Recipe: Celebration Turkey

Recently I had my second Thanksgiving in the United States. With international visitors and my love of cooking on holiday it was time for a Celebration meal. Now I love Turkey and Pumpkin Pie but the traditional side dishes in America leave me baffled; so it was greens for me and roast potatoes for my guests.

The Turkey turned out wonderfully though so I thought I'd post a detailed recipe and instructions for those intending to cook one at Christmas or future celebrations. The brining really is the key to a moist no fail turkey, so take the time to do this step the night before you roast.

This is a serious commitment of time; you should be prepared to defrost properly and cook all day.

Celebration Turkey

Before you start

 I've listed special equipment below; don't skimp on this as you will only regret it.

1 large reinforced roasting tray (preferably with handles)

1 pastry brush

1 clean garbage bag

an esky/cooler

ice packs or ice

meat lacers

natural twine or kitchen string

• Start with buying a good quality naturally raised Turkey; Butterball offer a guide on how much you need per person but my experience of buying turkeys is that the smallest one you can buy will still be too much. 
• Preferably buy the turkey fresh, if not leave adequate time to defrost safely - usually multiple days in a refrigerator. 
• Not thawing correctly is the biggest problem people face when attempting to bake a turkey for the first time. 
• When you are ready to begin brining remove the turkey from its packaging and be sure to remove the neck and giblets that are housed inside the cavity - these can be used to make stock if desired

Brining

1 bottle dry white wine

peel from 1 large lemon

2 sprigs fresh Rosemary

1 cup salt 

20 litres of water

• The night before your celebration begin the brining process; you want the turkey to brine overnight to take on as much liquid as possible and ensure a moist bird after baking.
• In a saucepan combine 1 litre of water with the salt, lemon peel and herbs
• Heat and stir until the salt has dissolved and take off the heat
• Allow the salt mixture to return to room temperature before exposing the meat to the brine as otherwise you risk bacterial growth
• Line the bottom of your cooler with ice or ice packs and then place the clean plastic bag inside the cooler. This will prevent the brine and meat from touching the cooler and also makes for easier draining of the brine.
• Rinse the turkey with water including inside the cavity and then pat dry with paper towels
• Add the salt mixture, wine and half the water to the cooler then carefully lower the turkey into the mixture
• Add enough water to cover the turkey and then muddle the brine with your hands to ensure even distribution of the wine and salt
• Tie the bag closed leaving as little air as possible inside; then place more ice on top of the bag and close the lid 
• Leave overnight in a cool dark place - preferably 8 - 10 hours

Stuffing

1/4 cup salt for the cavity (do not include in the stuffing)

1 small sourdough baguette
peel from 1 large lemon
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 white onion
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup toasted almonds or pine nuts

• Pull the brining bag out of your cooler and move to the sink, cut the bag to release the brine being careful not to cut the skin of the turkey
• Move your turkey to the baking tray and pat try with paper towels, leave for 15-20 minutes to dry while you prepare the stuffing mix
• Use a blender or food processor to prepare breadcrumbs with the bread - stale bread is the most effective
• In a bowl combine the dry ingredients - nuts, peel, rosemary, bread
• Chop or mince the onion and add to the bowl
• In a small bowl beat the egg and milk and then add to the dry ingredients
• Mix through thoroughly with your hands until the stuffing is moist
• Taking small handfuls of salt spread liberally inside the cavity of the bird, being sure to rub salt on as much of the inside as possible. 
• Place the moist stuffing inside the cavity of the bird; this should be very loosely filled with 1-2cm of space between the stuffing and the top of the cavity as the stuffing will expand during cooking

Roasting

1 litre water

1/4 cup salt

1/2 cup olive oil

2 sprigs fresh Rosemary

Juice from 1 lemon (used after roasting not during cooking)

1 fresh turkey

• Preheat your oven to 220C/425F while you truss and baste the turkey
• You may want to place some paper towel under the turkey to prevent slipping during the trussing process 

• Turkey lacers are amazing; be sure to pick some up they ensure an easy process and professional looking truss. If you can't find any small skewers will also work
• Carefully pierce across the cavity using the turkey lacers. Using around 1m of natural twine lace the cavity closed like a corset then use the end of the twine to tie the legs together

• Baste the skin liberally with olive oil using a pastry brush to spread and get into unusual corners
• Sprinkle the moist skin with plenty of salt - remember that this is large animal so do not be alarmed if you feel as though you are using a lot of salt
• Break the rosemary into pieces and spread across the bird

• Pour a cup of water into the bottom of the baking tray - this will evaporate during baking to help with moisture
• Put the turkey into the pre-heated oven

• After 1 hour take the turkey out of the oven (leaving the oven on). Rebaste the skin of the turkey by dipping your pastry brush in the pan juices and spreading over the skin of the turkey
• Repeat this process for every hour of baking; replenishing the water in the bottom of the pan if it has evaporated
• In the last hour of baking baste with additional olive oil to ensure a crisp brown skin
• The length of time you should cook the turkey will vary by the weight of the bird; you should also add 30 minutes of cooking time if you have stuffed the turkey. 
• As a guide this 19lb (8.6 kg) turkey took around 6.5 hours to cook

• Much of the fat of the turkey will bubble under the skin during roasting - it is important that this is returned to the meat so adequate resting time is given. 
• Pour the juice of the lemon over the turkey while it is still warm. It will infuse into the skin and add a stronger citrus flavour
• Leave the turkey under a foil tent for 60 mins before serving. You can use this time to prepare any side dishes

Gravy

Pan drippings

2 cups stock

1/2 cup flour

While the turkey is resting take the roasting pan with the drippings and place it on a stove at medium heat

• Make a slurry using the flour and 1/2 cup of stock; fry the flour into the drippings
• Slowly add stock until the desired consistency is reached stirring continuously
• Take off the heat and serve

Let the head of the household carve and enjoy your delicious roast turkey, stuffing and crispy skin.

Why not top it all off with a seasonal dessert? You deserve a treat after all that cooking!

Recipe: May May's Tasty Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a real budget breaker that gets a bad wrap in sitcoms but is actually the perfect family meal - cheap, easy and kid friendly. As we enter the cooler months we start to enter my favourite comfort food territory so here's my meatloaf recipe perfect for those nights in.

All the better is that most of these items can be stored in the freezer or bought cheaply making it a great option to stretch out the budget or just keep yourself filled at the end of the month. For staple foods like this I have no problem with buying the cheaper grocery options as you can see from the pictures making this meatloaf coming in around $10 to easily serve 4 portions.



Meatloaf

500g mince lamb or beef
250g middle bacon
1 carrot
1 onion
1.5 cups breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons tomato puree
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Method



Get a large mixing bowl and put the mince meat into the pan. I prefer lamb for meals such as this, it mixes well with the bacon and has a higher fat content than beef but if you have fussy kids beef is just as good and will taste more like hamburger.



Dice the onion into very small pieces and grate the carrot - this is a great way to hide vegetables from fussy kids. If you think they won't eat carrot substitute for a second onion because you want to retain the moisture. Place the vegetables in the mixing bowl with the meat.



For the bacon buying cheap bacon is actually for the best, you want a high fat content to render through the mince meat as it cooks so middle bacon with lots of streaks is perfect. Don't use Picnic or Short cut bacon as this won't render and look for higher fat content bacon - often the cheapest is the best for this recipe. Cut off the rind and dice into small pieces.



Place the diced bacon in the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients and mix.



Season as you go, when the ingredients are well mixed through add a cup of breadcrumbs and knead with your hands or two wooden spoons.



When it is complete it should look similar to uncooked hamburger.



Place into a loaf tin, if you've made too much it is okay if the mixture mounds over the top of the tin because it will shrink slightly as it cooks.



You should still be able to see the sides of the tin however. You do not need to line the tin with paper or oil as the fat from the meat will stop the meatloaf from sticking to the tin.



Wrap the tin in foil and place into the oven for an hour at 180 C



After an hour take the meatloaf out of the oven and remove the foil, return to the oven for an additional 10 mins to crisp up the outside before serving.

Don't forget to run a knife or plastic spatula around the side of the meatloaf before attempting to remove and slice. Serve with your favourite vegetables and gravy or mustard.

Valentine's Day Dinner

I eat out so much it seemed to be a waste to go out for an overly crowded set dinner menu for Valentine's Day so instead we had a romantic dinner at home. The good thing about dating another foodie is that you know you can trust him to pick up the pieces without guidance!



For once the dining table isn't covered in gaming equipment!



Tintilla Estate 2005 Shiraz



Grain fed aged Scotch Fillet



Heirloom tomatoes and Spanish onion macerated with sugar and balsamic



Salad of mixed leaves, onion, avocado and herb goat's cheese dressed with olive oil and lime



Coconut tarts and Walnut macaroons



Assorted chocolates from Bon Bon Fine Chocolates

... all wrapped up with kisses, cards and the right kind of off colour humour.

Recipe: Shiro Miso and Curry-reisu

This is a blog post that I've been asked to make by... I think just about everyone who's ever eaten at my house and reads my blog regularly. It's also a blog post that I'm a little loathe to make because it takes all the mystery out of how to cook what is essentially a very simple convenience meal that always comes out marvellously. Curry rice is really one of those Japanese family favourites that Mums make to appeal to fussy kids, a family favourite that's more like a spiced stew than what we think of as a curry even the "hot" varieties are very mild.

One note I will make is that because this is a very quick meal to make that actually you should put the rice on to cook before doing anything else; even preparing the vegetables. If you are using a rice cooker generally the rest of the meal will take around the same time as most commercial machines will take to cook the rice.

Miso soup

4 cups of water
1 spring onion
1 packet of bonito dashi (Japanese sardine stock)
4 tablespoons of fresh shiro miso paste
1 pack firm silken tofu

Most of this meal is about "what to buy" when you're in an Asian supermarket. First we start with the dashi; dashi simply means 'soup base' or 'stock' and in our case we are going to use a packet bonito dashi made from Japanese sardines. My favourite brand is Shimaya which is reliable, stores in the cupboard and available in just about any major supermarket in Australia.



Put the water on the heat and add 1 packet (10g) of bonito dashi powder; if you are making dashi or have bought another brand then follow the instructions to make 1L.



While the water is heating then dice the spring onion and tofu. Heat the stock until it is beginning to boil; add the spring onion and take to a full boil.



The brand of tofu that I buy is TLY Joyce which is available in the fresh fridge section of most Coles or Asian supermarkets in Australia. It is vegan, fresh and comes in a variety of textures and flavours of your choosing.



When the water has boiled take it down to a medium heat and then take off 1-2 cups into a bowl or other heat proof container.



I prefer shiro miso - which is white miso paste. Miso paste also comes in a variety of types, red and white are the most common but some come with the dashi "built in," with wakame (seaweed), shellfish, mushroom or about any other Japanese seasoning one could imagine. Shiro miso is much less strong than other miso paste and is often eaten at breakfast time, I find that because it is milder it is better suited to most Western palettes.

You should never buy non Japanese miso paste; even Miso that is made in Australia is never as good, let alone Korean or Taiwanese miso that you can find these days. For "every day" meals I religiously buy this Miko brand. It is available in most good Asian supermarkets in Australia including at Burlington, Miracle and V-Plus supermarket chains.

Also never buy powdered miso, miso is a preserved product that should survive for months on the shelf with proper sealed containers there is no need to buy powdered instant miso.

Add the miso and stir until it's mostly dissolved.



Add the Miso/Dashi mix back into the soup and keep on a medium heat until the miso is well mixed throughout the soup. Add the tofu and warm until heated through; the soup should not boil once the miso is added.



Pour into small soup bowls and serve. Note that the miso will settle if left and form a cloud in the bottom of the bowl - this is normal and does not identify separation or other issue with the food. Stir with chopsticks and drink!



Curry-reisu

2 cups of uncooked rice

250g lean meat: Pork, beef or chicken as preference
1 brown onion
2 onions
Japanese curry paste
oil to fry

As mentioned earlier, place the rice onto cook before other parts of the meal.



In this case I'm using chicken, traditionally the meat used in curry is pork in Japan. Also excellent is the sauce sans meat poured over katsu schnitzel.



Brown the onions then add the carrot diced, you can add other vegetables at this point if you want. Potatoes and yams are excellent in this dish. Add the meat and stir fry on medium eat until the meat is browned.



I like S&B "Tasty Curry" in either Medium Hot or Hot. There are about 100 different brands you can buy, these are all a matter of taste. S&B and House are the main brands of Japanese curry, for sweeter curry buy Vermont, for hotter curry buy "Jungle Curry".



When you open the packet there are "ice cube" trays of curry paste inside. 1 square is equivalent to about 1 serve, in this case we are making food for around 4 people so will use half a packet. Cut the block into cubes.



Cover the meat/vegetables with hot water and add the cubes, stir until the paste has melted and then put onto medium heat until the rice is cooked.



The stew will thicken quickly until a thick sauce has formed; this will continue to thicken if cooled so you should serve immediately.

Afternoon tea with the parentals

There's really no mystery about where I get my gourmande tendencies from, I come from a foodie family. Sadly I recently separated from my partner so my father decided to put on a cheer up spread when I went home to visit.



Perrier Jouet NV Grand Brut

Much of the time I'm not so easily swayed by the actual Champagne name over other sparkling wines however Perrier Jouet is one of those exceptions. There really is no beating it for quality, taste and a little piece of luxury. If you're going to shell out for French Champagne then this is without a doubt my pick of the labels; seconded by Taittinger. I find the quality of their Brut to be on par with vintage champagnes from other houses.

A standard mix of Pinot, Chardonnay and Meunier this is a classic Champagne with a strong yeast and long robust taste. This is a strong aperitif to have on its own and went well with the hors d'ouevres we were eating. The bubbles were larger than I was expecting and the mousse strong with it. Not much nose but a clean acidic end.



Home made smoked salmon with cream cheese, capers, onion and lettuce

My parentals smoking box turns out the most amazing fresh smoked salmon, if you've never had freshly smoked salmon you really must try it. The texture and moisture are completely different to the commercial varieties most people eat regularly.



Salamanca, prosciutto and fresh ham

Salamanca is rather like chorizo but larger and somewhat less fatty. Heavy on the pork and smoked paprika, this is right up my alley given my palette's years of Spanish cuisine.



"Jewish Caviar" - Chopped liver and eggs

If you like pate then this is a nice alternative liver recipe and great on a warm day like this. I'm sure I'll blog the recipe at some stage but in the meantime you can use this one.



Cheese platter - Double brie, Roaring 40s blue, Margot and aged French brie

All served up with nuts and figs and all the trimmings!



The full spread including home made bread and artichokes



2007 Les Nuages Loire Sauvignon Blanc

After a lifetime of New Zealand Sauv Blancs this is a completely different wine. Stronger and more robust with a toastier feel and a creamy palette.



Coffee and Iranian Sohan

Sohan is a spiced caramel style sweet made from sugar, cardamom, pistachio and vegetable oils.