My BIG Thanksgiving Turkey

by Mulan 26 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  DannyBear

  dubla,

  Great idea. I will give it a try next turkey bird day or sooner!

  I will give you a hint about gravy....your's will even be better...if you first make a rue. In a frying pan add about a 1/2 cup of flour and a half stick of butter, blend and cook until just turning brown (for browner gravy cook until it turns the color you want) you end up with a gravy thickener that will not lump, adds color, and you never have that uncooked floury taste that often happens by adding flour straight to the dripings.

  Yours truly

  MarthaBearStew
• 

  Englishman

  46 Pounds?

  That's a bleedin' ostrich!

  Englishman.

  Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....
• 

  dubla

  danny-

  wow, what a great tip, thanks. sounds much easier than the way i normally do it too, and butter always makes everything better, right? my sister always makes the mashed potatoes, and i swear she mustve used a whole box of butter this year.....mmmmmm, wow were they ever good. it seems like thats the one thing we never have enough of; even though we had two huge bowls of mashed potatoes this year, we were still fighting over the last little bit on friday afternoon.

  does anyone have any special desserts to add to the "things to try next year" list? this year i made pumpkin creme brulee and it was out of this world. it was a smash hit with everyone (even one person who swears to hate pumpkin anything).

  aa
• 

  DannyBear

  dubla,

  Ahh Creme brulee, the chef's answer quick answer to any query 'whats for desert'....or as Julia Childes would say, 'the french have all the answer's'. Can't lose with yummy stuff.

  Here's another winner; purchase of make a chocolate raspberry tort, serve with fresh whipped cream, along with a varietal late harvest wine like Merlot, Zinfandel, or other red. I prefer Zinfandel because it has a natural affinity to chocolate. The combination is rich, but the berry flavor's end the meal with a big bang!

  Danny
• 

  Billygoat

  Aaron,

  Are you willing to share your pumpkin creme brulee? CB is my absolute fave dessert and I cannot do a good job at it. The pumpkin makes it sound yummier! If CB could be yummier!

  Andi
• 

  dubla

  andi-

  creme brulee is my sisters fave too, and she insists on it every year. this year i went ahead and made both, regular and the pumpkin. the pumpkin was actually a bit easier afa getting the right consistency before taking them out of the oven, and it was a blast to make (a lot more ingredients and preparations involved vs. the regular). if you want the recipe id be happy to email it to you........i have a feeling ill be making it again before next thanksgiving, but i gotta wait at least until i run off these extra lbs. i put on over the long weekend.

  aa
• 

  Mulan

  For all those concerned about the slow-cooking method, it is perfectly safe, if you are careful about the temperature. I learned this technique from my aunt years ago. It works wonderfully on Prime Rib too!!

  The trick is to start at 350 degrees for an hour. With that BIG turkey, I cooked it 2 hours at 350, to be sure the insides were hot to start with. Then turn the oven down to what you want the internal temp. to be, usually 180. I did 200 to be safer. Then I found out my thermostat was off and it was really 250. That's why it cooked so fast.

  If you do it this way, you NEVER get an overcooked turkey. Take it out of the oven at 170 degrees, because while resting, it continues to cook for awhile. Turning it down to 150 for the rest of the day, kept it real moist.

  I made fresh cranberry sauce too. My late cousin always made it for us, so this year I did it for the first time. I sure missed her this year. If I had room at the table, I was going to set a place for her. I had a really vivid dream about her that night, and she talked to me too. In the dream, only I could see her. So weird, but I wonder............hmmm.

  I like the turkey that Princess' husband makes, but not for a traditional feast........a regular dinner is okay, but not for Thanksgiving. He puts oranges in the pan, on the BBQ. Really good.

  Marilyn (a.k.a. Mulan)