Hey Lucinda,

These are just a variety of photos. Hope it gives you a little taste of shooting in the school upstairs here in St. Paul.
If you would like to see some of the short video clips we can put them in dropbox for you.

Karl

Click to Book Now!

]]> http://www.cooksofcrocushill.com/meetingupgrade/feed 0 http://www.cooksofcrocushill.com/january-sale-clearance http://www.cooksofcrocushill.com/january-sale-clearance#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:53:36 +0000 Cooks http://www.cooksofcrocushill.com

Cooks’ Turkey Tips

Frozen Birds

• Defrost in refrigerator 72 – 48 hours in advance.  Size is the big determining factor. The bigger the bird, the more the time.
• Night before – Wash, trim and leave overnight, under loose foil, in refrigerator
• 1 hour before baking set on counter to bring up temp before baking

Fresh Bird

• Night before – Wash, trim and leave overnight, under loose foil, in refrigerator
• 1 hour before baking set on counter to bring up temp before baking

Brining your Bird

Very good option for Free range or heritage birds. It’s a must if you plan to grill your bird.

• Mix brine according to instructions. Make sure your vessel is large enough to completely submerge your bird
• 12 – 24 hours in the brine
• Night before – Wash, trim and leave overnight, under loose foil, in refrigerator
• 1 hour before baking set on counter to bring up temp before baking

Quick reminders

Roast at 350 degrees F

• 15 minutes per pound as a planning guideline.  Heritage and free range cook faster.
• Cook until deepest part of thigh registers 165 degrees and juices run clear.
• If the breast is turning too brown, cover with foil, check oven temp.
• Baste with butter every 30 minutes.
• The instant read thermometer is your friend.  When in doubt, check the temp.

Brining your Holiday Turkey – Apple Cider Brined Turkey

Brine

Day 1
Simmer 1 quart of the Apple cider with the spice for about 10 minutes to infuse the cider with the spice aromatics.  Stir in salt to dissolve.  Combine the infused cider with the remaining quarts of apple cider

Pour the brine solution into your brining container. Do not place bird directly into hot cider.  Add additional cold water so the over all temp of the solution approaches room temp.  Place bird in container and add enough additional water to cover the bird.

If time allows, brine the bird overnight in a refrigerator.

Day 2

Remove the bird from the brine. Discard the liquid. Place the bird in a roasting rack and return to the refrigerator.  Allow to dry overnight, uncovered, in your refrigerator.  If an exposed bird makes you a little nervous, cover with a very loose piece of foil.

Let’s say you are short on time.

8 – 12 hours in brine. Overnight to dry.  If you need to lean toward one side of the brining equation, allow more time for skin to dry.   Slightly dry skin will help to promote a golden brown, crispy texture.

Word on the Bird

Turkey is a Turkey, is a Turkey. Right?

Traditional

Less than $2.00 per pound. A keen eye can often find one for less than a buck a pound.

Unless you were old enough to remember Thanksgiving from the 1950’s, these are the staple of the modern holiday dining tradition. Big birds sold under names of Jenni-o and Butterball. Big, white breast and often referred to as Self- basting. In the last 10 years they have been raised with the clever addition of a pop up indicator. Great for the cook, possibly a bit uncomfortable for the bird!

As a bit of trivia, Minnesota is one of the largest producers of traditional turkeys.

The big boy satisfies the hungry appetite and a large crowd, even if it falls a little short of the title of “robust turkey flavor”. Can be found in all sizes; small, medium, large and extra large.

Organic, Free Range

Prices in the neighborhood of $4.00 per pound

Often, these are the same breeds as traditional and raised on modern and efficient farms. Organic refers to a husbandry practice aligned with USDA regulations. Free Range are, you guessed it, birds allowed to romp out in the pasture. Birds can be medium large to large.

Organic feed and a daily dose of sunshine can result in a bit more flavor, slightly smaller breasts and stronger legs.

Heritage

Upwards of $9.00 per pound

These are often the winners of the “turkey flavor derby”. Breeds of bird like Narragansett, Red Bourbon or Blue Slate. Typically raised on small family farms. These birds spend their life strolling around farm getting their fill of sunshine, bugs and grubs. Depending on the circumstance, this can lead to the bold, turkey flavor we cherish in our dreams or it can result in a bird that drifts to the flavor of a wild game bird. It also means smaller birds, bigger skeletal structure, smaller breasts and more dark meat.

The perennial taste test winner. But, they require brining and a bit of extra attention. If it’s a large family feast, you might want to get a second bird.

It shouldn’t be hard to tell which bird we prefer!!

Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey, Stuffing and Gravy

Turkey Fixin’s

Gravy Items

Stuffing Ingredients

2 days before…

Place your turkey in a large pot filled with enough water to just cover.
Dissolve the brining spices into the water by gently stirring.
Let sit refrigerated for 16 hours.
This will keep your bird moist and flavorful during and after cooking.

Day before…

Remove bird and place on a roasting rack fitted into a roasting pan and let dry overnight in your refrigerator uncovered.
This will tighten the skin and dry out the outer layers for extra crispy-ness and color.

Day of…

Remove bird from refrigerator and let come to room temperature.
While that is going on, place an X mark with a paring knife across the tops of the chestnuts and roast at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until cooked through.
Peel and reserve meats, slicing them into quarters as best you can.
Discard the rotten ones, reserving the balance
Place the turkey in a rack fitted into a roasting pan.
Place the sliced onion into the bottom of the roasting pan, along with the turkey neck and giblets, under the turkey so that the drippings will land on the onions…. and set aside.

To stuff or not to stuff

We all believe the best option is to cook the stuffing outside of the bird. In terms of an easy cooking experience, a stuffed bird creates all sorts of challenges. It’s best to cook the bird open with a lot of air circulation. Filling the cavity of a raw bird adds to cooking time and it turns the bird into a large solid mass. It’s likely to result in undercooked stuffing and over cooked bird.

If you must have the perfect Rockwellian experience, we suggest you bake the stuffing in a medium and a small bowl. Before serving, stuff the contents of the small bowl into the finished bird. Perfect bird. Perfect stuffing. Viola, Norman Rockwell.

If you really must stuff, a few pointers

Combine the bread cubes, chestnuts and all the other stuffing ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stuff turkey front and back.
Place balance of stuffing in a suitable oven-to-table casserole dish and reserve.
Rub turkey with the soft butter and sprinkle lightly with the dry herbs and paprika.
Place the racked turkey in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes, turn down to 325 and roast for @ 16 minutes per pound, basting from time to time until bird is cooked to your liking.
If you like check that the internal temperature of the bird has reached 155 degrees.
To do this, insert a food thermometer into the meatiest part of the thigh and take the temperature. DO NOT TOUCH THE BONE WHEN DOING THIS.

When turkey is done, place the baking dish with the spare stuffing into the oven and turn the temperature up to 375.
Cover the stuffing loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake for 1 hour while your turkey rests, and you make the gravy and carve your bird.

Finishing

Place the turkey onto a carving board and tent with aluminum foil. Place board in a warm spot and let the turkey rest.
Spill out the contents of the roasting pan through a strainer, pressing down to extract the best juices, into a 2 quart saucepan. Reserve.
Discard the contents of the strainer.
Skim off all the fat from the roasting pan, leaving behind the turkey juices and drippings etc.
Place the roasting pan back on the stove, place over medium heat and add the three cups of your stock.
Scraping back and forth, remove the roasty-toasty bits that stuck to the pan.
Add this to the 2 quart saucepan with the cleaned drippings.
Simmer until contents are reduced down to 2 and ½ cups. Reserve.
Now place the flour and butter in a 2qt sauce pan and stir, cooking for several minutes over medium heat.
Whisking, slowly pour in the 2 and ½ cups of reduced gravy liquids.
Continue simmering until gravy consistency is reached and season with salt and pepper.
Hold for service.

Carve your bird and place on a platter.
Pour any juices you accumulate during carving into the gravy pan.
Serve both of the stuffings at the table, passing gravy to those that want some.