Thanksgiving feast rides on flipping the bird from frozen to perfection

Time to talk turkey with home cooks

We are 48 hours from Thanksgiving, and this dispatch goes out to all you home cooks.

If you’re dining out for Turkey Day, consult this list of restaurants opened Thursday. Tomorrow, I will post recipes for pies and sides, but today bird is the word.

First steps are thawing and brining. Not all birds need brining, but since the vast majority are sold frozen thawing is essential. Because turkey are ultra lean, they need brine, which is a salt-based solution for added flavor. Frozen birds that come in saline or broth solution don’t need brine, but they still need a day or two to thaw.

Thaw your turkey unwrapped in cold water, breast-side down. Make sure it is completely submerged. If you can't find a vessel large enough to hold the bird, consider a disposable cooler. Plan about 30 minutes per pound for thawing:

• 10 to 12 pounds: 2 days; 4 to 6 hours.

• 12 to 14 pounds: 3 days; 6 to 9 hours.

• 14 to 18 pounds: 4 days; 9 to 14 hours.

• 18 pounds plus: 4 to 5 days; 14 to 24 hours.

After your bird is thawed, clear the giblets and neck bone and prepare to brine.

Here’s a basic brine to build upon:

• 1 cup salt per 1 gallon brine

• 1 cup sugar per 1 gallon brine

• 1 to 2 gallons water

Mix salt and sugar with half of the water until dissolved. Place in clean ice chest, heavy-duty food-safe plastic bag or bucket large enough to submerge turkey. Pour brine mixture into container. Trim excess fat from cavity opening and around neck of turkey. Place turkey into brine, adding enough remaining water to cover turkey. It may be necessary to weight down turkey to keep it submerged. Place lid on the vessel and brine the turkey at least six hours.

My old buddy Russ “The Smokin’ Okie” Garrett shared this fancy brine with me many years ago:

Smokin' Okie's Holiday Turkey Brine

• 1/2 gallon apple juice (can use all apple juice in place of any water)

• 1/2 gallon water

• 1 cup coarse kosher salt

• 3/4 cup soy sauce

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

• 4 tablespoons black pepper

• 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped garlic

• 1 teaspoons allspice

Mix ingredients together until sugar and salt are dissolved.

Place thawed turkey in a container large enough for bird and brine. Depending on the size of bird, you may have to double.

Brine for minimum 36 hours, preferably 48 hours. Keep brine below 40 F for food safety.

Tips for flipping the perfect bird onto your table

• nsert the thermometer in the thickest part of the turkey thigh. Be aware dark meat takes longer to cook than any other part.

• The turkey is done when the thermometer reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Basting the turkey while it is cooking is not necessary. Basting tools could be sources of bacteria contamination if dipped into uncooked or undercooked poultry juices and then allowed to sit at room temperature for later basting.

• Do not cook a turkey overnight in an oven set at a low temperature. Cooking a turkey at a temperature below 325 degrees allows harmful bacteria to multiply.

Holiday Roasted Turkey

1 brined and thawed turkey

Chicken broth to fill roaster pan an inch deep

Fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme and sage leaves

Carrot sticks, onion slices and celery stalks to roast around turkey

1/4 cup butter softened, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

Adjust oven racks to fit turkey and set temperature at 325 F.

Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Coat roaster with cooking spray or butter. Place turkey in prepared roaster. Tuck wings under themselves by bending end section behind larger section. Secure legs with butcher's twine or silicone bands. Coat turkey's surface with softened 2 tablespoons of butter.

Surround turkey with slices of onion, carrot sections and celery stalks. Place sprigs of fresh herbs inside and around turkey. Pour broth around turkey and vegetables to a depth of 2 inches. Make a loose-fitting tent of foil, coating underside with cooking spray or butter.

Secure tent over turkey so that liquids accumulating on foil will drip back into roaster.

While the bird is cooking, wash utensils with hot, soapy water and clean all surfaces that come into contact with the bird with bleach to eliminate risk of cross-contamination.

After an hour, baste turkey with pan juices using brush, spoon or turkey baster. Replace foil tent. Do not baste again until about 30 minutes before turkey is done or when internal temperature is 155 in breast and 165 in the thickest part of thigh.

Continue roasting, uncovered, until turkey reaches internal temperature of 165 F and is golden brown.

Remove turkey from oven and allow to rest, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes before plating and carving. Use turkey-lifting forks or rolling pin inserted through body cavity to transfer turkey to serving platter.

Deep-Fried Turkey

1 turkey; thawed, brined and patted dry

3 to 5 gallons of peanut oil

For the rub

1 cup salt

½ cup black pepper

½ cup garlic powder

1-2 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper

1 pound brown sugar, optional

Before cooking, coat the propane line in soapy water, then turn on the gas. If water bubbles up, you might have a leak; go buy a smoked turkey ASAP.

Put the bird in your pot and fill it with water until the water is about 2 inches above the bird. Remove the bird. The amount of remaining water indicates how much peanut oil you'll need.

Dry out the pot and fill with the oil based on the water test. Heat the oil to 350 F; takes about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on your temperature and adjust it accordingly to maintain 350 F.

Wash the bird thoroughly and pat dry, then season with salt, pepper and chile. When the oil is ready, lower the bird into the oil and cook for about 3 minutes per pound.

Raise the bird and test its temperature with a meat thermometer. It's ready once you reach 165 F. Let cool 15 to 20 minutes.

Source: Dave Cathey

Smoked Turkey

Remove turkey from brine, rinse and dry with paper towels. Allow to air dry in the refrigerator a few hours.

For more smoke, use a lower temperature to allow more smoke penetration. Build a fire to maintain 200 to 225 F.

Place brined, seasoned turkey in smoker and cook with indirect heat. For a 20-pound bird, plan on about 6 hours. Remove when breast measures 155 degrees and thigh measures 175using an internal meat thermometer.

Tip: For crispy skin, crank the temperature up to at least 275 F for the last hour.

SOURCE: Russ Garrett, The Smokin' Okie