Bird is done, but I'm reeling from mild disappointment....
Hungry husband could not wait for bird to finish cooking and sneaked in two deli turkey sandwiches at 3:10, while I was here posting an update, then laid down for a post-golf nap. Meanwhile, No. 1 and No. 2 Sons left at about the same time to "run an errand...be right back." Mother called wanting an update on the pre-holiday test run, and I kinda forgot what I was doing for a few moments....
EGADS! 3:25 p.m. and Temp reads 175 degrees in breast! ARRGGGHH!!!
Immediately removed turkey from oven, removed from the roasting pan and set aside to cool uncovered. More than a little ruffled (this, by the way, is when I first became aware that hubby was MIA), I deglazed the roasting pan with a cup of boiling water, then removed browned mirepoix from the liquid. Heated the drippings in a saucepan and thickened with cornstarch. YUM!!! Turkey now reads 180 degrees in breast. Great.
Went to find hubby to come see this beautiful looking bird, but heard him snoring behind the closed bedroom door. Sons still running that errand at 3:45 p.m.
Fine. Change of plans. I poured a very chilled glass of chardonay.
1. Obviously, this is an overcooked turkey. But it sure looks good and smells wonderful. As I removed the thermometer from the breast, a slow and steady stream of clear juices ran. And ran. And ran! This is very good.
2. The skin is exceptionally crisp. Sliced off a small section and found it very crunchy, similar to that of a fried turkey, and not too terribly salty at all. About normal there, really. This is also very good!
3. Sliced a 1/4-inch thick slab of turkey expecting the outer flesh, at least, to be as dry as cardboard, BUT IT ISN'T!!! Wow!. Tasted a piece and WOW! This isn't salty at all and I can definately taste the rosemary and thyme! This is very, very good news!!
4. I began carving the entirety of this breast, cut same into chunks and placed on a cheery paper plate. Now I cut into the adjacent thigh, and OH MY GARSHWITZ!!! This flesh is, well it's indescribably juicy! Took a bite of that. Oh my. Oh, my, my, my. Sliced more of same and added to breast meat and took the plate outside.
5. The outdoor call of "Who wants a taste-test of my trial turkey?" yielded an immediate influx of youngsters ranging in age from 7 to 15, along with five adults who have heard volumes about my attempts today. After the universal Oohs and Aahhs, we all got down to business.
Seriously, without one single exception, every single person young and old stated:
The turkey is really, really moist (I, of course didn't reveal that it was so overcooked).
The turkey tasted fantastic. Not salty at all in both white and dark meats.
The seasonings were easily identified in both white and dark meats.
My conclusions:
I truly believe the brining saved my turkey. It was way too hot when it came out of the oven and should have been extremely dry (as my normal turkeys are despite best efforts before), but it certainly wasn't dry in the least. Without exaggeration, this was the most moist turkey I remember. And the skin was crispier than I can remember, too.
Despite the 3% salinity to begin with, the turkey was not salty. In fact, it would not have been harmed by soaking longer. The syrup added just a very subtle hint of maple and was not in the least bit "sweet." Even with such a short soak, the flavorings permeated all the way to the bone and fairly evenly. That amazes me. I could taste the rosemary and thyme in the meat from dead center of the breast muscle.
I can't wait to hear Otter's results with a longer soak! But I will tell you this, I will most certainly be soaking my Thanksgiving turkey in a brine, for 6-8 hours perhaps, and I WILL NOT allow it to overcook! On that note, this turkey also cooked faster than normal (I think) and there was a significant crescendo in meat temperatures in the last 20 minutes of cooking. Had I pulled the bird out ten minutes earlier, I feel it would have been absolutely perfect. It irritates the soul out of me that I won't know on this one.
Now that the bird has become a carcass and tuperwared in the fridge with the rest of what would have been dinner, the husband is now awake. We grabbed a white meat slab that was slightly chilled, I nuked it for 20 seconds :twisted: and the meat is still moist. Darned tasty, too. That also amazes me.
As I sit here typing upstairs, I just heard hubby say to returning sons, "Did you guys go to Taco Bell?" They're all on their own now.
By the way, I made smashed red potatoes and steamed asparagus to go along.
Geez. I'm tired.