Gravy From A Brined Bird Recipes

BUTTERMILK BRINED SPATCHCOCK TURKEY WITH GRAVY RECIPE

Steps:

• 2-3 days before you plan to roast, spatchcock the turkey:
• Put the turkey on a cutting board, breast-side down. Use poultry shears or heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone.
• Starting at either the tail or neck end, cut halfway down the spine, as close to the spine as possible, then cut down the opposing side. Turn the turkey around and cut down the other sides.
• Spread the two sides of the turkey apart and press down to flatten. You will hear some cracks and popping of the cartilage in the breast bone. Turn the turkey breast side up and press again.
• You can cut off the wing tips, the wing tips and the first joint, or just tuck them under the bird before roasting. The wing tips and first joint make a good addition to the stock for gravy. I've left them on because I think it makes for a prettier bird and some people at the table may like to eat the wings.
• Open a 2 gallon ziplock bag inside a large bowl. Pour in 3 quarts of buttermilk. Stir in salt.
• Put the turkey inside the bag. I find it easiest to hold it by the legs and put it in head first, breast facing down. Seal the bag, squeezing out as much air as possible so that the buttermilk is touching all parts of the turkey.
• Refrigerate for 48 hours, turning every 12 hours to redistribute the buttermilk.
• Remove the turkey from the refrigerator, and place on a baking sheet. Wipe off the excess buttermilk. Get as much off as possible so that it doesn't burn in the oven.
• Let the turkey come to room temperature, about 2-3 hours, so that it cooks quickly and evenly.
• After you've wiped off as much of the buttermilk as you can and the turkey has come to room temperature, put the turkey on a rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Tuck the wings under the breasts if you haven't trimmed them off.
• Roast the turkey in the middle of a 400° oven.
• Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the breast registers 150 degrees and the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone registers 165 degrees, about 80 to 100 minutes, approximately 6 minutes per pound.
• Rotate the pan occasionally as needed to ensure even browning. Tent any areas that begin to brown too quickly with foil.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
• Pour off any collected juices and pass them through a fine mesh strainer if you'd like to add them to your gravy. Skim off any excess fat.
• You can serve the turkey whole and carve it at the table, or carve it up and serve it already sliced.
• In a Dutch oven, simmer the turkey parts with 2 cups of chicken broth. Let it simmer until all of the liquid evaporates and the trimmings begin to sizzle, about 20 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until a brown coating of frond forms over the bottom of the pan, about 2-4 minutes.
• Add chopped vegetables and sauté for a few minutes until softened. If the frond seems to be darkening too much, add a few spoons of water and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dissolve it while you continue to sauté the vegetables.
• Add rest of the stock, along with the parsley sprigs, thyme, and salt. Simmer for 1-2 hours.
• Strain stock through a fine meshed sieve. You should have about 4 cups of turkey stock. The stock can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and increase the heat to medium-high, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a deep golden brown. Whisk in the turkey stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in any drippings, if using, and salt and pepper to taste.
• The gravy can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen. To thaw, reheat gently over low heat. Stir in extra broth to thin as necessary.

GRAVY FROM A BRINED BIRD

Steps:

• Make a roux: melt butter in a large skillet. Add the flour all at once, whisking until incorporated. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the roux begins to look grainy, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
• When the roast turkey is done cooking, pour the pan drippings into a bowl.
• Deglaze the roasting pan by adding the wine, bringing it to a boil and scraping the pan with a wooden spoon, adding a little water as needed to incorporate the browned bits. Add to the drippings in the bowl. Skim off the fat with a spoon, or put in the refrigerator or freezer until the fat has congealed on top, then remove fat.
• Make the gravy: Bring the broth to a simmer in a covered saucepan, then slowly add 3 cups of the broth to the cold or room-temperature roux, whisking constantly. Slowly add the reserved drippings, starting with a few tablespoons; taste, then whisk in more a little at a time until the gravy tastes right. Season with salt, if needed, and pepper. To adjust the consistency, add more broth for a thinner gravy or simmer for a few minutes for a thicker one. Keep warm until ready to serve.

HERB-BRINED TURKEY WITH PEAR GRAVY

Steps:

• For turkey:
• Stir 3 gallons water and salt in large pot until salt dissolves. Stir in peppercorns and next 4 ingredients. Add turkey to brine. Place large plate atop turkey to submerge. Place in refrigerator. Soak turkey 8 to 10 hours. Remove turkey from brine; rinse and pat dry. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store uncovered in refrigerator.)
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Place turkey on rack in large roasting pan. Rub butter over turkey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place turkey in oven. Reduce temperature to 325°F. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, about 2 1/2 hours. Transfer turkey to platter; tent with foil. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before carving (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees).
• For pear gravy:
• Spoon off fat from drippings in pan, reserving 1/4 cup fat. Measure 2/3 cup pan juices. Melt butter and reserved 1/4 cup fat in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Mix in flour. Stir until light brown, about 2 minutes. Gradually add chicken broth, pear juice, and 2/3 cup pan juices. Simmer until thickened, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Stir in rum. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle turkey with marjoram; serve with gravy.
• Storage solutions:
• No room in the fridge to brine a turkey? No problem. Put a turkey-sized oven bag in a large cooler, then place the turkey in the bag. Pour in the brine and seal tightly. Place ice over and around turkey, close the lid tightly, and let it brine 8 to 10 hours, adding ice periodically to keep temperature at 40° or below.