Before the holidays, a friend unexpectedly gifted us with the King Kong of all turkeys, and we didn't get to cook him for as planned due to traveling.
We decided that his time had come.
After a significant thawing period, a turkey-cleaning wrestling match, and several hours in the turkey-sauna, he emerged golden brown and looking yummy.
Somehow my turkeys always fall apart and I never get that picture-perfect bird to grace the table, but he came out so well that I put the whole bird on a tray and placed him right in the center. Of course, I was so excited to see him there that I forgot to take a picture, anyway.
On the other hand, My Little Man was not so shy. Usually white-meat people, we were all astonished when he immediately asked for a leg. Considering these legs were nearly as big as footballs, this was an especially surprising request, but he dug right in ...
and he didn't leave much on his plate besides bones when he was finished, either.
The turkey was delicious. I enjoyed preparing this special meal when there were no traditional expectations placed on it, and My Big Helper had fun making the table a bit nicer than usual. She also baked dessert all by herself - homemade brownies - and they were yummy.
Meal prep will be pretty simple around here the rest of the week as we'll be finishing off Tom. For this gift from a friend, a wonderful meal, and kitchen simplicity the rest of the week, we're grateful.
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That sounds wonderful. Every year, at some point during the summer, my husband gets a notion that he is hungry for turkey, and he buys one and cooks it up as if it were Thanksgiving. Well, honestly, I guess he doesn't go buy one - he typically buys one extra at Thanksgiving time when they are so cheap, and keeps it in the freezer until the mood strikes him. We have a chest freezer in the basement, so that is doable.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever brined a turkey? That's my husband's favorite way of preparing it - so we have a turkey swimming pool going on in our kitchen for a couple of days before the sauna starts - I'd have to check with him for particulars, but it goes into a big hardsided cooler while it is still frozen - the cooler has cold water in it, enough to cover the turkey and he adds lots of kosher salt, as well as cut up lemons and oranges to it. I will say it makes for a very tender bird.