Key West Kitchen

Roasted Turkey – The Star of Thanksgiving

BY KERRY SHELBY

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

The Thanksgiving turkey…centerpiece of the feast, the ultimate challenge for the home cook, right? Well, not the last part. Roasting a turkey is just as easy as roasting a chicken, really. Turkeys are lean, so drying the meat is a risk, but that is easily managed with a little attention. Relax, hosts and hostesses! The turkey is the easy part! Here are a few easy tips.

Take away some timing stress by buying a fresh turkey. Defrosting a frozen turkey adds one more variable as it may take longer than you think to thaw.

Avoid the 20 pound monsters and go with a 8-10 pound bird. If you need to feed more people, cook two of those and you will get better results.

I believe in brining, which is basically tenderizing the meat with a salt. You can wet brine by mixing 1 cup salt and ½ cup sugar with 1 gallon of water and soaking the turkey in the refrigerator or a large cooler overnight. An alternative is to dry brine, rubbing the turkey all over with salt and refrigerating uncovered overnight. Either will result in tender and moist meat.

That’s it! Toss some aromatics of your choice into the cavity and cook, allowing about 15-20 minutes per pound.

Classic Roast Turkey with Mushroom Pan Gravy

Remove the brined turkey from the refrigerator or cooler and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Heat the oven to 450.

Rub a 8-10 pound turkey all over with either duck fat or butter. Insert a halved lemon along with two peeled garlic cloves and a sprig of rosemary into the cavity. Grind black pepper all over and truss the legs and wings so that they are close to the body. Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and put in the oven, lowering the temperature to 350. Roast undisturbed for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, melt 1 stick of butter, add ½ cup white wine and 1 tablespoon minced shallots and keep warm. After the turkey has cooked for an hour, baste with the butter, along with any pan drippings. Baste again 30 minutes later and rotate the pan. Cook without basting for about another 30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted between the thigh and the body reads 160 degrees.   Remove the turkey to a cooling rack and let rest at least 30 minutes before carving.

While the turkey rests, make a simple pan gravy. Place the roasting pan over two burners on high heat. Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup white wine, add 1 cup chicken stock and remove from the heat. In a skillet, cook 8 ounces chopped mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter until they brown. Add 1 tablespoon flour and stir, then slowly add the reserved pan sauce and reduce by a third. Season with salt and pepper and serve separately with the carved turkey.

Serves: 8-10 (at least!)

Wine: A hearty California Zinfandel, like Turley or Ravenswood

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