Epicurean Broiled Turkey Recipes

BROILED TURKEY

Steps:

• Only very young, fresh-killed turkeys weighing from 3 1/2 to 5 pounds broil successfully. Split the turkey and remove the breastbone and backbone. Rub well with oil, salt, pepper and paprika. A clove or two of garlic, finely chopped, may be rubbed into the skin and along the bone of the bird. This gives the turkey a delicious flavor.
• Adjust the broiling pan about 4 to 5 inches from the heat and boil the turkey, bone side to the heat, for approximately 25 minutes, basting occasionally with a little melted butter. Turn at the end of 25 minutes, brush with butter or olive oil, and broil until nicely browned and cooked through, about 18 to 25 minutes more. Be careful not to overcook, or the white meat will be dry and uninteresting.
• Serve the broiled turkey with matchstick potatoes and a good salad. Drink a Beaujolais such as Juliénas.
• Variation: Marinate the turkey in one cup white wine, 1/2 cup Japanese soy sauce, 3 cloves garlic finely chopped, 1/4 cup olive oil and one tablespoon Tabasco. Turn the turkey several times during the marinating period. Broil as directed and baste with marinating liquid. Serve with fried rice and tiny cooked green beans with crisp, crumbled bacon and onion.

THE SIMPLEST ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove any feathers and quills with pliers (kosher turkeys tend to require this more than others).
• Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Mix salt and pepper in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly in turkey cavities and all over skin. Fold neck skin under body and, if desired, secure with metal skewer, then tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks together with kitchen string.
• Put turkey on rack in a large flameproof roasting pan. Roast, rotating pan 180 degrees halfway through roasting, until thermometer inserted into fleshy part of each thigh (close to but not touching bone) registers 170°F, 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into roasting pan. Transfer turkey to a platter (do not clean roasting pan) and let stand 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 180°F). Cut off and discard string from turkey.
• For a stuffed turkey:
• Twelve cups of stuffing will fill both cavities and leave you extra to bake separately. Just before roasting, spoon room-temperature stuffing loosely (stuffing expands as it cooks) into the neck (smaller) cavity. Fold the neck skin underneath the body and secure with a small metal skewer. Then loosely fill the body (larger) cavity, and tie drumsticks together. If you don't want any stuffing to spill out, cover the opening with a slice of fresh bread, tucking it inside the cavity before tying the drumsticks. Follow roasting directions above. (Timing for a stuffed bird may be slightly longer, but start checking the temperature at 1 3/4 hours.) Immediately transfer stuffing from body cavity to a shallow baking dish (separate from one for stuffing baked outside the turkey). Take temperature of stuffing in neck cavity and if less than 165°F, add it to the baking dish. Bake (covered for a moist stuffing or uncovered for a crisp top) until it reaches a minimum of 165°F. This can take 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the temperature of the oven, which you may have lowered to reheat side dishes.
• For a roast turkey breast:
• The same method used above can be applied to a whole turkey breast (instead of the entire bird). For a 6- to 8-pound breast (with skin and bone), reduce amount of salt to 1 1/2 teaspoons and pepper to 3/4 teaspoon. Use a V-rack instead of a flat rack. Roast, rotating pan 180 degrees halfway through roasting, until thermometer inserted in thickest part of each breast half (close to but not touching bone) registers 170°F, about 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Let stand 30 minutes (temperature in breast will rise to between 175°F and 180°F). (For a grilled turkey option, see Grilled Whole Turkey.)

BRINED AND BARBECUED TURKEY

Steps:

• In heavy large stockpot over high heat, bring 2 gallons water to boil. Stir in salt and sugar until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add carrots, onions, celery, leeks, bay leaves, peppercorns, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, star anise, thyme, sage, and parsley. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Line large cooler with large heavy-duty garbage bag. Strain brine into cooler, discarding solids.
• Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Transfer, breast side up, to cooler. If necessary, place large plate on top to keep turkey submerged in liquid. Tie bag tightly, then close cooler and transfer to cool place. Allow turkey to brine for 12 hours, turning over once halfway through. Using probe thermometer, check temperature of liquid every 3 hours and if necessary, add freezer packs enclosed in resealable plastic bags to keep temperature at or below 40°F.
• Line large, rimmed baking sheet with paper towels and top with wire rack. Remove turkey from brine and transfer, breast side up, to rack. Let stand 30 minutes to drain completely, then pat dry. Transfer to roasting pan. Tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks loosely together with kitchen string. Place butter in pan next to turkey.
• If using gas grill, open hood, light all burners, and set on high. Close hood and preheat 10 minutes.
• If using charcoal grill, open bottom and lid vents and light charcoal. Let coals burn until completely coated in gray ash, about 25 minutes, then arrange around perimeter of grill to form circle.
• Transfer roasting pan to grill rack and cover grill. If using gas grill, turn all burners to low. During cooking, adjust burners to maintain temperature at 450°F.
• If using charcoal grill, if necessary lower temperature by partially closing vents (do not close completely). Maintain temperature by adding 60 new coals, prelit in chimney starter until completely covered in gray ash, every hour.
• Cook turkey, basting every 15 minutes with pan juices (tilt pan to let juices run out of cavity) and rotating pan 180° every hour, until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 1 1/2 hours. (Time may be longer in cold weather. Avoid opening lid often because of rapid heat loss.)
• Transfer turkey to platter, cover loosely with foil, and let stand 20 minutes before carving.

BROILED TURKEY FLAMBé

Steps:

• Cook the turkey giblets in 1 1/2 cups of water to which you have added the onion stuck with the cloves and salt and pepper to taste. When the giblets are tender, remove them and chop them very fine. Let the broth cook down for 10 or 15 minutes.
• Broil the turkey halves according to the instructions for Epicurean Broiled Turkey , basting them well with melted butter and white wine. When the turkey is done, remove it to a hot flameproof platter or a board.
• Heat 1/3 cup of cognac slightly, pour it over the turkey and ignite. When the flame dies down, pour off the juices into a cup. Keep the turkey warm. Sauté the chopped giblets briefly in 4 tablespoons of butter. (Do this in a pan on the grill, in an electric skillet, or in a chafing dish.) To the giblets add the reserved juices and a little of the giblet broth. Taste for seasoning, blend well and heat thoroughly. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of sour cream, blend and heat, but do not allow this mixture to boil or it will curdle. Add another dash of cognac and serve with the turkey.
• With this delectable dish, serve potatoes wrapped in foil and baked in the coals, cucumber salad and fine chilled white wine A perfect dessert is a platter of cheese and fresh peaches and pears.

HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• 1. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting.
• 2. Combine the butter, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• 4. Put 4 cups of the chicken stock in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
• 5. Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper and fill the cavity with half of the carrots, celery, and onions. Rub the entire turkey with the herb butter and season liberally with salt and pepper.
• 6. Scatter the remaining vegetables on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Fit a rack over the vegetables and put the turkey on top of the rack. Pour the remaining 2 cups stock into the bottom of the roasting pan and carefully put the pan in the oven. Roast until the turkey is light golden brown, about 45 minutes.
• 7. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue roasting, basting with the warm chicken stock every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 160°F, about 2 1/2 hours longer.
• 8. Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to a large cutting board, and tent loosely with foil. Let rest for 30 minutes before carving.
• 9. Strain the stock in the bottom of the roasting pan through a strainer lined with cheesecloth or paper towels into a medium saucepan. Discard the solids. Boil the stock until reduced to a sauce consistency. Arrange the turkey on a large platter and drizzle with the reduced stock.

GRILLED WHOLE TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove any feathers and quills with pliers (kosher turkeys tend to require this more than others).
• Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Mix salt and pepper in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly in turkey cavities and all over skin. Fold neck skin under body and, if desired, secure with metal skewer, then tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks together with kitchen string.
• Preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then turn off 1 burner (middle one if there are 3). Put turkey on oiled rack in roasting pan and add 2 cups water to pan. Set pan over turned-off burner and close lid immediately (temperature drops quickly when lid is lifted). Grill, adjusting burner or burners to maintain 450°F and rotating pan 180 degrees halfway through grilling, until thermometer inserted in fleshy part of each thigh registers 170°F, 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 hours. Time could be longer in cold weather. Avoid opening lid often because of rapid heat loss.

EPICUREAN BROILED TURKEY

Steps:

• Arrange the turkey halves bone side down on the grill and cook slowly for 25 minutes. Season to taste and turn skin side down. Continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes, or until almost done. To finish cooking, bring meat close to the coals to brown. Baste during the cooking with melted butter and white wine or with seasoned oil.
• Serve this broiled turkey with Epicurean Sauce .
• Good accompaniments are heated potato chips, a bowl of watercress and well buttered toasted protein bread. Add a bottle of red wine, not too heavy. A fine dessert might be a bowl of giant fresh cherries and some fine small cakes. Finish with strong black coffee and cognac.