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Thursday, November 12, 2009

Yummm! Alternatives for a Funky Turkey Day!!!

I want to make the turkey this year for Thanksgiving... and I am really looking forward to it. This year, instead of the usual tried and true... I am heading towards something new!

Here are a few turkey recipes that I've scoured the internet to find. The first one is the one I am looking forward to trying (Though I always wanted to tackle a deep fried turkey... if only I had a bigger kitchen!)

Bourbon Brine Roasted Turkey With BBQ Gravy



COOK TIME
4 Hours

PREPARATION TIME
5 Hours 95 Minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 item gallon water
2 cup salt
2 cup apple juice
1 cup bourbon or additional cup of apple juice
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
½ cup light brown sugar
1 item turkey (12–14 pounds), reserve neck and giblets for gravy ( Rub recipe follows)
2 tablespoon salt
1½ tablespoon ground sage
1½ tablespoon thyme
½ tablespoon black pepper
½ tablespoon Neely's seasoning (recipe follows)
1 item Olive oil for rubbing on turkey
¼ cup white sugar
½ cup paprika
1¼ cup onion powder ( BBQ Gravy recipes to follow)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 item Reserved neck and giblets from turkey
1 item large onion, sliced
8 cup turkey stock or chicken stock
2 tablespoon Wondra or flour
¼ cup BBQ sauce (recommended: Neely's BBQ Sauce)
1 cup Salt and freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

Pour brine ingredients into a clean 5-gallon bucket lined with a resealable bag. (Editors' note: Try Thekitchenstore.com's Turkey Brining Bag.) Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve, add turkey, and seal bag. Use a garbage bag to line an ice chest, and insert bucket with turkey, making sure to surround it with ice. Keep in a cool place, and let soak for 6 hours or overnight, but flip the turkey bag halfway through. Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and mix all ingredients in the rub together, except for the olive oil. Rub the turkey with some olive oil and massage the rub onto the turkey. Tie up the wings and legs of turkey with white cotton string, if desired, and place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Cook for 1¾ hours, remove from oven to baste with the pan drippings, then cook for another 1¾ to 2 hours or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F and the juices run clear. Place a piece of aluminum foil over—but not touching—legs or wings if the skin there begins to get too dark. This "tenting" shields them from some heat.

While turkey is in oven, make BBQ gravy. Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the neck and giblets, sear until brown, remove from pan, and reserve. Lower heat and sauté the onions. Add the stock, scraping up the food on the bottom of the pan. Add the neck and giblets back into the saucepan, cover, and let simmer until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for about 2 hours. Remove turkey parts. Place 1 cup of the gravy into a medium bowl and whisk in the Wondra or flour until smooth. Add the thickened gravy back to the pot along with the BBQ sauce. Whisk the gravy until it is thickened as desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove turkey from oven, and let rest 30 minutes before you carve and serve with gravy.

Nutritional Information
Per serving: 257 calories, 9 grams carbohydrate, 86 milligrams cholesterol, 8 grams fat, 34 grams protein, 2,129 milligrams sodium.

Courtesy of The Neelys via Essence Magazine

Deep-Fried Turkey



Cook Time:40 min
Level: Difficult
Yield: 12 to 16 servings

Ingredients
5 gallons peanut oil*
10 to 15-pound unstuffed turkey
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
Directions
*Cooks Note: To measure the amount of oil needed to fry the turkey, place turkey in fryer, add water to top of turkey, remove the turkey and the water line will indicate how much oil will be needed to fry your turkey. Having too much oil can cause a fire. The pot should not be more than 3/4 full or the oil could overflow when the turkey is added.

Pour peanut oil into a 10-gallon pot. Put pot on propane cooker and heat oil to 400 degrees F.

Have turkey completely thawed and dry turkey thoroughly. Tie 2 cotton strings around carcass so bird can be easily lifted out of oil. Carefully submerge turkey in oil.

Deep-fry for 3 to 4 minutes per pound and cook until turkey floats to the top. Remove bird from oil and place on a platter or cutting board.

In a small pan, melt the butter. Add the garlic powder, cayenne and House Seasoning. Brush turkey with butter mixture. Pour any remaining butter mixture inside the turkey. Allow to cool 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Please be extremely careful when deep-frying the turkey. Do it outdoors on a level and non-flammable surface.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Courtesy of Paula Deen via The Food Network

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