Turkey Recipes from the Pros

  

 

 

In the hunt for all things local, the Thanksgiving turkey can be a tough bird to find,

with many already spoken for by Nov. 1. Fear not;

we tracked down which area butchers,

grocers and farmers markets are still taking orders for local gobblers.

Buttonwood Farm turkeys are available at several locations

throughout St. Louis. Members of Fair Shares CCSA can place their orders through tomorrow,

Nov. 14 and pick them up Nov. 25.

Soon-to-open Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions is taking orders until Sunday, Nov. 16 with pickup on Nov. 25.

Local Harvest Grocery and all Straub’s locations are accepting orders until they are sold out,

with pick up times varying by location.

Buttonwood Farm birds are also available through Mac’s Local Buys;

orders should be placed by Nov. 21 and can be picked up Nov. 22 and 25 at The Civil Life Brewing Co.

Soulard Farmers Market regulars can stop by the Harr Family Farms booth

now through Nov. 22 to place their orders, too.

And what to do with those hard-won local turkeys?

If anyone knows how to feed a crowd it’s catering chefs,

so we asked for their perfect recipes to wow Thanksgiving guests.

 

Charcoal-Roasted Turkey with Bourbon-Orange Glaze
Courtesy of Butler’s Pantry’s Greg Ziegenfuss
8 to 10 servings

1 gallon plus 1 cup water, divided
1 quart plus 1 cup kosher salt, divided
2 Tbsp. dry thyme
½ cup freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 lb. bag ice
1 gallon plus 2 cups orange juice, divided
12 oz. orange juice concentrate
1 quart plus ½ cup soy sauce, divided
1 quart plus ½ cup bourbon, divided
1 12- to 14-lb. turkey, neck and giblets removed
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large navel oranges, quartered
1 large yellow onion, chopped in large chunks
1 small bunch fresh thyme
½ cup honey
2 tsp. white pepper
1 stick butter

Special equipment: a large brining bag and a second grill or large fireproof metal container

• Day 1: Combine the water, 1 quart kosher salt, dry thyme and ¼ cup pepper in a very large heavy-duty pot

and bring to a boil over high heat to dissolve the salt.
• Remove from heat and add the ice. Stir to cool. Add 1 gallon orange juice, the orange juice concentrate,

1 quart soy sauce and 1 quart bourbon. Stir to incorporate.
• Place the turkey in a brining bag, pour the brine over and seal.

Refrigerate overnight or at least 12 hours.
• Day 2: Remove the turkey from brine. Thoroughly rinse and pat it dry.

Let the turkey rest at room temperature 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare charcoal grill for high, indirect heat.
• Combine the remaining 1 cup salt, the remaining ¼ cup pepper and the vegetable oil in a bowl

and rub the turkey inside and out with the gritty paste.

Stuff the interior cavity of the turkey with the oranges, onion and fresh thyme.
• Place a drip pan filled with the remaining 1 cup water next to coals to catch any drippings.

Place the turkey breast-side up over indirect heat, cover, and grill 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, after 20 minutes of grilling, prepare another chimney of charcoal on a second grill

or within a fireproof metal container.

Let it burn until the coals are completely gray.
• Meanwhile, create a glaze by bringing to boil the remaining 2 cups orange juice,

the remaining ½ cup soy sauce, the remaining ½ cup bourbon,

 the honey and white pepper over heat high. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.
• Baste the turkey with the glaze. Add the fresh, hot charcoal to the grill. If the skin is getting too dark,

tent the turkey with heavy-duty foil to prevent burning. Cover and grill another hour.
• Meanwhile, after 20 minutes of grilling,

prepare another chimney of charcoal on a second grill or within a fireproof metal container.

Let it burn until the coals are completely gray.
• Baste the turkey with the glaze. Add the fresh, hot charcoal to the grill. If the skin is getting too dark,

tent the turkey with heavy-duty foil to prevent burning.

Cover and grill another hour, until a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees in the thickest part of the breast.

Baste again before removing from the grill.
• Cover the turkey with foil and let rest 30 minutes before carving.

 

Oolong Tea-Smoked Whole Turkey with a Citrus-Tamarind Glaze
Courtesy of Hollyberry Catering’s Kristin Stegmann
10 to 12 servings

1 gallon hot water
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 cup kosher salt
2¼ cups brown sugar, divided
1½ cups oolong tea leaves, divided
1 7-lb. bag ice
1 bunch green onions, roughly chopped
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 lemons, halved
2 oranges, halved
5 garlic cloves, smashed
9 whole star anise, divided
2 cinnamon sticks
4 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger, divided
3 Tbsp. crushed Szechwan peppercorns, divided
Vegetable oil
1 14- to 15-lb. turkey, neck and giblets removed
1 cup uncooked rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbsp. tamarind paste
1 Tbsp. hot Chinese mustard

Special equipment: a clean 13½-gallon cooler (or larger)

• Day 1: Combine the vegetable stock, hot water, salt, 1 ½ cup brown sugar

and ½ cup oolong tea leaves in a clean 13½-gallon cooler

and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve.

Stir in the ice, the green onions,

1 cup soy sauce, the lemons, oranges, garlic,

4 whole star anise, cinnamon sticks, 3 tablespoons ginger

and 2 tablespoons peppercorns.

Place the turkey breast-side up in the brine, close the cooler and brine 12 to 24 hours.
• Day 2: Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Refrigerate, uncovered,

8 to 12 hours before cooking.
• Prepare a charcoal grill for high, indirect heat or preheat a gas grill to 400 degrees for indirect heat.

Rub the turkey all over with vegetable oil.
• Place 2 large sheets of heavy-duty foil on top of each other and place the tea leaves,

the remaining 5 star anise, rice,

the remaining 1 tablespoon peppercorns and ¼ cup brown sugar in the center.

Fold up the edges to make a small bowl to hold the smoking mixture.

Place the foil bowl directly on the charcoal or,

if using a gas grill,

on the metal bar over the gas flame.
• Place the turkey over indirect heat, cover and smoke 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by whisking together the chicken broth,

orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, lemon zest, the remaining ½ cup brown sugar, butter,

tamarind paste, the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger, mustard and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
• After 1 hour, baste the turkey with the glaze. Cover and continue to smoke, basting everything 15 minutes,

until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 degrees.

If the turkey is getting too dark,

tent it loosely with heavy-duty foil.
• Cover the turkey with foil and let rest 1 hour before carving.

 

The Art of Entertaining’s Perfect Turkey
Courtesy of The Art of Entertaining’s Ann Lemcke
12 to 15 servings 

¼ tsp. garlic salt
¼ tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. dried rosemary
¼ tsp. dried sage
1 20- to 22-lb. turkey, giblets removed, rinsed and dried
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 Tbsp. flour

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Create a turkey rub by mixing together the garlic salt, basil, oregano, thyme, poultry seasoning,

pepper, rosemary and sage in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Rub butter all over the turkey, inside and out, then rub the turkey down with the spice blend.
• Put the flour inside a roasting bag, close and shake. Place the prepared turkey inside the flour-coated bag

and tie closed. Place the roasting bag in a roasting pan

and cut 4 to 5 slits in the top of the bag. Roast 4 to 5 hours,

until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees.
• Let the turkey rest 30 minutes before carving.

– See more at: http://www.saucemagazine.com/blog/?p=38596#sthash.NOifZN3q.dpuf