Recipes for a 22lb turkey that didn't make it to the Thanksgiving Table
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*I want to take a moment here to point out that a lot of these ‘recipes’ are very similar in format and ingredients. Once you get the gist of it, you can change the flavor profiles pretty easily by choosing different spices/veg. I also want to point out that in these recipes I am using a lot of dried herbs and spices, and frozen veg. This is for a few reasons- one: its cold weather season and fresh herbs and veg are expensive this time of year. Two: I want you to learn how to make a meal when you feel like you “don’t have any food in the house”. The vegetables I am recommending, like onions, garlic, and carrots are hearty and can be purchased in bulk without fear of dying in the bottom of your fridge (like lettuce does).*
So, do you know why Turkeys are sold frozen? I’ll tell you- it’s so they can be used and not wasted if they aren’t all purchased. You think your grocery store is buying ground turkey? No way. They’re buying whole turkeys, and then whatever doesn’t get sold is broken down into what you see packaged as the 'grocery store brand' turkey legs, breasts, and then ground and sold by the pound. They’re kept frozen, because it lasts longer that way. The rule of thumb is that if there are still ice crystals on it, it can be re-frozen, but once it's thawed completely, it’s got a 14 day window where you need to use it. That's also why you don't want to freeze something that has been 'previously frozen'. The grocery store is the kitchen before it hits your kitchen- don’t forget that. Also, a lot of the meat you’re buying has been dead a LONG time, especially the frozen stuff. Don’t freak out, that’s just how it is.
So, last year I bought a 22lb turkey for 50%, came out to be $25 or $1.13/lb. There’s no way can I consume a whole turkey in 14 days, so this is what I did to utilize every bit of it, eat well on a budget, and avoid ‘Thanksgiving Dinner’ over and over again.
First things first, BREAK THAT BIRD DOWN AND MAKE SOME STOCK.
And, not emotionally, but literally. I broke my turkey into 12 pieces: two breasts, two thighs, two drumsticks, and 4 wing pieces. The cage (a nicer word for carcass) and the neck/giblets (the stuff you find in a bag inside the bird) make 12, and they’re going into a stockpot immediately, covered in cold water and brought to a boil.
*If you don’t know how to break down a Turkey, it’s just like breaking down a Chicken. If you don’t know how to break down a Chicken, here’s a link to a video of me doing it. If you don’t like that video, here's a timelapse of one. If you don't like those, I encourage you to try out the YouTube search bar to find a video that works for you.*
Skim the scum, (it will look like grey foam) and then reduce heat to simmer forever and ever, (8-12 hours) adding water as needed to ensure you’re extracting all of the good stuff from the bones. There’s your turkey stock, Ta-Da! Remove the bones, strain into a clean pot and reduce the liquid over low heat into manageable portions depending on your freezer’s capacity (like pints, or an ice cube tray) and then freeze. It's okay to freeze the stock because you've already cooked it. You can add these to things to fortify them- think sautéed veg, or rice, or mashed potatoes or pasta dishes. The pints can be lengthened with water to make soup. You’re reducing the water content by steaming the moisture out for storage, but not compromising any flavor or nutrients. It’s important to not add any salt or seasoning to your stock until you’re making the portion you plan to serve. Tannins in vegetables/herbs will turn bitter when reduced and cooked for too long, and salt doesn’t evaporate out so it will only intensify, and you risk it being too salty. If you want some tips on stock, here is another clip you can enjoy.
Ok, now you have stock. I recommend doing something with the breasts first, and since they’re the driest part of an already dry bird, they would do well in a soup/stew/braised preparation. Something like,
Turkey and ‘biscuits’ or; turkey pot pie without the pie…
1 turkey breast, cubed
1 med onion, small dice
4 medium carrots, sm dice
4 celery stalks, sm dice
1 broccoli crown, stalk diced, sm florets
1/2c corn kernels (frozen or canned)
1T dried garlic
1T Dried Italian herbs
1t salt
1t ground pepper
1/4c Olive oil
Dinner rolls (these are your ‘biscuits’) or go ahead and make or buy some biscuits. I kept it simple and on a budget.
**Prepare (wash, peel, and cut) your vegetables first so you can cut the turkey and then wash the cutting board right after. This is efficient and sanitary**
In a bowl, combine the diced turkey, salt, pepper, garlic and herbs. Toss well to coat. Thoroughly wash the cutting board you diced the turkey on before moving forward.
In a 6qt dutch oven (think le creuset) or a medium pot you’d cook soup in, add the turkey over medium-high heat. Not 'medium or high' but somewhere between medium and high. Cover the bottom of the pan and then LEAVE IT TF ALONE. It’s gunna make noise and develop color. The turkey won’t stick if it’s cooked properly, but it WILL stick if you try moving it around before it’s ready, so don’t fuck with it. When it’s ready, you can stir it up and add 1/2 cup of water to loosen all of the fond (fancy name for flavor) from the bottom of the pan. After the water evaporates, dump this into a bowl and set it aside while you cook all the veg. You’re removing the turkey so you don’t over cook it. Soften the onion and celery before adding the carrots, and THEN reincorporate the turkey, add the corn and the broccoli, a 1/2c of water and 2T of butter. All of the fond (remaining goodies stuck to the bottom of the pan) will release once you cover and reduce heat to low.
The reason you remove the turkey and then cook the veg in a specific order is because different things cook at different temperatures. You don’t want color on the onions or celery, you want them to ‘melt’ and release their moisture. They’ll become translucent when they’re ready. The carrots will go in after because they’ll steam and they’re better with a little tooth resistance, rather than mush. Also, you seasoned the turkey so thoroughly, that you don’t have to add more to the veg, because once it’s all together, and you add some water and butter, you’ve seasoned the whole pot. Duh, you can always add more, but I say this to make it easier for you. Also, if you feel like things are moving too fast or getting out of control, and things are beginning to burn or get too much color, you can always lower the heat.
This is really good as is, or with some dinner rolls popped in the oven on broil for like 5 min to get real crispy. Think like croutons for the broth you’ve created by adding water to pull up all that fond, remember? You also can put this over rice, pasta, or whatever grain you like.
Another option for Turkey Breast:
Chive and Ginger Turkey Wontons
Tools:
Food processor
Small bowl
Chopsticks
Pastry brush
Shallow container
For the filling:
1/2 Turkey Breast, skinned and diced
1 egg
2 scallions, trimmed
1 tsp ground Ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garlic (ground or 2 cloves)
1tsp salt
For the wrappings:
36 Wonton Wrappers (you can find these in the refrigerated section)
1 egg (or water to moisten the wrappers)
Tapioca starch, cornstarch or rice flour (so they don't get all stuck together)
In a food processor, combine all of the filling ingredients and puree until a thick paste forms. It will come together like a sticky ball. Using a spatula, scrape the sides of the processor and transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Clean the food processor.
Lay out the wontons, 12 at a time. Brush the edges with the egg wash. using the chopsticks like a ‘palate knife’ place the filling into the wrappers, close the wonton like a ‘taco shell’ (diagonally) and pull the chopsticks out. This technique makes it much easier to fill the wontons as the filling is sticky, and you don’t want to use your hands too much. Set the finished dumpling on a tray sprinkled with tapioca starch and then freeze. It’s really important you freeze them. Otherwise the moisture from the filling will soften the wrapper and they’ll fall apart.
To cook, you can pan fry them in some oil, or my favorite- add them to some stock and make a nice little wonton soup.
Another option for Turkey Breast:
‘White Girl burrito bowl’
1C white rice (cooked with turkey stock)
1/2 turkey breast, diced.
2 Bell peppers, brunoise (very very small dice)
1sm onion, brunoise
2 medium carrots, thin crazy cut
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1T taco seasoning (if you don’t have, combine ground cumin, cayenne, coriander, and garlic)
1/2c turkey broth, or 2T concentrated, plus water.
Olive Oil
Tortilla chips, sour cream, salsa, and cheese are optional but encouraged.
In the 30 minutes while the rice is cooking;
Season the diced turkey, and sauté over medium high heat. Once color develops, remove the turkey and set it aside. Soften the bell peppers and onion with olive oil in a sauté pan until translucent. Add carrots, and continue to cook on medium heat. Add the seasoning, stock, beans and diced turkey.
If you need me to teach you how to make rice, ugh. but fine.
1 cup white rice, RINSED. no debates.
2 cups cold water (or stock)
One pot with a lid
Bring the rice and water to a boil and immediately drop the temp to simmer. Cover the pot and set a 30 min timer.
When your 30 minute timer for the rice goes off, fluff the rice, and keep it covered. Turn the sauce pan with the veg and beans on low for 15 min or until the liquid reduces by 75%.
Serve over rice with tortilla chips, salsa, cheese, and sour cream.
OR
One Pot Turkey Rice and Veg
Cubed turkey tossed in dried herbs, salt and pepper, small diced onion, crazy cut carrots, smashed garlic, and small diced celery. Get color on the turkey before adding the onions- they will sweat out their juices and lift all the fond from the bottom of the pan. I put the carrots in before the garlic and celery because they take longer to cook, and I really just want to soften these vegetables rather than get a hard sear on them. Also, this is beneficial for cooking leisurely so I can keep the heat at medium high and not be fearful that anything is going to burn. The garlic goes in with all of the other vegetables, so it is able to steam, and soften rather than caramelize, and potentially burn at the bottom of the pan. I had half a cup of garbanzo beans that I tossed in herbs and salt and pepper, and then added to the pan as well. I used a cup of arborio rice that I rinsed very well before adding, and then poured 2 cups of water over it with some gelatinous turkey stock. Add a Bay leaf, bring to a boil then cover. Reduce heat to low and set of 30 minute timer.
I added seasoning to the proteins rather than sprinkling over the veg throughout just because it was easier and proteins. Can withstand a heavier seasoning than vegetables, so nothing seems over salted. It’s a little bit of a cheat, but like, I’m just a girl, ya know?
That right there is four different recipes just for chicken breast. We haven’t even gotten to the thighs yet.
If you’re a badbitch and can remove the bone from the thigh, then you can make all of those recipes with thigh meat. If you can't, that's okay, follow this recipe for baking instructions for thighs. If you’re an even badder bitch and can separate a turkey thigh from the drumstick, first, I applaud you, and second- let’s get it roasted like at the Ren Faire.
Renaissance Faire Roasted Turkey Leg
Equal Parts Ground spices:
Ginger
Nutmeg
Black Pepper
Cinnamon
Clove
Salt
Olive Oil
Turkey Drums
A Sheet pan, lined with parchment paper
Turn your oven on Broil. Combine the spices and rub over the turkey drums. Sprinkle with Salt, drizzle with olive oil. Broil in the oven for 30-45min. Turn off the oven and let the legs continue to cook inside the oven for 20 min. Legs on the bone will be more forgiving if you overcook them. Eat them with your hands.
You can do this same recipe for the wings, but I’d broil them for less time. Or you can do them simply with salt and oil and then toss them in hot sauce.
There. You have more than enough options to get yourself through a 22lb turkey and not feel like you're eating the same meal over and over. I hope you can see how easy it is to adapt and change the recipes with flavors while using the same techniques to prepare and cook it. This is where you get to 'play' in the kitchen. Think about this every 'turkey' holiday we have, (ahem, christmas).
xoxo,c