Continue reading »]]> Gravy is the sauce of choice for Thanksgiving day. The meal would be missing something without it. There are many different approaches to making gravy, but today I am going to talk about making giblet gravy. First off, I am a brine guy. Before I roast my turkey, I give it a nice long soak in a salty, flavorful bath. The drawback to this is that the drippings from the turkey are going to be too salty for making a gravy from later on. So with that option gone, I turn to using the neck and giblets. I use them to create a stock that I will thicken up right at serving time. For worry free stock making I employ my slow cooker. Here is how I did it:

1. When I am ready to brine my turkey, I remove the neck and giblets.

2. I toss them into my slow cooker, along with some aromatics I had on hand: two carrot, one stalk of celery, a shallot (sliced in half). Along with some black pepper. You can use whatever you have on hand, including things like garlic, onions, herbs, etc.

3. I fill the rest of my slow cooker with water and set it to it’s lowest setting (which is 10 hours on my model).

4. When finished, I strain out all the solid parts.

5. You have the option of keeping the slow cooker on until you are ready to make the gravy (as long as the stock remains above 141 degrees), but you can also take your stock and place in the fridge until ready.

6. To prepare the final gravy, I used a roux. I decided I wanted 2 cups of gravy, so I measured out 2 cups of the stock, the rest can go in the freezer for later use. I set that aside.

7. To make the roux, you need the right ratio. I use 1 oz of flour and 1 oz of fat (butter) for every 1 cup of liquid. For in my case it was 2 oz of flour and 2 oz of butter. I melt the butter in a large frying pan. When the butter melted I added the flour, stirring until it was combined. Then I keep stirring it until the mixture takes on a nice brown, but not burnt color. Then it’s time to introduce the giblet stock. Stir that to combine and cook on medium heat until the desired consistency.

I thought this made a finger licking good gravy. And making the stock was so simple. It’s the perfect solution for us brine fans.

Continue reading »]]> There are a lot of important decisions to make when preparing for your Thanksgiving meal. And most of those decisions concern the bird you plan to roast. One of those questions you have to answer well before the meal, do I brine or not brine? I am here to give you my opinion on the subject.

Is Brining a Turkey Worth It?
Absolutely! Brining is your opportunity to introduce flavor to the inside of the meat. There are tons of great recipes out there that flavor the outside really well, but those flavors don’t penetrate into the interior like a brine does. That is a reason enough to brine. Another good reason is brining is kind of like insurance. If you overcook the turkey there is still a chance of it being juicy because you choose to brine. You can still dry out a brined turkey but it’s more difficult to do than with one that hasn’t been brined.

What Do I Need to Brine?
I like using a clean 5 gallon bucket that hasn’t been used for some other household project. The turkey goes in the bucket, along with the brine, and ice. The turkey likes a cold bath and if you don’t give it one you run the risk of inviting Salmonella to your party.

How Does Brining Work?
It’s all about osmosis. The concept is that an area of greater concentration wants to move to an area of lesser concentration to create a balance. Moisture will first move out of the bird and into the brine, but then to attain a balance, liquid will move inside the bird, bring flavor along with it. This process does take time.

How Long Do I Brine For?
This is where you will need some basic math skills. What time do you want to eat? An average 14-16 lb turkey takes somewhere around 2 to 2 1/2 hours, adding to that 15 minutes of resting time before carving. So you want to be pulling your turkey out of the brine right before you put it in the oven. You should brine for at least 8 hours, but no more than 16 hours.

I first learned how to brine a turkey from Alton Brown. Below you can watch a video of Alton giving his instructions on how to brine. I think everyone who is going to roast a turkey needs to watch this (and the entire “Romancing the Bird” episode).

Continue reading »]]> It’s that time of year again, time to talk turkey. Finding the perfect bird is essential for a great Thanksgiving meal. Once again this year I will be keeping track of deals, sales, and prices of both frozen and fresh turkeys from places across the great state of Michigan. As I will be adding more listings as I discover them. If you have found a great deal, make sure to tell me about in the comment section below. Or if you are looking for a great deal in your area, tell me where your from, and I will try to provide you with some info on your local area.

Also check out these other Thanksgiving-related topics: What is a Self-Basted Turkey?, Essential Thanksgiving Kitchen Tools, Pop-Up Timers, Pumpkin Recipes.

The Produce Station
Ann Arbor
1) Gast Farms White Broad-Breasted Free Range Turkeys (raised in Eau Claire, MI)
These turkeys are hormone and antibiotic-free, raised on a small farm in northern Michigan. The weight will range from between 20 to 30 pounds. Cost: $3.99/pound (uncooked) $6.99/pound (cooked)

2) Premium Fresh Peacock’s Poultry Farms Turkeys (raised in Troy, MI)
These turkeys are preservative and hormone-free raised in open houses with plenty of room, fresh water and feed.
Available in sizes from 11 lbs up to 20 lbs. Cost: $2.49/pound (uncooked) $5.99/pound (cooked)

Arbor Farms
Ann Arbor
1) Peacock Amish fresh turkey $1.99/lb.
Natural (no preservatives or additives), minimally-processed without growth hormones, and fresh from farms in Northern Indiana.

2) Michigan Amish fresh turkey $3.99/lb.
Raised on pasture at Hillcrest Farm by David Schmucker of the Amish community in Homer, Michigan.

3) Plainville Farms fresh turkey $3.99/lb.
Raised on a centennial family farm in central New York, these turkeys
are raised in pens with barnyard access in a process that is “Certified
Humane”.

4) Mary’s fresh organic turkey $4.99/lb.
Certified USDA organic and raised on a vegetarian-based diet of organic grains.

To order any of these turkeys visit the store service desk or call (734)996-8111

Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market
Clinton Township and Shelby Township
They are taking orders for Peacock 100% All Natural Fresh Amish Young Turkeys, Bell & Evans Fresh All Natural Turkey, and Bell & Evans Fresh All Natural Organic Turkey

Busch’s
Ann Arbor, Saline, Clinton, Tecumseh, Dexter, Pinckney, South Lyon, Plymouth/Northville, Carleton, Livonia, Novi, Farmington Hills, West Bloomfield, and Rochester Hills.
Prices good from 11/14/11 to 11/20/11
1) Jennie-O Frozen Turkey for $.57/lb (with $25 additional purchase)
2) Fresh Peacock Farms Turkey for $1.79/lb

Country Market
Jackson, Chelsea, Brooklyn, Saline, Adrian, and Dexter
Prices good from 11/16/11 to 11/29/11
1) Amish Country Frozen Turkey for $.68/lb (with $25 additional purchase)
2) Amish Country Fresh Turkey for $1.59/lb
3) Butterball Frozen Turkey for $1.29/lb
4) Honeysuckle Frozen Turkey for $1.19/lb

Meijer
Various locations throughout the state. Prices may be slightly different in each store, check your store to be sure.
For the week of 11/13/11, Get $9 off a Hen turkey (10-15 lb) with an additional $20 purchase.
Get $16 off a Tom turkey (over 16 lbs) with an additional $20 purchase.

Hiller’s
Ann Arbor, Berkley, Commerce Township, Northville, Plymouth, Union Lake, and West Bloomfield.
Prices good Nov 14-27. Here are the list of turkeys available at Hiller’s stores
1) Amish Valley or Timber Valley Fresh Amish Turkeys for $1.69/lb
2) Organic Blackwing Hen Turkey for $3.99/lb
3) All Natural Organic Bells & Evans Fresh Hen Turkeys (the turkey served at the White House) for $2.99/lb
4) Empire Kosher Fresh Turkeys for $3.29/lb
5) Empire Kosher Frozen Turkeys for $2.89/lb
6) Empire Kosher Frozen Turkey Breast for $3.99/lb
7) Prestage Foods Frozen Turkeys for $.88/lb (with $25 additional purchase)

Whole Foods Market
Two locations in Ann Arbor, as well as stores in Troy, Rochester Hills, and West Bloomfield.
1) Valerie’s Family Farm Brined Whole Turkey $1.99/lb
2) Nature’s Rancher Turkey – Fresh, Never Frozen $1.99/lb
3) Larry Schultz Organic Turkey $3.49/lb
4) Bone-In Turkey Breast $4.99/lb
5) Bone-In Organic Turkey Breast $7.99/lb
6) Boneless Turkey Breast $6.99/lb

Kroger
Various locations throughout the state. Prices may be slightly different in each store, check your store to be sure.
Prices good 11/14/11 to 11/20/11
1) Riverside Frozen Turkey $.59/lb (with $10 additional purchase)
2) Honeysuckle Fresh Turkey $1.59/lb
3) Honeysuckle or Private Selection Frozen Turkey $1.19/lb
4) Honeysuckle Frozen Bone-In Turkey Breast $1.79/lb

SuperOne Foods
Locations in the Upper Peninsula cities of Escanaba, Iron Mountain, Ironwood, Marquette, and Negaunee.
1) Jennie-O Frozen Turkeys for $.77/lb.
2) Jennie-O Fresh Turkey $2.50 off with coupon from ad
3) Honeysuckle Frozen Turkey for $1.69/lb

Neiman’s Family Market
Locations in Alpena, Tawas, and St. Clair.
1) Spartan brand frozen turkeys for $.69/lb with an additional $25 purchase.
2) Frozen Bone-In Whole Turkey Breast for $1.69/lb

Ric’s Food Center
Locations in Mt. Pleasant, Ithaca, Hemlock, Interlochen, Rockford, and Cannon Township.
1) Shurfresh Frozen Turkey for $.69/lb (limit 1 with additional $25 purchase)
2) Amish Country Fresh Turkey for $1.69/lb

D&W Fresh Market
Locations in Caledonia, Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Grandville, Holland, Kalamazoo, Portage, Rockford, and Williamston.
1) Spartan brand frozen turkeys for $.58/lb with an additional $10 purchase.
2) Butterball Frozen Turkeys for $1.28/lb
3) Frozen Bone-In Turkey Breast for $1.49/lb

Plumb’s
Locations in Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Norton Shores, Muskegon Heights, Newaygo, N. Muskegon, and Whitehall.
1) Spartan brand frozen turkeys for $.99/lb
2) Spartan brand fresh turkey for $1.59/lb
3) Butterball Frozen Turkey for $1.59/lb
4) Honeysuckle Frozen Turkey Breast for $1.59/lb

Tom’s Food Market
Locations in Traverse City, Williamsburg, Northport, and Interlochen.
They have coupons in their ad for $9 off any 12-18lb Spartan or Butterball frozen turkeys or Spartan fresh turkeys. Or you can get $16 off any 18.01 lb or larger Spartan or Butterball frozen turkeys or Spartan fresh turkeys.

Glen’s Market
Locations in Alma, Bellaire, Boyne City, Cadillac, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Clare, East Jordan, Frankfort, Gaylord, Grayling, Harrison, Houghton Lake, Kalkaska, Lewiston, Mancelona, Manistee, Marion, Mio, Munising, Oscoda, Petoskey, Rogers City, Roscommon, Rose City, Sault Ste. Marie, St. Ignace, Standish, Traverse City, and West Branch.
1) Spartan brand frozen turkeys for $.68/lb with an additional $10 purchase.
2) Butterball Frozen Turkey for $1.38/lb
3) Frozen Bone-In Turkey Breast for $1.69/lb

Nino Salvaggio
Locations in St. Clair Shores, Troy, and Clinton Township.
1) Boneless Turkey Breast for $3.99/lb
2) Fresh Amish Turkey for $1.79/lb

Plum Market
Locations in Ann Arbor, Bloomfield, and West Bloomfield.
1) All Natural Fresh Free Range Turkey $1.99/lb
2) All Natural Bell & Evans® Turkey $3.29/lb.
3) All Natural Empire Kosher Turkey $3.49/lb
4) Organic Bell & Evans® Turkey Price $4.49/lb

Holiday Market Canton
1) Fresh Whole Turkey Breast Bone-In $1.99/lb
2) Peach Fresh Amish Turkey $1.99/lb

Western Market
Ferndale
Fresh Peacock Brand Amish Turkeys $1.99/lb

Trader Joe’s
Ann Arbor, Northville, Farmington Hills, Royal Oak, Rochester Hills, and Gross Pointe
1) Trader Joe’s All Natural, Brined, Fresh Young Turkeys (12-22 pound birds) for $1.99 per pound
2) Trader Joe’s Glatt Kosher, All Natural, Fresh Young Turkeys (12-16 pound birds) for $2.49 per pound

Continue reading »]]> So you have survived Thanksgiving. You may be looking in your fridge at containers full of leftover turkey. You might be thinking do I really want to eat turkey sandwiches every day for the next week. I am here to give you some non-sandwich options.

Turkey & Rice Soup
A simple soup that is easy to make and delicious!

Turkey Fajitas
Why not use turkey for fajitas? If a recipe calls for chicken, you can try replacing it with turkey.

Continue reading »]]> Want an alternative to a turkey sandwich with your leftovers this year? Check out this recipe for turkey fajitas. Most of the time people use either chicken or beef for fajitas, but I say why not turkey! I figure you can use turkey for anything that you would use chicken for.

Ingredients
Leftover turkey
1 bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 small onion, diced (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin*
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander*
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
flour tortillas
kosher salt
canola oil
your favorite condiments: sour cream, shredded cheese, etc.

Heat a skillet on medium high on your stovetop or use an electric skillet. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. Add your bell pepper and onion, along with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook until soften. Then add 3-4 handfuls of leftover turkey along with the cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Cook just until the turkey is heated up. Wrap in tortillas with your favorite condiments and enjoy!

* I like to buy whole spices and grind them myself in a spice/coffee grinder.

Continue reading »]]> One great way to use your leftover turkey from Thanksgiving is in soups. It’s so easy to make up some soup and just throw some turkey in it. The first soup I made this year was turkey & rice. It involves cooking some rice in turkey or chicken stock, along with some carrots until finished, then throwing in handfuls of leftover turkey. I forgo the more common long grain rices and pick out a short grain or sushi rice. It just makes the soup better. I also like to throw in some chopped fresh rosemary and sage. Those herbs are classic Thanksgiving flavors. This recipe is meant for a big single serving or two smaller servings, so this is perfect to make a quick lunch. I saved some of the soup in a zip top bag and placed it in the freezer for when I need a quick lunch.

Ingredients
Leftover turkey
1/2 cup short grain (sushi) rice
fresh rosemary & sage, chopped fine
1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine
1 celery stalk, chopped fine (optional)
3 cups turkey or chicken stock

Combine the stock, carrot, herbs, and rice in a pot and bring to a boil. Slap on a lid and simmer until the rice is cooked, about 10-15 minutes. Add a couple handfuls of leftover turkey and bring back to a boil, just to heat up the turkey. Serve and enjoy!

Continue reading »]]> So we are now a day before the big day. Is your turkey still a solid block? Under no circumstance do you want to place a frozen turkey in the oven. So if you are in a hurry there is something you can do. But first I must tell you that NEVER, EVER, EVER leave a turkey to thaw at room temperature. This is a good way to miss those great Black Friday sales because you are too busy visiting your toilet. A must safer option is the one Alton Brown (of Good Eats) recommends. Take your frozen turkey, place it into a 5 gallon bucket, full of cold water. In about 6-8 hours your turkey will be defrosted and ready to go. This method is faster than doing it in the fridge and safer than doing it at room temperature. What happens when you do this in the process of conduction. The turkey and the water want to be at the same temperature. The outer part of the turkey will defrost before the inner part, so it’s important to always keep the whole turkey below 40 degrees, so bacteria doesn’t show up. This is why defrosting at room temperature is such a no-no.

Some final notes: Make sure when you do this to keep the turkey in it’s packaging as well as to change the water every 3 hours. Alton recommends doing this in a bath tub where it will be easier to change the water, then trying to get water into a 5 gallon bucket in our kitchen sink.

Also check out these other Thanksgiving-related topics: What is a Self-Basted Turkey?, Essential Thanksgiving Kitchen Tools, Pop-Up Timers, Pumpkin Recipes, Why Should I Brine my Turkey?.

Continue reading »]]> Whenever you are talking turkey with people, you are probably going to find that one person that is convinced the turkey must be basted. So if this is true, what does basting a turkey accomplish? Nothing that is good. Basting a turkey is a great way to ensure your skin will not be crisp. Now someone may agrue that it adds flavor. However you can flavor the skin yourself by adding salt, pepper, herbs, or any other seasoning. And you can do this without having to re-open the oven door. Opening the oven door over and over again is like trying to dry your hair after a shower and every few minutes you squirt your hair down with more water. It slows the process down which leads for a great possibility of a dried out bird. So forget the basting, season the skin before you cook and leave that turkey alone.

Don’t want to take my word for it? Check out what Alton Brown said about basting a turkey in a talk he gave at the Google headquarters.

Continue reading »]]> As you get your turkey ready for the big day, you might have noticed a little white tube sticking out of your bird. Most likely the packaging holding your bird advertised with pride that the turkey has a pop-up timer that will pop when the turkey is done. What is this pop-up timer made of? Inside there is a spring that is held down by an epoxy. This epoxy melts somewhere in the neighborhood of 180 degrees, thus releasing the spring and the timer “pops up”. The biggest problem with these things is that they are always inserted into the white meat. Now 180 degrees is what you want the dark meat at, but the white meat will be dry when it reaches 180. So instead I would recommend using a probe thermometer, instead of the pop-up timer. This is better for two reasons, first you don’t have to open the oven door to see if the pop-up timer, popped. Second, you can know exactly when the white meat is done without overcooking it. However make sure you do NOT remove the pop-up timer or you will create a nice hole in your turkey for juices to escape.

Continue reading »]]>

When my wife and I were preparing to celebrate our 1st Christmas together, we were looking for someone special to make for dinner on Christmas Eve. After a trip to the grocery store, I came up with turkey drumsticks. We have been making these drumsticks every Christmas Eve for the last 5 years. As I have become a better cook, the drumsticks have become better too. The process begins with a brine that will keep your drumsticks moist and add additional flavor. We normally buy 3 drumsticks so the recipe is based on that. If your drumsticks are frozen, make sure to defrost them first.

Brine
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 pound of ice

Place a saucepan with the broth along with the peppercorns over medium heat. Add the sugar and salt to the broth and cook until they are dissolved. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the ice, to bring the temperature down (you don’t want to boil the drumsticks!). Place the drumsticks in a gallon size plastic bag and add the liquid. Place the bag in a dish just in case it leaks and place it into the fridge. Allow the brine at least 2-3 hours to work. I would not go more than 6, or you might end up with some salty turkey.

When it is time to cook take your drumsticks out of the bag and pat them dry. You will now need the following items for additional flavor:

canola oil
fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage

Rub each drumstick with canola oil, just enough to make it shiny. Cut up the herbs and rub them all over the drumsticks. The amount of herbs you will need depends on the size of the drumsticks. While you are doing this you can heat your oven to 500 degrees, we are going to start high in order to get some nice coloring on the outside, then we will turn it down to 350 for the rest of the way.

When your drumsticks and oven are both ready, place them on the center rack of your oven and cook them for about 10-15 minutes (this may produce some smoke in your kitchen, especially if you haven’t cleaned your oven this decade; I would recommend cleaning your oven before doing this recipe). After that time is up, turn the oven down to 350 and insert a probe thermometer into the biggest part of the largest drumstick. Be very careful that you don’t hit a bone or your temp reading will be off. Since drumsticks are dark meat you will want to cook them until they reach a temperature of 180 degrees. I would plan on about 1 to 1 1/2 hours for them to be done, but it depends on how big the drumsticks are and your oven. When you take them out let them rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting into them.