Turkey. It's the staple of Thanksgiving. Over the years my husband and I have tried not to have turkey on Thanksgiving. We decided one year to have ham instead. Wasn't the same and we felt cheated. So, we now have turkey for Thanksgiving.
Since it's just the my husband and I for Thanksgiving, I don't fix a huge menu. I fix what we'd like for Thanksgiving. Each year I ask Doug "what do you want for Thanksgiving?" and he tells me what sounds good to him. I add my own ideas to that and that's how our Thanksgiving menu is born. We spend a little extra so we can have leftovers. That's part of the fun of Thanksgiving!
Regarding turkey, I don't have any great recipes. I know what I like and I take it from there. I follow the cooking directions on the turkey package. I experiment every year with different seasonings. Some I like, some I don't. One year I did Giada DeLaurentis' turkey. I seasoned the cavity with salt and italian seasoning and some sage (my own idea). I then stuffed the cavity with with a lemon, an orange, and an onion. I put butter under the skin and then seasoned the skin with salt, italian seasoning and sage. I cooked it according to the directions on the turkey package. Whatever you put in the cavity of the turkey will "essence itself" into the turkey. It was good, but a little too fruity for me.
Sage or Poultry Seasoning is a great way to bring out the flavor of the bird. I've already got our Thanksgiving turkey. I plan on making it simple. I always follow the directions on the turkey package. I bought a 20 pound turkey. I defrosted it this weekend. Into a clean sink that has been stopped up, goes the turkey with the packaging on. Fill the sink with warm water. Every 30 minutes change the water. I had mine in the sink for about 6 hours. Then I put it in a pan big enough to fit the turkey then I put it in the fridge. The next morning, when I went to check the turkey, it had thawed enough that there was liquid below the turkey. When Thursday comes, all I'll have to do is take the bird out of the packaging, rinse it off, take the neck and giblets out, and wash the cavity with water until the water runs clean. Get a pan out that is bigger than the turkey and spray it with PAM. Put the turkey in the pan and dry the cavity and the skin with paper towels. Your turkey is ready to be prepared.
How i will prepare my turkey on Thursday is as follows:
1) After it's washed and dried, I will season the cavity with salt and poultry seasoning.
2) Stuff the cavity with 2 apples.
3) Rub the skin with Canola oil. Season with salt and poultry seasoning.
4) Bake at 325 degrees for 5 hours.
I don't stuff the cavity with stuffing. My mom used to but over time, I've read articles that say it's not safe to do that. So I stuff it with with a mild type fruit, like apples, that doesn't overpower the taste of the meat.
However you prepare your turkey, ENJOY!
Since it's just the my husband and I for Thanksgiving, I don't fix a huge menu. I fix what we'd like for Thanksgiving. Each year I ask Doug "what do you want for Thanksgiving?" and he tells me what sounds good to him. I add my own ideas to that and that's how our Thanksgiving menu is born. We spend a little extra so we can have leftovers. That's part of the fun of Thanksgiving!
Regarding turkey, I don't have any great recipes. I know what I like and I take it from there. I follow the cooking directions on the turkey package. I experiment every year with different seasonings. Some I like, some I don't. One year I did Giada DeLaurentis' turkey. I seasoned the cavity with salt and italian seasoning and some sage (my own idea). I then stuffed the cavity with with a lemon, an orange, and an onion. I put butter under the skin and then seasoned the skin with salt, italian seasoning and sage. I cooked it according to the directions on the turkey package. Whatever you put in the cavity of the turkey will "essence itself" into the turkey. It was good, but a little too fruity for me.
Sage or Poultry Seasoning is a great way to bring out the flavor of the bird. I've already got our Thanksgiving turkey. I plan on making it simple. I always follow the directions on the turkey package. I bought a 20 pound turkey. I defrosted it this weekend. Into a clean sink that has been stopped up, goes the turkey with the packaging on. Fill the sink with warm water. Every 30 minutes change the water. I had mine in the sink for about 6 hours. Then I put it in a pan big enough to fit the turkey then I put it in the fridge. The next morning, when I went to check the turkey, it had thawed enough that there was liquid below the turkey. When Thursday comes, all I'll have to do is take the bird out of the packaging, rinse it off, take the neck and giblets out, and wash the cavity with water until the water runs clean. Get a pan out that is bigger than the turkey and spray it with PAM. Put the turkey in the pan and dry the cavity and the skin with paper towels. Your turkey is ready to be prepared.
How i will prepare my turkey on Thursday is as follows:
1) After it's washed and dried, I will season the cavity with salt and poultry seasoning.
2) Stuff the cavity with 2 apples.
3) Rub the skin with Canola oil. Season with salt and poultry seasoning.
4) Bake at 325 degrees for 5 hours.
I don't stuff the cavity with stuffing. My mom used to but over time, I've read articles that say it's not safe to do that. So I stuff it with with a mild type fruit, like apples, that doesn't overpower the taste of the meat.
However you prepare your turkey, ENJOY!
