Brine Braised Giblets Recipes

RIGATONI WITH BRAISED GIBLET SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook the pancetta in a large pot over medium heat, stirring, until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse the turkey giblets; chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Add the giblets and neck to the pot; cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and red pepper flakes; cook until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, about 5 more minutes.
• Add the wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the pot with your hands and pour in the juice from the cans. Add 3 cups water and the parmesan rind, if using. Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Stir, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the meat is falling off the neck bone, 4 to 5 hours.
• Remove the neck; pull the meat off the bone, shred and return the meat to the sauce. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the parsley; season with salt and pepper.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Drain and toss with the sauce. Top with shaved parmesan.

BRINE-BRAISED GIBLETS RECIPE

Steps:

• Wash the gizzards well and remove any excess fat. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and sauté over low heat until soft and golden but not brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the gizzards and garlic. Sprinkle with the salt and a few generous grinds of pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the gizzards are nicely browned and beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
• Pour in the pickle brine, cover the pan, and bring to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to simmer. Simmer gently for 45 minutes, until the gizzards are fork-tender.
• With a slotted spoon, remove the gizzards from the broth and transfer them to a cutting board. Slice into ½-inch-thick pieces.
• Stir the sour cream into the sauce, mixing well. Return the gizzards to the pan and stir to coat before transferring them to a serving dish. Garnish with the pickles and herbs.

BRINED ROAST TURKEY WITH PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, bring the water, cloves, ginger, black peppercorn, bay leaves and salt to a boil. Lower to a simmer and stir in the honey and maple syrup until well blended. Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold tap water. Reserve the neck and specialty meats for pan gravy. Set the turkey in the brine, making sure that the turkey is fully immersed in the brine. Place a weight on top of the turkey to make sure it is always covered with brine. Marinate for at least 4 hours to overnight, depending on the weight of the turkey, in the refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a shallow roasting pan, place the carrots, celery and onions. Remove turkey from brine.
• Mix together the butter, garlic, chopped rosemary, and sage to make a compound butter. Using your hands, loosen to the skin from the breast by gently inserting your fingers between the skin and the flesh. Rub the compound butter underneath the skin. Insert the apples, onions, and whole rosemary and sage into the cavity of the turkey.
• Place the turkey over the vegetables, breast-side up, in the roasting pan. Tuck the wings back and under the turkey. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. This will make a compact shape and will create a great presentation. Drizzle the turkey with olive oil and rub it into the skin. Roast the turkey to at least 165 degrees F in the breast, about 2 1/2 hours. If the skin gets too dark during roasting, tent with foil.
• Transfer turkey to a platter and allow to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the pan gravy.
• Tilt the pan and skim as much fat as possible off the juice with a spoon. Set the pan on 2 burners set on medium heat. Deglaze roasting pan with white wine and Madeira. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Reduce until only a quarter remains. Add the Turkey Stock, thyme and parsley. Bring to a boil and strain into a saucepan. Bring back to a boil, skim and lower to a simmer. Whisk in the beurre manie until well incorporated and continue to cook until gravy has thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Heat a saucepan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and heat. Add the neck and giblets and cook until browned all over, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and deglaze with the port. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the port is almost completely evaporated, about 10 minutes.
• Add the carrots, onions, celery, rosemary and peppercorns. Cover with cold water by 4-inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for 2 hours, adding a little more water, if necessary. Skim any scum that rises to the surface of the stock and discard.
• Strain the stock. Use immediately, or cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

HONEY-BRINED TURKEY WITH GIBLET CREAM GRAVY

Steps:

• For turkey:
• Line extra-large stockpot with heavy large plastic bag (about 30-gallon capacity). Rinse turkey; place in plastic bag. Stir 8 quarts water, 2 cups coarse salt and 1 cup honey in large pot until salt and honey dissolve. Add 1 bunch fresh thyme, peeled garlic cloves and black pepper. Pour brine over turkey. Gather plastic bag tightly around turkey so that bird is covered with brine; seal plastic bag. Refrigerate pot with turkey in brine at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours.
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Drain turkey well; discard brine. Pat turkey dry inside and out. Squeeze juice from lemon halves into main cavity. Add lemon rinds and remaining 1 bunch fresh thyme to main cavity. Tuck wings under turkey; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Rub turkey all over with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Roast turkey 1 hour. Baste turkey with 1 cup chicken broth. Continue to roast until turkey is deep brown and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F, basting with 1 cup chicken broth every 30 minutes and covering loosely with foil if turkey is browning too quickly, about 2 1/2 hours longer. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey loosely with foil and let stand 30 minutes. Pour pan juices into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat; reserve juices.
• For gravy:
• While turkey cooks, place reserved turkey neck, heart and gizzard into large saucepan. Add 6 cups water, 3 1/2 cups chicken broth, carrots, onion, celery and bay leaf. Simmer over medium heat until turkey stock is reduced to 3 cups, about 2 hours. Strain turkey stock into bowl; reserve turkey neck and giblets. Pull meat off neck. Chop neck meat and giblets.
• Melt 5 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add 5 tablespoons all purpose flour and whisk 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in turkey stock, cream and up to 1 cup reserved turkey pan juices (juices are salty, so add according to taste). Simmer gravy until thickened to desired consistency, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add chopped turkey neck meat and giblets; season to taste with pepper.
• Serve turkey with gravy.

GIBLET GRAVY

Steps:

• Pour the contents of the giblet bags into a large saucepan. Cover with water and boil until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside. Remove the giblets from the pan, allow them to cool, and then chop up the gizzards and liver. Pick the meat from the neck. Discard the bones.
• Pour all the turkey drippings out of the roasting pan into a separate container. Allow grease to separate from the juices. Ladle out the fat into another bowl.
• Place the roasting pan over 2 burners over medium heat (there should be lots of yummy brown bits in the pan). Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the fat back into the pan. Whisk it around to evenly distribute it throughout the pan. Sprinkle 5 to 6 tablespoons of flour over the grease and whisk to combine it with the fat, loosening the bits from the bottom of the pan a little in the process. Cook the roux until it becomes a deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Pour in the chicken broth, whisking constantly. Add 2 to 4 cups, depending on your need. Cook the gravy, whisking gently, until the mixture begins to thicken. Pour in a little bit of the turkey drippings, but be aware that because the brine is so salty, these drippings are very salty. Keep cooking the gravy until thick, adding in chopped giblets, to taste, as well as plenty of black pepper. Use the giblet water from the saucepan to thin the gravy if it gets too thick.
• Serve when very thick and flavorful.

THANKSGIVING TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Mix water, chicken broth, and salt together in a 5-gallon bucket with lid until salt dissolves. Add garlic, rosemary, onion, basil, savory, marjoram, thyme, tarragon, oregano, pepper, and coriander and mix well. Stir 2 cups ice into brine.
• Place turkey into brine, filling cavity with brine. Add enough ice to bucket to cover turkey. Secure lid on bucket. Swish bucket from side-to-side to chill water. Refrigerate turkey and bucket, refilling with ice every 2 hours as needed, 12 to 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Remove turkey from brine and pat dry. Discard brine. Place turkey on a rack inside a roasting pan.
• Bake turkey in the preheated oven, basting every 30 to 40 minutes, until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 5 to 6 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.