Well it's the holidays and today is the day after a party here at the office, so it's perfect for a light post. I made my first ever turkey last week at our office party and I must admit that I'm quite proud of it, it was simply really good and above all very juicy. So like a Martha Stewart 2.0, I'll give you the recipe whether you like it or not.
The problem with turkey is that sometimes it's just plain dry and flat. Not this one! Several techniques are used to avoid this unfortunate situation at all costs.
Ingredients
A turkey for about 15 people (8-10 kilos)
Cold water
coarse salt
3 leeks
5-6 large carrots
3 large onions
1 celeriac
3-4 cortland apples
4-5 slices of stale bread
Milk
1 package of bacon
1.5 kilos of duck meat in lint (or minced)
A large brick of bacon bits
2 cups of pistachios
2 cups raisins
2 eggs
2 liters of chicken broth
Brine
Brining is a less sexy but critical part of the turkey cooking process. It's basically soaking the beast in salt water to make it juicier. Salt makes proteins react and increases their ability to retain water during cooking.
Very simple: completely cover the bird (in a bucket or a high roasting pan) with salt water made up of coarse salt diluted in cold water, more precisely 1/4 cup per liter of water.
Leave to soak for approximately 48 hours.
Prank call
Soak stale bread in milk to soften it.
Cut a third of the carrot, leeks, celeriac and onions into small cubes (about 1cm). Do the same with all the bacon bits. Brown everything in the pan for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the bread, duck meat, pistachios, raisins and eggs in a large bowl.
Finally, add the vegetables and the bacon and mix evenly with the meat.
Turkey
Thoroughly wring the animal so that there is no more brine water left. Fill his belly well with the stuffing. Add the rest of the coarsely chopped vegetables all around and pour in the chicken broth. Lay bacon strips over the beast, especially around the breast to make sure it stays moist. Huuuummmmm as Homer Simpsons would say.
Bake with the rest of the stuffing in another pan at 325 degrees Farenheit for about 4 hours. Water the animal at least every half hour. Always keep the rotisserie lid closed.
For the last 30-45 minutes of cooking, remove the bacon strips, remove the lid, increase the temperature to 400 degrees and baste even more regularly so that it roasts perfectly. If areas are roasted before others, cover with foil to prevent burning.
Service
Take the beast out, make slices and serve with stuffing and whole cranberries and mashed potatoes. you can also heat the bottom of the roasting pan, add red wine and a little flour to make a sauce. Otherwise the cooking juice simply is also very good.
Finally, ask a guest to bring a high-quality dessert!
