THANKSGIVING HACKS - PART FOUR- the bird
TURKEY & GRAVY
Moist & tender turkey breast?
You bet! It’s so good that you’ll want to have leftovers for sandwiches.
Prep and cook 3-5 days in advance* (trust me on this!)
*This works if you do not insist on bringing a whole turkey to the table. You can’t cook that bird early if you plan to use it as a centerpiece for your table; however, if you usually carve the bird in the kitchen, you can use this method TO PRECOOK A FEW DAYS IN ADVANCE.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN… Use safe practices when handling raw turkey. To avoid cross-contamination, be sure to use soap & hot water (and/or bleach wipes) to wash anything the turkey or turkey package may have touched – countertops, cutting boards, knives, etc. Also, it’s good practice to sanitize your sink afterward. I scrub mine thoroughly and then pour boiling water over the sides & bottom of the sink and down the drain. Also, wash your hands thoroughly with soap & water before you touch anything else.
LET’S TACKLE THAT BIRD!
PREP - I would rather cook 2 turkey breasts than one giant bird. I do not EVER want to wrestle with a 20 lb. turkey again. I know you’re probably thinking that all turkey breasts are dry, but you’re wrong. If you follow my method, you’ll have moist, succulent white meat every time. I buy one or two bone-in turkey breasts, depending on how many people we’re serving. I begin defrosting my turkey breast in a foil pan in the fridge several days before I want to cook it.
Once the breast is mostly defrosted, I take a very sharp knife & remove the bone. Slide your knife under the rib bones to get started then, using the knife or your fingers, work your way up to the sternum. (SAVE THE BONE!!) Once the bone is out, I split the two breast sides in half. Now my turkey breast will require a much shorter cooking time and much less space in the oven. If I want to cook the stuffing with the bird, I put it in the pan under the breast pieces. I use parchment paper or a dressing bag to make the stuffing easier to remove once it’s done.
WHAT TO DO WITH THAT BONE - Put the breastbone into a disposable foil pan, or on a baking pan lined with foil or parchment paper. Drizzle cooking oil over the breastbone, then add some carrots, onions & celery, and generously season everything with salt & pepper or your favorite seasonings. Roast in a 350° oven for about 45-60 minutes, or until the bone is a deep golden brown. Check periodically to be sure the veg isn’t burning. After the bone is dark golden brown, you can simmer the roasted bone & its vegetables in water, along with aromatics such as thyme, sage, parsley, etc. to make stock for your gravy. Or add the bone & vegetables to store-bought chicken stock and simmer for an hour or two to improve the stock’s flavor. You can do this several days before Thanksgiving. Cook it, season to taste, strain out the bits so it will be smooth, then cover & refrigerate. DO NOT THICKEN IT YET. You’ll do that on Thanksgiving morning.
WHAT TO DO WITH THAT GRAVY PACKET - It’s convenient, so use it if you want to. My personal preference - There’s just something about that gravy packet sitting inside the raw turkey that makes me want to pitch it in the trash. I never use it. However, it’s your turkey, your dinner. Use it, don’t use it… no judgment here.
COOK YOUR TURKEY. I cook my turkey breast at least two days before Thanksgiving. Use your preferred method to season your turkey. Rotisserie chicken seasoning works very well. Or try something interesting that you find online. I like to make an herb compound butter to put on and under the skin, but use what works for you.
Preheat oven to 350°.
You can put the turkey straight into the pan, but here’s how I do it: I wrap the turkey with a few carrots & sliced onions (optional lemon slices) inside a piece of parchment paper. Bring the ends of the paper together in the middle & twist together until they hold. Turn up the edges of the open sides and twist the corners together so it’s more or less sealed. Doesn’t have to be perfect, but it helps hold in the juices.
If you’re cooking the dressing with the turkey breast, use it as the base for your bird. Line the pan with parchment paper first, so nothing sticks. Be sure to add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom, so it doesn’t burn. Check about halfway through to cooking time to see if need to add a bit more water.
Alternatively, you can just put a handful chopped carrots, celery, & onions (optional lemon or orange slices) on the bottom of the roasting pan & put the turkey on top. Be sure to add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the pan.
For best success, I suggest buying yourself an inexpensive instant-read thermometer. Turkey breasts should be cooked to 165°. Those pop-up thermometers that come in the bird are often misaligned, which makes them inaccurate. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the breast guarantees accuracy. Plan to cook the breast for 20 minutes per pound of turkey - until the internal temperature reaches 165°.
As soon as your turkey breast has reached 165°, remove it from the oven!!!. Don’t even THINK of leaving it in a minute longer. If you’re nervous about the temperature, test it immediately in another thick part of the breast.
Removing the bird at 165° will keep the bird from drying out. If you’re cooking your turkey a day or two early, allow it to cool, then wrap & refrigerate until Thanksgiving morning. Be sure to save any broth from the cooking pan. You can add it to the stock you made with the breastbone (or to your store-bought chicken stock.
FINISH – If you’ve pre-cooked your turkey & stuffing, here’s what to do: On Thanksgiving Day, remove the cooked turkey breast from the refrigerator. Slice the breast 1/4”-1/2” thick and place in the bottom of a foil pan. I slice across the breast – not lengthwise, so the meat is cut across the grain. I like to put the sliced breast half into the pan in its entirety, then fan the slices down the length of the pan.
About an hour before serving, remove your stock from the fridge and spoon off any fat that’s congealed on the top. Or, you can use store-bought chicken stock. Put the stock into a pot, and bring it to a boil. Add a couple tablespoons of butter (it improves flavor & texture), plus a slurry of cornstarch mixed with cold water. You want the gravy to be very THIN at this point – barely thickened. It should look like a glossy sauce that thinly coats a spoon. If it’s too thick, just add a bit of water.
About 30 minutes before you plan to eat, ladle a cup or two of your hot gravy over the sliced turkey so it is just covered. A thin gravy will seal in the juices and make your meat succulent and tender. DO NOT EVER USE BROTH OR WATER ON MEAT BEFORE REHEATING. IT WILL MAKE THE MEAT DRY. Cover the turkey pan, then put it into an oven set to 275°. When reheating the turkey, it’s important to remember that you are not cooking it again, just heating it up. If you pour hot gravy onto the meat before it goes into the oven, it shouldn’t take more than 15-20 minutes to heat it.
Save the remainder of the gravy for dinner, reheating & thickening it closer to dinnertime.
WHAT ABOUT THE HAM?
You’ve bought a precooked ham. Why are you cooking it again??? Once again, if you’re planning on presenting the ham to be sliced at the table, by all means make it pretty & bake it according to instructions on the package.
BUT… if you plan to slice it before taking it to the table, why not slice it ahead of time, put it in a foil pan, cover it & reheat it alongside the turkey? This is especially useful if oven space is at a premium. You can still pour the glaze packet or your own concoction* over the ham (I just look for ham glazes on the web), then cover & heat at about 275° for about 20 minutes. No last-minute slicing necessary, and it will be moist & delicious. *DO NOT EVER USE BROTH OR WATER ON HAM BEFORE REHEATING. IT WILL MAKE THE MEAT DRY.
NEXT UP - PART FIVE… Pie, more sides, plus a bonus punch recipe.