the skin. Massage the salt into the skin. Pour some of the wine over the skin and into the cavity and massage it in. Put the turkey in a large plastic bag, secure it tightly then place the bag on a sturdy tray (in case there are any drips) in the fridge. Twice a day, massage the turkey through the bag and turn it over.
Remove the turkey from the fridge two to three hours before cooking it to bring it to room temperature. To make the turkey stock, put the neck, giblet and heart in a saucepan, add enough water to cover, simmer for about 90 minutes, then strain. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Thoroughly dry the turkey inside and out with paper towels then use kitchen twine to tie the drumsticks together at the 'ankles'. Scatter the carrot, celery and onion over the bottom of a roasting pan. Melt 30 grams of butter and brush it over the entire skin of the turkey and sprinkle with black pepper. Place the turkey breast-side down on the vegetables and roast until the surface skin is golden brown. Turn it over so it's breast-side up. Reduce the heat to 180 degrees and continue to cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 64 degrees: to test, insert an instant-read thermometer in the fleshy part where the thigh meets the body, without touching the bones. Put the turkey on a large cutting board and allow to rest while making the gravy.
Strain the liquid from the roasting pan, separating the fat from the turkey jus. Put 45ml of the turkey fat (or unsalted butter) in a saucepan and heat over a low-medium flame. Sprinkle the flour over the fat and stir - it should form a thick but malleable paste - if it seems thin or if the fat separates out, sprinkle in a little more flour. Stir constantly for about three minutes or until the roux becomes pale brown. Add in the liquid slowly, whisking constantly so it doesn't become lumpy: first add the stock from the neck/giblet/heart, then the jus from the turkey and finally the unsalted chicken stock, add- ing enough liquid to create a light sauce consistency. Add salt (it might not need any) and pepper as needed.
Carve the turkey and serve the gravy on the side.
Sauteed Brussels sprouts with pancetta
I made the most delicious dish of Brussels sprouts while visiting a friend in France. She lives in Madiran, in the southwest, and she gets her poultry and most of her vegetables from the farm next to her house. The sprouts were small (about 2cm in diameter) and very fresh, so they were tender and didn't need long to cook. If you have larger, tougher sprouts, you'll need to blanch them before sauteing them.
150 grams pancetta, cut in large cubes
500 grams Brussels sprouts
15 grams unsalted butter
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rinse the Brussels sprouts thoroughly. If they're large, cut them in half through the core and blanch in boiling salted water for about two minutes. Drain thoroughly.
Put the pancetta in a pan over a medium flame. Cook until the pancetta is browned in spots. Add the sprouts and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the butter and about 30ml of water, put the lid on the pan and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the sprouts are firm-tender and browned in spots. Remove the lid for the last minute or so of cooking to allow the liquid to evaporate. Season with salt (it might not need any) and pepper.
Styling Corner Kitchen Cooking School