Alton Brown's Turkey

A few years ago, we had (temporarily, it turns out) trimmed down the number of people at Abe's family's Thanksgiving meal. Where we usually have a crowd numbering about 30 or so, on this particular year, there would be only about 8. My mother-in-law usually makes the turkey, but her oven had been unreliable for a few years and was finally kaput and awaiting replacement, so because our number was so small, the task automatically fell to me.

I've cooked a good many things in my life, but up until that point, a Thanksgiving Turkey wasn't one of them. Needless to say, I was glad to know that if I wrecked it or dried it out past the point of palatable, very few people would be affected. Even so, I know the reception that dry turkey receives (not good, not good at all), and I figured that if we were going to spend that much time and money preparing a big bird for this feast, it may as well be really good. So I studied up. Boy, howdy, did I study.

I watched hours of Thanksgiving-related shows on the Food Network, scoured cooking magazines and websites for helpful hints, and I can honestly tell you that one TV special--Alton Brown's "Romancing the Bird"--and its turkey recipe changed my life. I followed all of his instructions to the letter, except for the brining, even investing in a digital cooking thermometer with an alarm on it.

The results were astonishing.

It felt as if it had been years since I'd had a piece of turkey I had enjoyed, and now, here was a 30-pounder (I know) that I could enjoy every morsel of! It was tender, it was flavorful, it was juicy . . . it was good eats. Good work, Alton.

After all was said and eaten, here's what I think helps make Alton's turkey great: 1) the aromatics, which not only keep the cavity from drying out, but also impart a wonderful flavor to the meat, and, most importantly, 2) the thermometer. With this thermometer (mine cost $10), you insert the probe into whatever meat you're cooking (turkey, in this case), set the alarm to go off when the meat has reached a desired temperature, and walk away. Never, ever, ever trust a pop-up timer that comes with a turkey--they will almost always cause you to dry out your turkey. With this digital thermometer, there's no chance that your turkey will get overly done. It will be perfect--moist and juicy every time.

There's also the fact of the resting. Give your turkey a good half hour to rest out of the oven before you carve into him--that way he'll retain all of his juices and stay moist. Don't worry that he will get cold; there's plenty of mass there to keep him piping hot.

This year, I plan to give brining a try. I hear it makes a remarkable difference in the flavor and juiciness of the bird. And I figure, if Alton's recipe is as good as it is without the brine, it will be even better with it.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! And if you're cooking the turkey this year, definitely invest in a digital thermometer with alarm--you will wonder how you ever made a turkey without one!

Crock Pot Turkey Breast

I wanted to wait to post this recipe because I wasn't sure it would turn out well, and I didn't want to preserve a stinky recipe for all eternity. I was pretty much guessing at how to do it, and I am very happy to report it actually (through an incredible stroke of luck and timing) exceeded my expectations. It was quite possibly the best turkey I have ever eaten, second only to Alton Brown's Roast Turkey, which will wait for another post (probably sometime in November!)

Here's my recipe for

Crock Pot Turkey Breast

1 Bone-in Turkey Breast (approximately 6.5 lbs.)
2 ribs celery
1 medium onion
1/2 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
1/4-1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning, plus additional
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. water
1 can cream of chicken soup

Rinse turkey breast; pat dry.
Roughly chop (or tear with your hands) the celery and onion, and place in cavity of turkey.
Loosen skin from turkey by sliding your fingertips underneath it and separating the skin from the membranes attaching it to the breast meat. Be careful not to tear the skin or remove it completely. It is necessary to preserve the flavor and moistness of the bird.
In a small bowl, combine the butter, sage, and poultry seasoning. Using your fingers, slide gobs of the butter between the skin and the meat, pressing from the outside to distribute as evenly as possible.
Place turkey skin side up in the crock pot. Season the skin with sea salt and black pepper, then spread the soup over the entire surface of the turkey. Season with poultry seasoning. Note: the soup doesn't really add much to the drippings, but spread over the skin and exposed meat, it keeps everything moist and flavorful. Pour the water into the bottom of the crock, careful not to disturb the soup on the turkey.

Cover crock, and cook for 1 hour on high. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 hrs. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 161 degrees. (I started the turkey at 6:30 this morning, switched it to low when I left for church at 7:30, and it was exactly at 160 degrees when we returned home at 12:30--perfectly juicy and wonderful.)

Turkey Gravy

Drippings from pot (remove large solid bits, like the onion and celery, of course)
2 c. water
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. corn starch
3 Tbsp. water

Skim off as much fat from the drippings as possible, and combine with the water in a medium-sized saucepan. Add seasonings. Bring broth mixture to a boil.
In a small bowl, thoroughly combine corn starch and water. Remove pan from the heat momentarily; add the corn starch slurry and whisk to combine. Return to heat, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for at least 1 minute. Makes approximately 4 cups of gravy.

This afternoon, I served slice turkey and gravy over kluski noodles seasoned with a bit of butter, onion powder, garlic powder, and celery salt. Of course, you could always serve it with mashed potatoes or stuffing for a more Thanksgiving-y experience!