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COOKING: Roast that turkey and fullfill your inner "Thanksgiving Diva-ness"! Recipe
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Many of you are preparing for Thanksgiving this evening. I have talked to a few people who were very nervous about the turkey roasting. If you are lacking a recipe, my standby recipe at my website is a popular one with many of my friends ( http://www.floracaputo.com/pages/turkey2.html ) I have some overall tips for delicious turkey, some that are part of the above recipe, but others that I have learned in the past few years that have perfected my turkey.
Organic IS worth the money:
We tried a fresh, organic turkey last year and all my guests said it was the best turkey they ever had. We got ours from Whole Foods, and the brand was "Plainville Farms" (http://www.plainvillefarms.com/). The turkey had a lot better flavor and…
View Full Recipe at The Urban Domestic Diva
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%20I%20have%20some%20overall%20tips%20for%20delicious%20turkey,%20some%20that%20are%20part%20of%20the%20above%20recipe,%20but%20others%20that%20I%20have%20learned%20in%20the%20past%20few%20years%20that%20have%20perfected%20my%20turkey.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOrganic%20IS%20worth%20the%20money:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe%20tried%20a%20fresh,%20organic%20turkey%20last%20year%20and%20all%20my%20guests%20said%20it%20was%20the%20best%20turkey%20they%20ever%20had.%20We%20got%20ours%20from%20Whole%20Foods,%20and%20the%20brand%20was%20%22Plainville%20Farms%22%20(http://www.plainvillefarms.com/).%20The%20turkey%20had%20a%20lot%20better%20flavor%20and%20texture%20than%20the%20frozen%20conventional%20ones%20in%20our%20past.%20If%20you%20can%20afford%20it,%20give%20it%20a%20try!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIf%20you%20have%20to%20get%20one%20really%20huge%20turkey,%20do%20two%20smaller%20ones%20instead:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EGenerally%20speaking,%20the%20really%20big%20turkeys%20are%20older%20and%20tougher-and%20they%20need%20to%20cook%20longer.%20If%20you%20are%20really%20feeding%20a%20crowd,%20I%20suggest%20you%20get%20two%20smaller%2012-15%20lb.%20turkeys.%20They%20will%20be%20more%20tender,%20easier%20to%20manage%20and%20quicker%20to%20cook.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ECook%20your%20bird%20upside%20down%20for%20half%20the%20cooking%20time:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThis%20is%20in%20my%20recipe,%20but%20I%20wish%20to%20reiterate%20it.%20Cooking%20the%20turkey%20this%20way%20allows%20the%20juice%20and%20drippings%20to%20fall%20toward%20the%20breast%20for%20most%20of%20the%20cooking%20time.%20It%20also%20forces%20the%20breasts%20to%20cook%20very%20slow%20at%20the%20bottom%20versus%20browning%20very%20fast%20on%20the%20top.%20You%20will%20need%20some%20help%20flipping%20the%20bird%20over-so%20enlist%20a%20strong%20guest%20or%20family%20member.%20Once%20flipped%20right%20side%20up,%20baste%20nicely%20and%20finish%20cooking.%20If%20the%20top%20starts%20browning%20too%20fast,%20tent%20with%20foil%20and%20continue%20basting.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIf%20you%20have%20the%20time,%20brining%20does%20wonders:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ELast%20year%20was%20the%20first%20year%20we%20brined%20the%20turkey,%20and%20it%20really%20was%20worth%20the%20extra%20effort.%20We%20used%20Williams%20Sonoma%20brining%20bags%20and%20their%20special%20brining%20mix.%20If%20you%20do%20a%20little%20research,%20some%20people%20swear%20by%20soaking%20the%20turkey%20in%20a%20brining%20solution%20in%20a%20large%20plastic%20bin%20or%20bucket.%20The%20issue%20is%20keeping%20the%20turkey%20cold%20that%20way.%20The%20bags%20allow%20us%20to%20keep%20the%20birds%20in%20the%20fridge,%20lying%20flat.%20Be%20sure%20to%20rinse%20the%20turkeys%20thoroughly%20after%20brining%20is%20done,%20otherwise%20you%20may%20have%20very%20salty%20turkeys%20(salt%20is%20the%20key%20to%20brining).%20If%20you%20wish%20to%20make%20a%20brining%20solution%20from%20scratch,%20Alton%20Brown%20rocks%20and%20here%20is%20his%20recipe:%20(http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EDon't%20forget%20to%20get%20your%20fingers%20UNDER%20the%20skin%20with%20all%20your%20shortening%20and%20seasonings%20when%20prepping:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThis%20is%20important%20to%20not%20only%20keep%20things%20moist%20under%20the%20skin%20while%20cooking,%20but%20also%20to%20infuse%20the%20meat%20with%20your%20flavors%20versus%20just%20seasoning%20the%20skin.%20You%20will%20get%20a%20better%20turkey%20by%20getting%20your%20hands%20dirty!%20Don't%20be%20shy!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EDon't%20stuff%20the%20turkey%20unless%20it's%20to%20flavor%20the%20turkey:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EStuffing%20can%20be%20served%20separately.%20Stuffing%20needs%20to%20be%20cooked%20to%20a%20different%20temperature%20than%20the%20turkey,%20so%20actually%20cooking%20them%20together%20at%20the%20same%20time%20doesn't%20make%20a%20whole%20lot%20of%20sense.%20Also,%20stuffing%20the%20turkey%20slows%20the%20cooking%20of%20the%20turkey,%20so%20its%20just%20better%20to%20keep%20the%20stuffing%20in%20it's%20own%20pan.%20You%20can%20stuff%20the%20turkey%20with%20some%20whole%20fruits%20or%20whole%20vegetables%20loosely%20that%20keep%20the%20turkey%20moist%20while%20cooking.%20My%20recipe%20above%20includes%20putting%20quartered%20apples,%20oranges%20and%20onions%20in%20the%20cavity.%20The%20moisture%20from%20the%20fruits%20keep%20the%20turkey%20very%20moist.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHope%20these%20tips%20help,%20and%20please%20have%20a%20wonderful%20and%20safe%20holiday!%20And%20as%20we%20all%20give%20thanks,%20I%20would%20like%20to%20thank%20you%20for%20visiting%20and%20being%20a%20reader!%3C/p%3E){kind=link}