Talkin' Turkey

What does 3AM, one turkey breast, my cute husband and a cooler filled with beer have in common?

It’s the makings of my early Thanksgiving! I did something bold this past weekend my friends. My bestie Lindsey (of Two Girls, Two Guys, Four Pies) and I made an entire Thanksgiving dinner. And then we ate it with Shaun and her bf Eric. I’m not going to lie to you...it was fantastic. Moist, flavorful turkey breast with mouthwatering pan gravy made this a turkey I'll make again and again. While my favorite part of Thanksgiving is seeing our families, it was nice to enjoy the goods while relaxing at home and savoring every last bite of traditional grub. Oh and having lots of leftovers didn’t hurt either. So this week I’ll be wrapping up our Thanksgiving for four, starting with, what else - the turkey!

So aren’t you wondering where the 3AM and cooler filled with beer come in? After a night o’fun on Friday with Shaun’s brother, his future wife and our friends Nikki and Brandon, I realized that I had yet to brine my turkey for Saturday’s dinner. And as any Alton Brown fan knows, turkey sans brining a delicious Thanksgiving does not make. So towards the end of the party (after lots of pizza dip and Prosecco), Shaun, his brother Steve and I decided it was time to brine my little turkey breast. Using Alton’s famous brining recipe, I halved it since my bird was just over 7 lbs, while the recipe was for a 14-16 lb bird. After I made the brine around midnight, we placed it in the cooler out on the terrace to properly chill before adding the bird.

 

Of course this meant that the guys had to make some additional room in the cooler by polishing off a few Miller Lites in the process. Once cooled - and 3AM rolled around - it took all 3 of us to get the bird and brine set up in garbage bag that we made 3 layers deep. You know, to prevent leakage overnight. In fact, we placed the turkey and brine in a double bagged layer, ensuring that the entire bird was submerged in the brine, then secured the top with duct tape. We then put that into a third bag, once again securing with duct tape. Then, we lowered the wrapped bird into an ice bath in the cooler where it would sit for the next 12 hours.

After its long, juicy bath, the turkey was ready for cooking. We placed the brine bag in a giant mixing bowl and brought it straight to the sink where Shaun cut it all open. I rinsed it with cold water, patted it dry with paper towels and set it up on my roasting pan (a sweet pick up from Bed Bath & Beyond last Thanksgiving for a mere $10!). I then stuffed the turkey breast with apple slices, onions, rosemary, thyme and sage (see below for details).

 

Next, I rubbed some olive oil, thyme, sage, and kosher salt on top of and underneath the skin, which I pulled apart very gently with a paring knife and my own two hands.

 

After letting the oven preheat, my turkey breast was ready for roasting!

 

Here's the full rundown:

Roasted Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy
*Adapted from Alton Brown
1 fresh or frozen young turkey breast (I used a Shady Brook Farms 7 lb bone-in turkey breast)
for the brine:
½ C kosher salt
¼ C brown sugar
½ gallon vegetable stock
½ tbsp black peppercorns
¾ tsp allspice berries
¾ tsp chopped candied ginger
½ gallon iced water
for roasting the turkey:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
8 leaves sage, divided
6 sprigs thyme, divided
2+ cans low sodium chicken broth
Canola oil
for the gravy:
1 can low sodium chicken broth
1 C white wine
3+ tbsp Wondra flour (you can use all-purpose but this made lump-free gravy a snap!)

Make sure your turkey is defrosted. In a large stock pot over medium heat, bring the vegetable stock, salt, sugar, water, peppercorns, berries and ginger to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cool to room temperature, refrigerate until cold, and submerge the turkey in the brine, breast side down. Place brined turkey in your refrigerator or in a cooler filled with ice and cold water (as I did). Let sit for at least 8 hours - mine sat for about 12.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Remove from the brine, rinse with cold water, pat dry and place on your roasting rack. In a bowl, combine the apple slices, onion, cinnamon stick, and water. Microwave for 5 minutes. Stuff the turkey’s cavity with the mixture, along with the rosemary, 6 sage leaves and 4 sprigs of thyme. Coat the outside and inside of the turkey skin with an oil, salt, thyme, sage mixture. Pour the liquid and 1 can of chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 325 degrees and continue roasting until a probe thermometer reads 165 degrees. I never trust the little button the comes on the turkey, which is supposed to pop when it’s done since it usually doesn’t work! Pick up a thermometer for a few dollars and get ‘er done right! I took a silicon brush to add some of the pan liquid to the top of the turkey about every 20 minutes or so. If the liquid on the bottom dries up, add another can of broth and continue to brush or baste your turkey so it doesn’t dry out. My little guy was done in about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Next, carve that bad boy! Shaun was in charge of this, while I made the gravy.

To make your delicious gravy that's full of flavor, take the roasting pan and put over two burners and turn them on low. As it heats, add half a can of chicken broth and white wine (I gave you my measurements, but you may need more or less depending on how much of the drippings are left in the pan), bring to a boil and scrape up the bits of deliciousness from the pan. Whisk in the flour. If it's too thick, add more broth. If it's too thin, add more flour. Do a taste test with some of the turkey that your husband is working very hard to carve next to you...Is it gravy perfection yet?

 

Serve the turkey on a big platter and pour gravy into that infamous gravy boat that you never use. Easy peasy!

 

So there you have it. A tale our of golden brown, moist and delicious turkey. The skin was perfectly crisped and flavorful while the meat was tender and tasty. While it seems like a difficult task, it was actually very easy! The extra steps were worth every moment to make this bird one for the record books. So what I want to know is: How do you like your turkey? Drowned in gravy? Dark meat only? You know nothing makes me happier than hearing from you so dish up some Thanksgiving tidbits in the comments!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

Though I made many delicious dishes before Halloween, I also need to tell you about the cupcakes that I made for my sister Kimberly’s party last Saturday. For a few reasons. First, these were hands-down the best chocolate cupcakes I’ve ever made. Uber chocolatey with a Devil Dog-like texture, they were decadent and delicious. They were perfectly topped with a sweet vanilla buttercream, the perfect balance to the rich and not entirely sweet cake.

Second, I need to take a moment to recognize Ina Garten, who has officially solidified herself in my permanent go-to collection of recipes. Anything I’ve ever made of hers has been nothing short of perfection. If in any dish you’ve ever thought, wow that’s good but could use a little more... Well Ina goes for that little more. And ooooh mama does it show in taste, quality and presentation. I think this article should really be called Ode to Ina with a giant thanks and pledge to worship her cooking and baking skills until the end of time. The genius of Ina is that while her recipes may call for some extra steps (like alternating the addition of buttermilk and flour into your batter) or a laundry list of ingredients (this one includes 2 sugars, sour cream, buttermilk, coffee, among others), she chooses the right inclusions despite the caloric intake that a dish may incur. Would you think that 2 tablespoons of coffee would make a world of difference in your chocolate cake? Well it does. So don’t skimp on it.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream
*Adapted from Ina Garten
For the cake:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 C granulated sugar
2/3 C brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C buttermilk
1/2 C sour cream
2 tbsp brewed coffee, cooled
1 3/4 C all purpose flour
1 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
For the frosting:
2-3 C confectioners’ sugar (to taste)
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
red and yellow food coloring
sprinkles

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners. In a stand mixer (or in a giant mixing bowl with your hand mixer), cream the butter and both sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream and coffee. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Back in the stand mixer, add the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla, mixing well. With the mixer on low, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture, alternating between the two in 3 parts. Start with the buttermilk and end with the flour. Mix just until combined and if necessary, use a spatula to complete the mixing. Fill the muffin cups about half way. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack and frost.

To make the frosting, beat the butter in your stand mixer (or with a hand mixer). Add in the sugar, one cup at a time until completely combined. Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract and almond extract and mix well. Add food coloring to the color of your choosing (I used red and yellow to make orange). Frost cupcakes (I used a piping bag and metal tip from my brandy new Wilton cupcake decorating kit that I snapped up at Party City) and douse with sprinkles or decoration of your choice.

Enjoy and be prepared to never be on the hunt for a chocolate cake recipe again! 

So there you have it. My favorite chocolate cupcake recipe to date. Not bad, huh? These could easily be adapted for any holiday or party by changing out the color of the frosting or the sprinkles. In fact, this exact version could easily work for Thanksgiving as well! So what I want to know is: What's the best cupcake you've ever had? One that you made, or one that you bought?

Thanksgiving-style Turkey Burgers

When my good friend Kristin shared her recipe for Thanksgiving-style turkey burgers a few weeks ago, I knew this dish was destined to become a staple in my autumn cooking. I decided to wait until it was seasonally appropriate to share it with all of you. And since it’s officially November and it was a balmy 37 degrees this morning in New York City (yep, I got out the cute winter hat and all), I think we’ve reached that whole seasonally appropriate thing.

Let’s face it, ground turkey can sometimes be a bit...dry. And bland. And ack-inducing. It often needs a bit of assistance in flavor and moistness. Like my turkey meatloaf, I found that adding veggies to turkey meat really gets ‘er done in that department. These turkey burgers are no different. By incorporating chopped celery and apple into the meat, these burgers are not only moist and filling, but heartier to boot.

The clincher for flavor? The addition of poultry seasoning. It’s a key ingredient in these burgers and instantly takes them from tired to hello turkey day! Lastly, hold the ketchup for these little guys. Instead, we’re topping them with a bit of mayonnaise and cranberry sauce. Even Shaun balked a little bit at this one. But being the trooper that he is with my cooking, he asked for his burger with the works and didn’t wait for the first bite to be fully chewed before proclaiming These are darn good!

Thanksgiving-style Turkey Burgers
*Adapted from Taste of Home via Kristin M.
1 small apple, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp poultry seasoning
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 C reduced fat mayonnaise
6 English muffins, lightly toasted (I used whole wheat)
1 C whole-berry cranberry sauce (I used canned, which worked fine, but will try my own next time!)

In a bowl, combine the apple, celery, onion, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper (if desired, I left it out).

Add turkey and mix well. I used my own two hands for this since the mixture can be a bit sticky and cumbersome. Shape into 6 patties. On a foil-lined baking sheet (it makes clean up a snap), drizzle with a bit of olive oil or coat with cooking spray.

Broil burgers until cooked through, about 10 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, toast the English muffins and prepare with cranberry sauce and mayonnaise to your liking. Add your burger and get ready for a mini (and super simple) Thanksgiving dinner. Note: the original recipe calls for grilling, which is also an option. We opted to broil.

Since this made 6 burgers, Shaun had 2 and we both took them for lunch the next day. We even went sans bread and it was just as tasty warmed up in the microwave on day 2.

So there you have it. A tale of tasty seasonal dinner, and one that makes me want Thanksgiving dinner to hurry up and get here already! Meanwhile, I'll fill my tummy with these seriously delicious (and did you notice they are healthy?) Thanksgiving-style turkey burgers! So the question of the day is: What's your favorite seasonal dish or flavor this time of year?