Thanksgiving 2008

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The drunken judy bird.

This year, I tried the dry brine (1 tablespoon of kosher salt per 5 pounds of turkey) because it's economical and less of a hassle. Plus my curiosity was piqued. Really? Salt is all you need to keep the juice in the turkey?



After brining the turkey for a few days, the turkey was prepared by inserting butter slices between the skin and the meat, stuffed with cored and halved apples, and some veggies, and then I poured champagne inside and outside of the turkey to cook in it for a few hours.

The result - a juicy turkey with less hassle and for a lot cheaper. However, the sacrifice not having as much crispy skin and it was still not AS juicy as last year's cranberry zinfandel turkey. Next year, I will most likely have to go with either having a crispy turkey or a fully juicy one. I know most people don't have a problem with the dryness of the turkey but my family is really sensitive to it - they're not big turkey people and this is the best way I know to get them to eat it on Thanksgiving day - is to make it hella juicy and tender.

Comments

Liz said…
your turkeys sound delicious.
December 8, 2008 at 4:34 PM
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