"I AM THE QUEEN OF THANKSGIVING, AND TURKEY, AND TURKEY GRAVY, AND SIDE DISHES, AND BRINING!!!!""Now, please pass me a gallon of water so I can wash down this salty turkey."
*frown*
Thanksgiving is a time of thankfulness(obviously), and family and overeating, and if you are us, a time of running around carting food, toddler and toddler accessories around town.
This year I decided to cook a turkey dinner just for us a week before the holiday so we could eat and relax. It was my first turkey ever.
I tell you this so you can fully embrace the knowledge that I was flying in the blind, relying only on Internet research and my own culinary skill...note that I did not say culinary common sense.
I tell you this so you can fully embrace the knowledge that I was flying in the blind, relying only on Internet research and my own culinary skill...note that I did not say culinary common sense.
I decided to brine an 11 pound bird, using ingredients and timing for a 20 pound bird.
Already you may see the flaw in my preparation. It was the standard 5 day event one would expect of preparing Thanksgiving dinner, complete with thawing, making brine, placing the turkey in said brine and of course, slaving away in the kitchen beginning at the crack of dawn.
I made the whole spread: stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, corn(at husband's request), turkey gravy, and turkey. Oh, and I spooned jellied cranberry sauce right out of the can. By the time the rest of the food hit the table I was way too tired to put those cranberries in a bowl.
Little did I know what this gravy would taste like after all my thorough whisking.I even made roux.
And here she is in all her glory!!!
Turned out lovely, and truth be told it was only the first inch of the turkey that was too salty for me to ingest. The rest was what the brine jar touted: succulent, moist and flavorful. But that gravy........pure brine, baby. It made the lining of your mouth pucker.
This fellow here, he loved it. I mean, he was beside himself.
I tease him that he salts his salt. He was in salty hog heaven.
The whole thing was actually very nice, except for the being in the kitchen all day.
Afterwards I called my Mom to tell her she needed to delegate more for holidays. She usually does the whole thing herself. That is crazy I tell you. Not for mere mortals.
But I'll do it again next year.
For them. And so I can see this again:
She never said a bad word about my 1st turkey.
But it turns out she likes cranberry sauce the best. Even if it was spooned right out of the can.
And here she is in all her glory!!!
Turned out lovely, and truth be told it was only the first inch of the turkey that was too salty for me to ingest. The rest was what the brine jar touted: succulent, moist and flavorful. But that gravy........pure brine, baby. It made the lining of your mouth pucker.
This fellow here, he loved it. I mean, he was beside himself.
I tease him that he salts his salt. He was in salty hog heaven.
The whole thing was actually very nice, except for the being in the kitchen all day.
Afterwards I called my Mom to tell her she needed to delegate more for holidays. She usually does the whole thing herself. That is crazy I tell you. Not for mere mortals.
But I'll do it again next year.
For them. And so I can see this again:
She never said a bad word about my 1st turkey.But it turns out she likes cranberry sauce the best. Even if it was spooned right out of the can.
2 comments:
I love Tim's serious face while carving the bird! We live and learn right! Next year, it will be perfection I'm sure:).
Way to go Betty Crocker. It looked wonderful.
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