Kevin's Watch

Anybody ever de-bone a turkey before cooking?
I follow this guy on Youtube and I'm thinking of trying it.
Not this week though.
I'm a guest for Thanksgiving.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peeRWHI ... damRagusea

Adam has a lot of good vids, imho.

+JMJ+

High Lord Tolkien wrote:Anybody ever de-bone a turkey before cooking?
I follow this guy on Youtube and I'm thinking of trying it.
Not this week though.
I'm a guest for Thanksgiving.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peeRWHI ... damRagusea

Adam has a lot of good vids, imho.

Didn't watch the whole vid, but it looks & sounds delish.

If anyone wants to do the prep-work, Wosbald is game to do the leg-work. Turkey leg, that is.



Send invitations to:

The Wizard of Wos
c/o Emerald City Postmaster
Over the Rainbow

Wos, if you've read this thread, you know that a certain poster prominent in the thread will invite folk to sample our cuisine on the thinnest of pretexts...and we have met almost as many Watchers through food occasions as formal Elohimfests.

The prudence of not doxxing yourself by publicly providing a real address is understood, but if you seek an invitation, PM either of us.

If you are Over the Rainbow, travel between there and our Pacific Northwet location ought to be simple.


No promises about corn puddings, tall or otherwise.

+JMJ+

Sorry, SD. That's very kind. But I was just goofin'. Trying to lighten the mood. I have failed.

Be not so swift to question your goofy lightness!

Despite being generally antisocial, for some reason we take hospitality pretty seriously.
While it is offered freely, there is no shame in declining.

We're all good.

Tonight I'll remove the flour sack towel from the birdie, pat it dry, and refrigerate uncovered overnight to really set in the dry brine. In the meantime, prep continues...


Enhanced homemade poultry bone broth, enriched with the turkey neck, gizzards, heart, onion, carrot, parsnip, and celery.


The strained out giblets and aromatics. Made for a great lunch today.


The enhanced stock strained and defatted, awaiting the turkey drippings to be made in to gravy.


Enhanced mirepoix or trinity, waiting to be mixed in to the crockpot stuffing tomorrow.


Beginning of the cranberry sauce. I forgot the sprig of fresh rosemary prior to taking the photo. I added it after and simmered the sugar syrup an additional few minutes.


Raw cranberries added to the sugar syrup, as well about a shot and a half of bourbon.


The finished cranberry sauce with the orange zest stirred in cooling before packaging for the overnight chill.


Cranberry sauce ready to chill overnight.

Final preparations attempting to be timed together.


Fortified stock to flavor and moisten the stuffing


Stuffing cubes with mirepoix on top


Stuffing and mirepoix mixed together


Stuffing mixture moistened with stock and butter


Whipped eggs to add to stuffing mixture


Buttered crockpot insert


Mixture with whipped eggs in crockpot ready to go


Birdie straight from fridge after 3-day dry brining


My rosemary bush for fresh sprigs


Aromatics for birdie's cavity:
Apple, onion and cinnamon stick to be steeped
Fresh sage and rosemary


Steeped aromatics placed in cavity


Followed by the fresh herbs


Birdie after 500°F blast for 30 minutes


Foil shield to protect breasts with two probe thermometers inserted


Breast meat at 157°F, thigh at 175°F


Remote receiver for thermometer in thigh so I can leave kitchen


Birdie pulled at temperature, awaiting a light cover of foil to rest for an hour before carving

I worked a 12 and half hour shift.

Sarge, those of us who know what you do for a living respect that you spent your overly-long day overseeing how the occasion was observed in your facility. I hope all had the best Thanksgiving they might receive...and those working with you are thankful for the time and insight you've devoted to improving operational procedures.

Dinner was served about three hours ago. Timing came together pretty well.


From left to right:
Homemade cranberry orange sauce with rosemary and bourbon
Homemade gravy from giblet stock and turkey drippings in thermos
Keto green bean casserole


Carved whole roasted turkey
Crockpot stuffing


Dam-sel's contributions:
Homemade pumpkin bread
Homemade apple pie


Close up of cranberry sauce


Close up of keto green bean casserole (SD' s contribution)


Close up of whole carved turkey. On the platter is both legs, both thighs, both wings, and one breast


Close up of crockpot stuffing


Homemade gravy still on the stove


My first dinner plate. I definitely had seconds, although much smaller servings of each item.

Night 1 of using the planned overs from our festive meal always falls on Erev Shabbos, so that's easy: Festive Meal Redux. We mostly reheated everything in the microwave.

Night 2 of eating planned overs we try to get a bit more creative. Tonight I made Monte Cristo sandwiches with cranberry orange sauce for dipping, rather than raspberry preserves. We also finished up the green bean casserole for our vegetable.


My version of a Bennigan's Monte Cristo sandwich


Dipped in to cranberry orange sauce with rosemary and bourbon, rather than raspberry preserves

Me at Menolly's house waiting for 3rds:

Savor Dam wrote:Sarge, those of us who know what you do for a living respect that you spent your overly-long day overseeing how the occasion was observed in your facility. I hope all had the best Thanksgiving they might receive...and those working with you are thankful for the time and insight you've devoted to improving operational procedures.

Thank you. I ran the meal from conception to execution.

Tonight's Planned Over Meal #3 was a mashup of Turkey Tetrazzini and kugel executed by SD for a Hanukkah Festive Meal. While it was full on carb with extra wide egg noodles and peas and carrots, no canned Cream of soup was used, SD made the sauce all from scratch.


Tetrazzini Kugel fresh out of the oven.


It didn't hold together the way I think of kugel, but it was definitely tasty!

At this point, there is three cups of turkey left which has been cubed and put in to the freezer for use down the road. The only items left at this point is some stuffing, which I have a plan for, and some pumpkin bread.

To be continued...

Menolly wrote:Tonight's Planned Over Meal #3 was a mashup of Turkey Tetrazzini and kugel executed by SD for a Hanukkah Festive Meal. While it was full on carb with extra wide egg noodles and peas and carrots, no canned Cream of soup was used, SD made the sauce all from scratch.


Tetrazzini Kugel fresh out of the oven.


It didn't hold together the way I think of kugel, but it was definitely tasty!

At this point, there is three cups of turkey left which has been cubed and put in to the freezer for use down the road. The only items left at this point is some stuffing, which I have a plan for, and some pumpkin bread.

To be continued...

That looks pretty good!

We finished up the planned overs on Tuesday. All we had left at that point was about 3 cups of white meat turkey which I cubed and froze for a future meal, and some crockpot stuffing. Since we are still in the midst of Hanukkah, I combined the stuffing with sweet potatoes and made stuffing-sweet potato latkes.


Shredded white fleshed sweet potatoes lightly steamed until just tender


What was left of the crockpot stuffing


Stuffing and sweet potatoes combined with beaten eggs to form the batter. What was nice was since the sweet potatoes were slightly cooked, there was no risk of the batter discoloring due to oxidation. What I didn't consider was the recipe didn't call for additional seasoning; I think it was assumed the stuffing seasoning would be enough. I found the results to be a little flat. I should have fried up a small tasting latke to balance the seasoning before forming the rest. I feel it definitely needed some salt.
Lesson learned.


Latkes formed and placed on parchment lined sheet pan, which has been lightly oiled to hopefully prevent sticking. Placed in to the refrigerator for a couple of hours to firm up before frying.


First batch in a shallow fry of extra light olive oil


Nice golden brown on the flip


As the oil got used, the latkes turned out a little darker. They didn't taste burnt to me, though.


Dinner plate with a different protein than turkey! SD made steak and steamed broccoli crowns, which was served with the stuffing-sweet potato latkes, and some apple sauce with ground Ceylon cinnamon for dipping.


Happy Hanukkah!

Has anyone planned their menu for this year?

My sister-in-law made reservations at a restaurant in Chicago.

Damelon wrote:My sister-in-law made reservations at a restaurant in Chicago.

Oh, I've been to the one here in Bellevue. Lovely establishment!