bbally
Cook
As many of you know my wife is back east taking care of her terminally ill mother. So for the children and I this was a little different Thanksgiving than the past. We did set up the table and do the full on Thanksgiving Day feast...
Some random shots of the feast in progress. The bird came out great this year. Fried a turkey the weekend prior for an article, raccoon got it off the porch.... then roasted the one we ate on Thanksgiving Day.
Hope each of you that celebrate it, had a great Thanksgiving Day!!
I like a loose cornbread stuffing in the bird. This bird is a 20 pounder... it will be around 23 pounds with the stuffing in it. Once stuffed the bird needs to be trussed. Trussing is kind of a lost art nowadays. Was a time when no self respecting person with put a bird on the table with its wings flopping out in neverland... roasted to a cinder because no one took the time to truss them up against the breast so they would cook even with the rest of the bird. Same with the legs, the advent of the plastic leg thing created a situation were that has become the truss.
Butcher twine... truss for a better product.
One more time behind and under around to pull those thighs in and the turkey is ready. Seasoned up and into the oven!
While that is going on we have sweet potatoes getting ready... the potato filling getting put together... rolls rising, and of course stock, and giblet gravy all being prepared.
This is a straight cubed bread filling, sage and sausage for the potato filling. I make this stuffing up and fold it with 6 eggs into the mash potatoes, then bake it as a casserole. The best mash taters you ever ate in your life!!!
Have to have hot bread......
I like a pot of basting stock for the bird. Many people use water, I like the turkey tail roasted.. then simmered with bouquet garni some onion and celery. Makes a nice stock for basting.
I also pull the neck down as minced neck meat adds depth to the giblet gravy IMO.
One more hour and it will be done! The smell is just fantastic at this point.
Finally all temperatures are reached. Looking at it.. I think it went well. Would have liked to see less skin creep on the legs.. probably have to shield it next year to see if that helps. Remove the truss and plate.
Needs its filling removed and dressed out on the plate. But it came out pretty nice. Of course with only three of us... this will make many many leftovers. Turkey Pies for the kids to take frozen to college for meals they can make. And soups, lots of soups...... This will bring us to the point of the soup lecture! Please cool your soup rapidly... it makes a safe product.
'til we speak again... have a great holiday weekend.... and remember it is the tripdaphan that makes you sleepy!
Chef Bob Ballantyne
The Cowboy and The Rose Catering
Grand Junction, Colorado, USA
Some random shots of the feast in progress. The bird came out great this year. Fried a turkey the weekend prior for an article, raccoon got it off the porch.... then roasted the one we ate on Thanksgiving Day.
Hope each of you that celebrate it, had a great Thanksgiving Day!!
I like a loose cornbread stuffing in the bird. This bird is a 20 pounder... it will be around 23 pounds with the stuffing in it. Once stuffed the bird needs to be trussed. Trussing is kind of a lost art nowadays. Was a time when no self respecting person with put a bird on the table with its wings flopping out in neverland... roasted to a cinder because no one took the time to truss them up against the breast so they would cook even with the rest of the bird. Same with the legs, the advent of the plastic leg thing created a situation were that has become the truss.
Butcher twine... truss for a better product.
One more time behind and under around to pull those thighs in and the turkey is ready. Seasoned up and into the oven!
While that is going on we have sweet potatoes getting ready... the potato filling getting put together... rolls rising, and of course stock, and giblet gravy all being prepared.
This is a straight cubed bread filling, sage and sausage for the potato filling. I make this stuffing up and fold it with 6 eggs into the mash potatoes, then bake it as a casserole. The best mash taters you ever ate in your life!!!
Have to have hot bread......
I like a pot of basting stock for the bird. Many people use water, I like the turkey tail roasted.. then simmered with bouquet garni some onion and celery. Makes a nice stock for basting.
I also pull the neck down as minced neck meat adds depth to the giblet gravy IMO.
One more hour and it will be done! The smell is just fantastic at this point.
Finally all temperatures are reached. Looking at it.. I think it went well. Would have liked to see less skin creep on the legs.. probably have to shield it next year to see if that helps. Remove the truss and plate.
Needs its filling removed and dressed out on the plate. But it came out pretty nice. Of course with only three of us... this will make many many leftovers. Turkey Pies for the kids to take frozen to college for meals they can make. And soups, lots of soups...... This will bring us to the point of the soup lecture! Please cool your soup rapidly... it makes a safe product.
'til we speak again... have a great holiday weekend.... and remember it is the tripdaphan that makes you sleepy!
Chef Bob Ballantyne
The Cowboy and The Rose Catering
Grand Junction, Colorado, USA
