Are you ready to talk turkey???

I don’t want to talk about just any turkey here, I want to talk about a turkey that is swathed in flavorful, crispy skin in deep shades of glistening mahogany.

A turkey with white meat so tender and juicy it doesn’t need any gravy.

Last year was the first year I’d hosted Thanksgiving dinner in my home for a number of years, so I really wanted it to be special, starting with the Turkey. I did a ton of research on preparing the perfect bird and tried a few new techniques… and let me say, the research paid off because the bird was so incredible I can’t imagine ever doing it any other way.

I’m so glad I took the time to figure all of that out last year because this year’s feast is going to present its own set of challenges since I’ll be making Thanksgiving dinner at our Pied~de~Eze in the South of France.

Some of the particular challenges I’m contemplating include the fact that my kitchen here is a fraction of the size of the one in Seattle, and I’m not sure if I’ve ever even turned on the {single} oven. I won’t have my garden to visit for greens for garnishes or the flower arrangements; and the tablescape will definitely need to have a different look, since the Pied~de~Eze is decorated in a very contemporary style, and there is not a single piece of antique china, crystal or silver in the place, which is usually my standard.

Also, of course, I don’t have my familiar go~to places to buy what I need with ease. But I’m ready for the challenge. In the days leading up to the big day I’ll be hitting markets in France, Italy and spending a few days in Prague, along the way I hope to curate all I need to create a splendid Thanksgiving dinner for my family and friends.

But for now, let’s get to that turkey talk…

So, after carefully researching many methods I ended up combining 2 different practices to get the succulent bird of my dreams. Turns out, you don’t need to go through the hassle of brining that big bird after all. Instead I followed the practice of using this dry rub {omitting the fennel seeds} on the turkey the day before, allowing it to sit in the refrigerator overnight and then for 2 hours {after wiping off the salt mixture} on the counter Thanksgiving morning so the skin got very dry, which is key to crispness.

Before draping it in this saturated cheesecloth wrap I slid slices of butter and sage leaves under the breast skin to add flavor, fat and pretty texture. Michael Symons {creator of the cheesecloth wrap method above} simply stuffs his bird with herbs, lemon and garlic. I, however, love the complex flavors and textures of a classic cornbread stuffing with dried fruit, so I mixed together sautéed onions, celery, carrots, added in giblet broth, sage, prunes that had been soaking in Armagnac for days, dried sour cherries, dried apricots and the cornbread and stuffed that in the cavity before draping it with the saturated cheesecloth.

I placed fully cheesecloth wrapped 15 pound bird {he just drapes it over the breasts and legs} on a the roasting rack, doused it with the liquids, and into the oven preheated to 425 degrees, breast side down {he does breast up, but as I explain in my roasted chicken formula, if you roast with the breast down all of the dark meat drippings merge into the stuffing and breast meat} and cooked it for an hour. Then I reduced the heat to 375 degrees and basted it with the pan liquids {over the cheesecloth} and let it cook until it was almost done, about another 2 hours.

Finally, I pulled off the cheesecloth and turned the bird over to crisp up the already golden brown breast for about 20 minutes. This resulted in gorgeous, deep mahogany skin with tender, moist and flavorful white meat. I let it rest for about 20 minutes before carving.

What are your plans for Thanksgiving, will you be cooking?

Any great side dishes you’d like to share?

I’d love to hear about them!