Thanksgiving 101 (12 page)

4.
Pour 2 cups water into the roasting pan. Baste the turkey with some of the cider mixture. Cover the grill and cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 180°F, 3 to 3½ hours.
For a charcoal grill
, add more briquettes and drained wood chips every 40 minutes or so to maintain a temperature of about 325°F, and baste the turkey.
For a gas grill
, add a handful of drained wood chips every 40 minutes to the foil packet.
For both grills
, as the liquid in the pan
evaporates, add more water to keep the drippings from burning. If the turkey is getting too brown, tent it with foil.

5.
Transfer the turkey to a serving platter and let stand for 20 minutes before carving. Carve and serve with the salsa.

Bayou Deep-fried Turkey

Every time I turned around, another person was telling me about how deep-frying turkey was the best method known to man. A quick Internet search revealed hundreds of deep-fried turkey sites, all with guaranteed recipes, some only a couple of paragraphs long, to describe what is not a procedure for inexperienced cooks. (The most detailed was from my friend “Hoppin’” John Taylor, from his
The Fearless Frying Cookbook
.) Some of my guests did love the crisp golden skin and moist, tender meat. It certainly is the quickest way to cook a bird—about 3 minutes a pound.

For years it has been a staple at Cajun-country cookouts, where it makes sense. In Louisiana, at church suppers where they are cooked outdoors in 10-gallon pots with the same equipment used for fish fries, deep-fried turkeys are no hassle. Outside of the Bayou, I have my reservations. When I first started frying turkey, I had to gather a battery of equipment, including a 10-gallon stockpot with a fryer insert and a propane ring, at a professional restaurant supplier. Now you can buy inexpensive outdoor deep-fryer kits just about anywhere.

• Of all the turkey cooking methods, this takes the most organization. You must keep your wits about you, so stay out of the Bloody Marys. Also, discourage kids and pets from coming around the pot.
  
• Place the propane burner on a level dirt or grass surface. There are heatproof protectors (they look like big doormats) designed for grills that also work for deep-fryers. Splattering oil will stain concrete driveways, and wood decks could catch fire. Do not fry turkeys in attached buildings, such as garages, or near bushes. Of course, in inclement weather, the area must be covered. Do not leave the burner, not even for a second. I made this mistake, and when I returned, found that some paper had blown into the burner and started a scary fire. Have a fire extinguisher or baking soda nearby.
  
• You
  will
  get oil on your clothes, so wear old ones. An apron is not enough protection.
  
• Many of those Internet recipes from pseudo-gourmets call for cooks to inject the bird with spicy liquid seasonings from a marinating syringe, although the herbs and spices in the recipe I tried wouldn’t go through the tiny nozzle. Anyway, this seasoning detracts from the natural turkey flavor. It does absolutely no good to season the bird with salt, pepper, spice rubs, or the like, as they wash off into the oil. Also, additional moisture will only increase the chances of the oil bubbling over. (A brined turkey, with all that extra liquid, could cause the same dangerous scenario.) Allow each person to season his own serving with salt, pepper, and hot red pepper sauce. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice is also an excellent accent.
  
• Buy the vegetable oil at a wholesale price club or Asian grocer for the best price. Because of its high smoke point, many cooks suggest expensive peanut oil; regular vegetable oil works just as well. Save the oil container, as you will probably need it to dispose of the used oil. Let the oil stand overnight in the pot to cool completely, then funnel it back into its container for disposal.
  
• Do not even think about using the oil again. It is very easy for previously used oil to catch fire when reheated. You must factor the oil into your budget. And seriously consider how you will dispose of the dirty cooking oil. My township’s health department told me to flush it but I don’t have a septic system.
  
• Heat the oil to 390°F, using a long-stemmed deep-frying thermometer to gauge the heat. Watch the oil carefully because if it begins to smoke (usually around 410°F), the turkey will have an off flavor. When the turkey is added to the hot oil, the temperature will drop. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the oil around 365°F.
  
• The amount of oil called for here works for a 10-pound turkey. To double-check the amount of oil needed, place the turkey in the pot and fill the pot with water until it reaches 1 to 2 inches above the turkey. To allow for the inevitable oil bubbling, the pot must never be more than two-thirds full. Remove the turkey and measure the amount of water. Dry the turkey and the pot very well to reduce splattering.
  
• The frying basket keeps the turkey from touching the bottom of the pot, where it could burn. It is not an optional tool. If you can’t locate a basket, place a large collapsible metal vegetable steamer or colander in the pot before adding the oil. Some deep-fried turkey equipment suppliers sell a turkey holder, a kind of hook that looks like a fireplace holder, that can be used to lower the bird into the hot oil.
  
• Small 10-to 14-pound turkeys work best. If you have a lot of guests, cook two birds. After cooking the first bird, cover it loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm as the second bird fries. A better solution is to roast a second bird because cold fried turkey isn’t very tasty.
  
• Do not stuff turkeys for deep-frying. Bake the Sausage Gumbo Dressing on the side for the perfect partner.
  
• If you want gravy, use Head Start Gravy, perhaps spiked with 1 tablespoon bourbon for every 1 cup liquid, and well seasoned with hot red pepper sauce.
  
• Be sure your propane tank is full. You don’t want to run out of gas in the middle of frying.
  

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

1.
Rinse the turkey well, inside and out, with lukewarm water to help remove the chill from the bird. Pat the turkey completely dry, inside and out, with lots of paper towels. If the turkey is too cold or has any moisture at all on its surface, the oil will splatter dangerously when the turkey is added to the pot. Fold the turkey wings akimbo behind the shoulders.
Remove the hock lock and do not tie the drumsticks together. Place the turkey on a large wire rack and let it stand while the oil is heating.

2.
Place the stockpot on the burner and add enough oil to reach two-thirds up the sides of the pot. Attach the deep-frying thermometer. (If using a conventional thermometer, attach it to the pot handle with thin, flexible wire so its tip is submerged 1 to 2 inches into the oil.) Light the fire and heat the oil to 390°F. This will take about 30 minutes, depending on the burner’s efficiency. Be sure that the flames are not licking the outside of the pot.

3.
Place the well-drained turkey, breast first, in the basket. Wearing oven mitts, carefully lower the basket into the oil. The oil will bubble up dramatically, so don’t be surprised. Lift up the turkey, and dip it again into the oil three or four times before leaving it in the pot. This allows the oil temperature to gradually adjust to the turkey and reduces the initial bubbling. Fry the turkey, allowing about 3½ minutes per pound, until golden and a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 175°F (the temperature will rise 5° to 10°F while the turkey stands), about 45 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain the oil temperature at 365°F.

4.
Lift the basket out of the oil and transfer to the roasting pan. Drain the turkey completely, especially the body cavity, allowing the oil to drain into the pan. Let the turkey stand for at least 20 minutes before carving. Carve and serve, letting each guest season the turkey with salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce, and lemon juice.

French Boned Turkey with Pâté Stuffing

This is one of the most elegant and flavorful ways to serve the holiday bird. This is the kind of turkey you would find on many French tables at Christmastime. It translates well to our Thanksgiving. Sure, it takes ingenuity to bone a turkey, but it’s not really hard to do—given you have a good sharp boning knife. Some people may find the sauce, called
demi-glace
by French cooks, easier to make than old-fashioned gravy. Because it is no more than concentrated stock, it must be the very best homemade variety.

• While boning the turkey, try keep the skin as intact as possible. If you do make a couple of holes, they can be sewn shut with kitchen twine. After the turkey is roasted and the twine pulled out, no one will know.
  
• Boned turkey gives you lots of turkey parts that should be turned into stock. Save the neck, giblets, wing tips, thigh bones, carcass, and any trimmings. Chop the neck and carcass into manageable pieces. Make Homemade Turkey Stock 101, using only 1 turkey wing and substituting the turkey pieces for the remainder of the wings.
  

STUFFING

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

1.
To make the stuffing, place the prunes and Madeira in a small bowl, and let stand for 1 hour. (Or cover with plastic wrap and microwave on High for 1 minute, carefully uncover, and let stand for 10 minutes.)

2.
In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly. Add the ground pork, ground turkey, dried plums and Madeira, bread crumbs, pistachios, parsley, egg, egg yolk, salt, thyme, and pepper. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

3.
To bone the turkey, use a heavy cleaver or large knife to chop off the first two joints of each wing (the tip and the center bone), and reserve for the stock. Place the turkey, breast side down, on the work surface. Using the boning knife, make an incision down the backbone. Keeping the point of the knife pointed toward the bones, make short slashes down one side of the rib cage until you reach the ridge of the breastbone. Repeat the procedure on the other side. Cut the carcass away from the turkey at the breastbone (be careful, it’s close to the skin). To remove the thick silver tendon running down each breast, make a cut to reveal the wide end of the tendon and hold it. Pulling the tendon, scrape it with the knife to release it from the flesh.

4.
Bend the thigh back to reveal the ball joint, and sever the ball joint. Holding the ball joint, scrape along the thighbone to reach the drumstick joint. Sever the drumstick joint and remove the thighbone, leaving the drumstick bone intact. Repeat with the other thigh. Remove the spatula-shaped collarbone. Leave the wing joints intact. (The turkey can be boned up to 1 day ahead, covered tightly, and refrigerated.)