Issue Date: November 13, 2005
Let's talk turkey -- and how to make gravy without lumps
Smart advice from chef Adam Siegel, 33, of Bacchus in Milwaukee
Adam Siegel of Bacchus in Milwaukee
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Tip: For succulent meat, brine the bird. "You can stop your turkey from being dry by brining it and not overcooking it. Whenever I serve roasted chicken in the restaurant, I usually brine it first because it keeps it moist," says Siegel, whose restaurant is in downtown Milwaukee, just a few blocks from Lake Michigan. "The same goes for turkey. Brining stops the drying out from happening. Basting also helps. And plenty of butter doesn't hurt either. Every year, Thanksgiving is at my house. My family comes in from New York and Florida, and I cook my turkey this way." Siegel's recipe is especially easy to prepare: Brining the turkey means you're not required to baste it as much during the cooking process.
Tip: For silken gravy, skip the flour. "Avoid using flour, because that's usually what causes lumps," Siegel says. "Instead, purée the vegetables you roast along with the turkey; they become your thickening agent. And that, along with pan juices, becomes your gravy. You can strain it through a mesh strainer, or use cream and reduce it, and you'll avoid those lumps."
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Brined and Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey with Simple Gravy
Brine Recipe
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
3 bay leaves
1 Tb. black peppercorns
3 sprigs each of rosemary, thyme and sage
6 sprigs Italian parsley
1/2 cup iodized salt
3 gallons of cold water
One day before baking turkey, prepare brine. Combine all brine ingredients. Place the turkey in a bucket or very large pot and pour brine over turkey to submerge. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Remove turkey from brine; dry off turkey with paper towels. Discard brine.
Turkey preparation
1 16-pound turkey (neck and giblets removed and discarded), brined using the directions at left
Salt and pepper to season turkey
In the bird:
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 apple, sliced into wedges
1 orange, sliced into wedges
4 garlic cloves, peeled, whole
Under the bird:
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, whole
3 sprigs each of sage, rosemary, thyme
6 sprigs Italian parsley
3 bay leaves
On the bird:
1/4 pound butter, unsalted, sliced into pats
5 cups chicken stock, divided
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Brine turkey as instructed. Salt and pepper the brined turkey and cavity. Fill the cavity with carrots, celery, apple, orange and garlic; bind the legs with kitchen twine.
In a large braising pan or disposable aluminum pan, spread onion, carrot, celery, garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley and bay leaves. Place the turkey on top of the bed of vegetables and herbs.
Put butter on turkey, or between skin and breast meat.
Place the turkey in the oven and roast 45 minutes. Pour half the chicken stock over the turkey; roast 45 minutes. Pour remaining stock over turkey and roast 45 more minutes; it will start turning golden brown.
Baste with pan juices, cover loosely with foil and roast an additional 45 minutes. When the turkey has reached an internal temperature of 165 to 175 degrees, remove from oven, keep covered and let rest at least 10 minutes before carving. Transfer to platter.
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To make Simple Gravy:
From the bottom of the roasting pan, discard herbs and measure out 1 cup of vegetables and 3 cups of pan juices; purée in a blender. To thicken, add more vegetables; to thin, add more pan juice. Pour through a mesh strainer to make a smooth gravy. Makes 4 cups.
Serves 24. Per serving: 496 calories, 62g protein, 0g carbohydrates, 26g fat, 189mg cholesterol, 0g fiber, 979mg sodium.
Break out of the dessert rut
Smart advice from chef Spencer Budros, 34, of Pistachio in Columbus, Ohio
Tip: Make it rustic. "Take seasonal fruits, especially pears and cranberries, and spend extra time to do something a little different, making sure it's rustic and it looks homemade," says Budros, who opened patisserie Pistachio with sister Anne a little more than a year ago in Columbus' Short North district.
Tip: Bake ahead, then warm up. "Always create your desserts the day before," Budros says. "They will be fresh and often will taste better the next day. Refresh desserts such as pound cakes or tarts in a hot oven for five to 10 minutes before serving. This will warm the butter, releasing its true flavor."
Tip: Upgrade tradition. If you stick with traditional pumpkin pie, use only the best ingredients and fresh spices. See Budros' personal pumpkin pie recipe at usaweekend.com.
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Cranberry-Orange Zest Pound Cake with Fruit Compote
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 oranges, grated zest only
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps. baking powder
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of salt
2 1/4 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
Powdered sugar for garnish
Fruit Compote
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, using a paddle attachment on medium speed, cream together butter, cream cheese and sugar until very light and fluffy.
Using low speed, mix in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract and orange zest, scraping the side of the bowl between each addition.
Stir together flour, baking powder, cloves and salt. Add to batter and mix on low speed until smooth. Do not overbeat. Fold in cranberries.
Pour into non-stick or prepared (greased and floured) 8- or 9-inch Bundt pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
Cool thoroughly at room temperature and remove from pan.
Dust top with powdered sugar. Spoon compote into center and serve.
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Fruit Compote
1 orange, rind slicedoff, and juiced (1/4 cup juice)
2 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 cups fresh cranberries, divided
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. vanilla
To make optional candied orange zest, carefully remove all orange flesh and pith from the rind. Cut rind into 1/4-inch wide strips. In a small pan over high heat, bring rind and 2 cups water to a boil. Drain. Repeat boiling and draining process two more times. Return rind to pan. Add 1 cup sugar and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool, and drain liquid.
In a sauté pan, combine 1 cup fresh cranberries, dried cranberries, cinnamon, vanilla, 1 1/2 cups sugar, juice and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thick, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Add remaining 1 cup cranberries and optional candied orange zest. Stir to combine. Serve warm or chilled with cake. Makes about 3 cups.
Cake Serves 16. Per serving: 531 calories, 7g protein, 79g carbohydrates, 22g fat, 134mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 154mg sodium.
Compote Serves 16. Per serving: 103 calories, 0g protein, 26g carbohydrates, 0g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1g fiber, 0mg sodium.
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Pear Rustica with Late Harvest Riesling Glaze
Tart Crust
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup plus 1 Tb. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pats
1/2 cup whole milk, chilled
Pear Filling
3/4 cup apricot marmalade, divided
3 to 4 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, sliced
1 egg
1 Tb. water
1 Tb. cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Late Harvest Riesling wine
1 pear for garnish
In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, salt and cinnamon. Using a fork, press butter into flour mixture along the side of the bowl until a meal crumb forms. Slowly pour in milk; mix with spatula and by hand until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix. Form dough into a round ball and dust with flour. Wrap with plastic wrap and slightly flatten. Chill for at least 3 hours.
When ready to assemble tart, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 10-inch round. Lay dough in an 8-inch tart pan, edges extending over the sides. Spread 1/4 cup marmalade on crust. Fan sliced pears to cover marmalade. Fold crust over the pears about 1 inch.
In a small bowl, lightly beat egg and water. Using a pastry brush, cover dough with egg wash. Combine cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle generously over entire tart.
Bake until the crust and pears are a dark golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool at room temperature.
Make glaze in a small pan over high heat: Whisk wine and 1/2 cup marmalade; bring to a boil. Brush entire tart with hot glaze.
Garnish by placing whole pear on tart. Serve.
This tart recipe is from chef Spencer Budros.
Serves 8. Per serving: 562 calories, 7g protein, 76g carbohydrates, 26g fat, 95mg cholesterol, 4g fiber, 335mg sodium.
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