Thompsons Turkey Recipes

TURKEY DINNER WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS

Steps:

• In a medium pot with a candy thermometer or deep-fry thermometer attached, heat the broth. When the liquid reaches 165 degrees F, with barely any bubbles reaching the surface, add the turkey. Adjust the heat, if necessary, to keep the temperature at 165 degrees F. Using foil, cover the pot around the thermometer and poach the turkey until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 150 degrees F, about 30 to 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the turkey rest in the poaching liquid for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil. Add the onions and celery and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the poultry seasoning and bread. Stir to combine. Lower the heat to low and add the poaching liquid, 1/2 cup at a time (about 1 cup total), to the pan to moisten the bread. Stir well, and then cover. Cook until the bread is moist and hot, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• Remove the thermometer from the pot and bring the poaching liquid up to a simmer. In a small bowl, add the cornstarch. Whisk in about 1/2 cup of the poaching liquid, and then pour the mixture back in to the pot. Turn up the heat so that the liquid boils. Turn down the heat and simmer until the liquid thickens and reduces in volume by a third, about 10 minutes. If the liquid is too thin, mix more cornstarch with some liquid from the pot and stir it back into the simmering gravy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Slice the turkey breast as thinly as possible. Serve with the stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce.

CHEF JOHN'S ROAST TURKEY AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix 2 tablespoons salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper, and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. Tuck turkey wings under the bird, and season cavity with about 1 tablespoon of the poultry seasoning mixture. Reserve remaining poultry seasoning mix.
• Toss the onion, celery, and carrots together in a bowl. Stuff about 1/2 cup of the vegetable mixture, rosemary sprigs, and 1/2 bunch sage into the cavity of the turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Loosen the skin on top of the turkey breast using fingers or a small spatula. Place about 2 tablespoons butter under the skin and spread evenly. Spread the remaining butter (about 2 tablespoons) all over the outside of the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the turkey with the remaining poultry seasoning mix.
• Spread the remaining onion, celery, and carrots into a large roasting pan. Place the turkey on top of the vegetables. Fill the pan with about 1/2 inch of water. Arrange a sheet of aluminum foil over the breast of the turkey.
• Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 3 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). Remove the foil during the last hour of cooking. Baste the turkey with the pan juices.
• While the turkey is roasting, make stock: place neck, heart, and gizzards in a saucepan with the bay leaf and water. Simmer over medium heat for 2 hours. Strain the turkey giblets from the stock, and discard giblets. There should be at least 4 cups of stock.
• Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Pour the pan juices, about 3 cups, into a saucepan and set aside. Skim off the turkey fat from the pan juices, reserving about 2 tablespoons.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the turkey fat and 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Transfer the onion from the roasting pan into the skillet. Cook and stir until the onion is browned, about 5 minutes, then stir in the flour. Continue to cook and stir for about 5 minutes more; whisk in 4 cups of the skimmed turkey stock and the reserved pan juices until smooth; skim off any foam. Stir in the balsamic vinegar. Simmer until the gravy is thickened, whisking constantly, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of chopped sage, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

MORTON THOMPSON TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Chop fine the reserved turkey fat.
• In a small saucepan set over moderate heat, combine the reserved fat with 1/2 cup of the water; bring to a boil and simmer until all the water has evaporated and only clear fat and small pieces of solid remain.
• Reserve fat for stuffing.
• Season the inside of the turkey with salt and pepper.
• Rub the skin all over with the oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Prepare the giblets for the basting liquid. Bring to a boil and simmer the entire time you for basting. Add more water as needed.
• Meat Mixture: melt butter & brown veal, pork; cool and add to bread crumbs, combine > (bowl #3).
• Make the DRESSING:.
• Prep Bowl of Fruits : Combine all ingredients noted above for dressing.
• Prep Bowl of Seasonings : Combine all ingredients noted above.
• Prep Bowl of Breadcrumbs and COOKED meat mixture.
• In a VERY large bowl combine ingredients from all three bowls listed above.
• Mix it well. (As Morten said, "Mix it with your hands. Mix it until your forearms and wrists ache. Then mix it some more. Now toss it enough so that it isn't any longer a doughy mass.").
• Loosely stuff the turkey.
• Stuff the neck cavity and sew closed the openings.
• Tie legs together.
• In a separate bowl: Make the PASTE with ingredients listed above. Combine all ingredients for paste in a bowl, adding enough flour to form a thick paste.
• In a large open roasting pan with a rack: Arrange turkey breast side down on a rack sitting in a shallow roasting pan.
• NOTE: Continually add water to the bottom of roasting pan so drips do not smoke and set off your smoke alarm! I don't think Morton had to worry about that, but we sure have have to!
• Preheat oven to 500°.
• Put the turkey in the oven and roast it for 15 minutes, or until browned.
• Turn it breast side up and roast for and additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
• Now that it's nice and brown, using a pastry or paint brush coat the turkey completely with the paste -- in every nook and cranny.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• To the simmering basting liquid, continue to add cider and water and reduce until all cider has been added. Remove from heat but keep warm on top of stove. *This is your basting liquid.
• Roast the bird, basting it frequently, (the original recipe says every 15 minutes) for 4 1/2 to 5 hours, or until an instant meat thermometer reads 180 to 185 in the thigh; 170 in the breast and 160 in the stuffing.
• Let rest at least 15 to 20 minutes, before peeling away crust/skin.
• Make gravy as usual.
• Remove the dressing.
• Carve as usual & enjoy!

TOM TURKEYS

Steps:

• In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. For tails, use a dab of chocolate to attach five candy corns to the chocolate side of half of the cookies in a fan shape; refrigerate until set., In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add marshmallows; stir over low heat until melted. Stir in cereal. Cool for 10 minutes. With buttered hands, form cereal mixture into 1-1/2-in. balls., Remelt chocolate if necessary. Using chocolate, attach the cereal balls to the chocolate side of the remaining cookies. Position tails perpendicular to the base cookies; attach with chocolate. Refrigerate until set., For feet, cut off white tips from 52 candy corns; discard tips. Attach feet to base cookies with chocolate. Attach one candy corn to each cereal ball for heads., With a toothpick dipped in chocolate, attach two confetti sprinkles to each head. Using chocolate, dot each sprinkle to make pupils. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

THOMPSON'S BAKED BEANS RECIPE - (3.9/5)

Steps:

• Soak beans overnight, then drain and cover with water, boil for 30 minutes. Drain, add to slow cooker with these ingredients and cover with water. Cook on high about 7 hours.