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36 MYROUSESEVERYDAY NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2016
giblets and rinse the bird inside and out. Prepare your brine recipe,
making sure all of the salt the recipe your recipe calls for is dissolved. If
the instructions call for heating the brine,let it cool to roomtemperature
before beginning the bird’s bath. Once you have determined where
the brining process will take place — a brining bag, large container,
refrigerator drawer, or other recommended vessel — place the turkey
breast down and completely submerge the bird.
Most recommendations call for brining one hour for every pound the
turkey weighs. Remove the turkey from the brine after the allotted
time, rinse and pat it dry with paper towels.Cook the turkey as desired.
The brine mixture can be a simple combination of water, salt,
and possibly sugar, while other recipes might call for additional
ingredients and spices.
Some people choose to dry brine their turkey — rub it with salt,
basically. In that situation, salt draws the meat’s juices to the surface
of the bird.The juices then mix with the salt, forming a brine that is
then reabsorbed by the meat.
If you’re nervous about overcooking your turkey and winding up
with a platter of dry turkey meat on your table, think of brining as
your insurance. A brined bird will stay juicy and taste good even if
you overshoot the cooking time a little, and that’s one less thing you
need to worry about during your holiday meal.
SPLIT DECISION
Research “spatchcock,” and you will find more information on the
origin of the word than actual directions for this cooking method,
which has been described as a “Thanksgiving game-changer.”
According to the 1999 version of the Oxford Companion to Food,
the culinary term “spatchcock” has its roots in the 18th and 19th
centuries, revived towards the end of the 20th century, and said to
be of Irish origin.The phrase is used to indicate a summary way of
grilling a bird after splitting it open down the back and spreading
the two halves out flat, akin to “butterflying.”
Unlike a traditional recipe, most directions for spatchocking include
illustrations for prepping. Besides making an intriguing presentation
and being simple to carve, a spatchcocked turkey requires less time in
the oven or on the most cases,this process reduces the roasting
time from on average three hours to anywhere from 45-90 minutes. It
is also easy to make a pocket between the skin and breast meat to stuff
the bird with a layer of vegetables and seasonings. The variations in
flavor would come from whichever method of preparation is chosen,
from simply sprinkling the bird with salt and pepper and brushing
with olive oil, to more creative herb and spice applications.
There are a number of helpful websites to walk any cook through
the process, among them Serious Eats, which points out one more
advantage to spatchcocking a turkey: the gravy is so much better
when there are real bones and meat to add to the mix, resulting in a
more flavorful broth with which to prepare the gravy. Serious Eats
also recommends preparing a bed of vegetables, if spatchcocking in
the oven, to capture the turkey drippings as the bird roasts.
A spatchcocked turkey also requires a slightly different carving
technique, so while the dining table may lose the drama of a fully
cooked bird taking center stage, standing ready for the carving knife,
the gains may include more free time for the chef, and certainly a lively
topic for dinner conversation.
And here is a handy note: a Rouses butcher will spatchcock a turkey
for any customer who asks. Just to be sure to say “split and dressed”
and it is always good to add the word “please”!
GLAZED & CONFUSED
Brown-sugar glaze … bourbon glaze … maple cranberry glaze …
cider glaze … root beer glaze …orange honey glaze … it is enough
to make one’s eyes glaze over when considering the variations.
Glazing a turkey adds to a traditional oven-baked bird a layer of
flavoring that in most cases is applied in the last hour of cooking.
The recipes can be sweet or spicy, but the results are usually the
the Holiday issue