thanksgiving 2012 - recap

For the uninitiated turkey roaster (that would be me), the potential options for achieving a super moist, crisp skinned bird are unlimited (aka daunting and exhausting). Should it be brined, not brined or dry brined? Should it be air dried? Should it be cooked using low heat or high heat? Should it be stuffed or not stuffed? Should it be buttered under the skin? Should it be basted? Should it be draped with a clarified butter-soaked cheesecloth over the breast area while baking? Should it be put into a V-rack, placed on a bed of vegetables or just plopped in the pan? Should it be roasted breast side up the entire time or should it start breast side down and then flipped over after one hour? Should the breast area be iced before being put in the oven? How long should it be cooked? These questions don't even address other cooking methods like deep fat frying, steaming or sous vide-ing. So for those that have served delicious turkeys every year to a group of hungry faces, I doff my hat to thee.

For the record, I brined it for fifteen hours; air-dried it overnight; brought it to room temperature for two and a half hours, breast side down, while the breasts rested on a bag of ice; roasted it at 450 degrees, unstuffed, upside down for one hour, basting it twice; flipped it, continued roasting it for an additional hour and a half, tenting it with foil so it didn't burn. And the results? The turkey turned out moist and very flavorful - phew and woo hoo! You might say a victory lap was in order but, due to a misunderstanding of the cooking instructions, the bird was done at 3:30p - we weren't due at our friends' place until 6p. Doh! So in those two and a half hours of resting, the once crisp and taut skin turned flaccid and squishy. Well, at least the bird was moist, right? 

The rest of the meal was less stressful but I need to learn to carve. To accompany the bird, I brought an apple, chestnut, mushroom stuffing; orange-cranberry sauce; mashed cauliflower; giblet gravy, Japanese style haricot verts; and for dessert, a pumpkin pie with calvados whipped cream. Rives' older brother, Rives (I know, totally confusing since they both go by Rives) brought a "classic" American side dish of Ambrosia (marshmallows, mandarin orange segments, shredded coconut and maraschino cherries); Mika (originally from Sweden) brought gravlax (salt, sugar and dill cured salmon), dilled creme fraîche, lemon wedges, crisp bread, tomato wedges and radishes; Jin (originally from Korea) brought jumuk bap (sesame oil seasoned rice rolled in shredded seaweed); Rives the Younger made bread, which he wasn't very happy with (thus no final image) and an apple crisp; Mr. Mari brought a can of cranberry jelly.

Was it worth it? Would I make turkey again? Would I try another method? Yes, yes and yes. I have the gene that seeks out "The Best Method". Which means I'll probably make a turkey differently every year, stressing myself out annually with the fear of producing a dry, tasteless, dusty bird in the hopes of making the most über awesome bird. What fun for Mr. Mari!

The List of Thanksgiving Day recipes to follow every hour on the hour today:

Apple Flavored Roast Turkey
Apple, Chestnut and Mushroom Stuffing
Giblet Gravy
Orangey Cranberry Sauce
Ambrosia
Sesame String Beans
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Crumble

Thanks to my Thanksgiving Day turkey braintrust: Ashley, Betty, Caty, and Elizabeth - your help was immeasureable!