Sunday, October 23, 2011

Birthday Brunch and Mummified Turkey

          Glorious, sunny day on Lummi Island.  Our dearest friends, Dan and Sue, along with their son, Jordan, came over on the ferry for brunch at the Beach Store Cafe.  We're making plans for when Jordan comes to Tunis with Gabe and Anton in December and we all go to Europe for a couple of weeks.  I think we decided on a pretty good trip concept today.  Danny is turning 50 this week and what a great treat to be here to give him a huge hug in person.
          Gabe really wanted to make an early Thanksgiving meal together.  He and Anton are technically dual Canadian/American citizens so we can say we're splitting the difference between the Canadian/American Thanksgivings.  Actually, we don't even need an excuse.
         We tried a process from the November Martha Stewart.  It was a totally new way to cook a turkey for me, but I think it was an excellent method and kind of fun and creepy wrapping the turkey in a shroud.  Here's how it went:
1.  Melt two sticks of butter in a bowl and mix with 2 cups dry white wine.
2.  Wash turkey inside and out.  Remove giblets and pat dry.
3.  Rub bird with 4 tablespoons softened butter and generously salt and pepper inside and out.
4.  Soak a sheet of cheesecloth in the butter/wine mixture.  Remove, squeezing gently into bowl; reserve butter mixture.

5.  Wrap soaked cheesecloth around the turkey, breast side up.

6.  Roast for 30 minutes at 425 degrees.

7.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and baste every 30 minutes with more butter/wine mixture.
8.  When butter/wine mixture is finished, remove cheesecloth and discard.  Continue roasting until juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F.


9.  Remove from oven and tent with foil to allow juices to settle in the bird before serving.




2 comments:

  1. Yum! May need to try and pull that off in my "easy bake oven". Squeeze the boys and the Steelies for me.

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  2. You know, come November, I'm planning to make a David Tanis recipe, that he makes when he's in France, that begins with a fully boned turkey. I know the Tunisian butchers have the skill and hopefully the willingness to do that maneuver.

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