Brined Roast Turkey Crown Confit Legs Recipes

GOOD EATS ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Two to three days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
• Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
• The night before or early on the day you'd like to eat: Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
• Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
• Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

TURKEY LEG AND WING CONFIT WITH ROASTED BREAST

Steps:

• Put the turkey legs and wings in a large bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon pepper. Add the minced garlic and shallot and chopped thyme, rosemary and bay leaves and rub all over until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Scrape off as much of the seasoning mixture as possible from the turkey legs and wings and discard. Blot dry with paper towels. Melt the duck fat in a large wide pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Nestle the turkey legs and wings skin-side up in the pot so that they're submerged in the fat. Bring to a very gentle simmer, cover and cook until the leg meat is extremely tender, but not falling apart, about 2 hours. Turn off the heat and set aside. The recipe can be prepared to this point up to 2 days in advance. Keep the turkey submerged in the fat and refrigerate it.
• Meanwhile, prepare and roast the turkey breast. Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven, remove the top rack, and preheat to 425 degrees F. Sprinkle the breast generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the halved garlic and shallots, the remaining thyme, rosemary and bay leaves and the orange. Prop the breast up by placing two balls of aluminum foil under the space where the wings would attach, so that it doesn't topple over. Brush the skin with some of the rendered duck fat, and roast until just starting to brown, about 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue cooking until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the deepest part of the breast registers 160 degrees F, about 30 minutes more. Remove the turkey from the oven and set aside to rest.
• While the turkey rests, finish the legs and wings. Carefully remove the legs and wings from the fat and blot dry with paper towels. Put 1/4 cup of the fat in each of 2 large nonstick skillets. Heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the legs and wings skin-side down and cook until deeply browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until browned on the second side and heated through, about 3 minutes more.
• Transfer the legs and wings to a serving platter. Carve the breast meat and transfer to the platter with the legs and wings. Serve with the Pear Chutney on the side.
• Combine the pears, shallot, sugar, raisins, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon vinegar. Serve warm or chilled. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

TURKEY CONFIT

Steps:

• Toss turkey, salt, pepper, herbs and garlic in a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for a half-hour or up to 24 hours.
• Put turkey, herbs and garlic in a saucepan just large enough to fit it. Cover with olive oil. Turn heat to medium and watch carefully; allow just a few bubbles to come up at a time. (Use an instant-read or frying thermometer and keep oil at 190 to 200 degrees.) Do not allow meat to brown.
• Cook, turning meat once or twice, for two hours or until it is quite tender but not falling off bone. Remove meat from oil. You can refrigerate turkey and oil separately or together, until needed. (If storing separately, use turkey in a few days; if you store it in oil, it will keep a week or more.)
• When you're ready to cook, put 2 to 4 tablespoons of used oil in a skillet large enough to hold turkey pieces in one layer; set heat at medium-low. (Use leftover oil for other purposes.) Cook turkey pieces slowly, turning once or twice, until browned and crisp, 10 to 20 minutes. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, alone or over a bed of greens with a little dressing.