Torrisi's Turkey Recipe

[Alan]

Here's a recipe of Torrisi's Turkey for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients
For brining the turkey:
1 cupkosher salt (we used Diamond Crystal, which is 135 grams/cup -- if using Morton's kosher salt, use 1/2 cup, or see headnote for other types of salt)
1 cupsugar
2boneless turkey breasts, 3 to 4 1/2 pounds each
For the glaze:
8heads garlic, lightly smashed but intact
4 teaspoonextra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cuphoney
1 tablespoonDiamond Crystal kosher salt (1 1/2 teaspoons if using Morton's kosher salt)
1 tablespoonfreshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoonthyme leaves

Directions
Step 1
To brine the turkey: In a medium saucepan, bring 1 quart water to a boil with the salt and sugar. Pour into a large pot, and add 3 quarts cold water. Once the brine is cool, submerge the turkey breasts and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours.

Step 2
To make the glaze: Heat oven to 375° F. Toss the garlic heads with the olive oil in a small casserole dish, cover and roast until the garlic is soft, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Leave covered until cool enough to handle, then squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins into a food processor and purée. Add the honey, salt, and pepper and blend once more. Cover until ready to use.

Step 3
To cook the turkey: Heat oven to 250° F. Remove the breasts from the brine, pat dry, and wrap each one four times in plastic wrap and once in aluminum foil. Insert an oven-safe thermometer into the center of one breast and place both on a wire rack in a roasting pan. Add water to reach to just below the rack. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 135° F, 2 to 3 hours. Near the end of cooking time, fill a large bowl halfway with ice water.

Step 4
Remove the turkey from oven and raise temperature to 425° F. Without removing thermometer or wrapping, submerge the turkey in the ice bath for 5 minutes. Remove foil, plastic wrap, and turkey skin. Pat dry and brush glaze liberally on all sides of the breasts. Roast until glaze is golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and serve thinly sliced, hot or cold.

Source: https://food52.com/recipes/31989-torrisi-s-turkey

 

[bigbuZZ]

My wife has been using this recipe since last year and we love the crispy skin of the turkey. You might want to adjust the seasoning depending on your preference. I better share it here.

https://www.foodandwine.com/lardo-crisped-roast-turkey-8347004


Ingredients

1 (12- to 14-pound) fresh whole turkey
4 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
1 tablespoon black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, plus 3 thyme sprigs, divided, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 8 cloves), plus 6 smashed garlic cloves, divided
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, plus 1 halved lemon (preferably Meyer lemon), divided, plus more lemon halves for garnish
3 ounces lardo or fatback, thinly sliced using a mandoline
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 sweet onion, quartered
2 fresh bay leaves, plus more for garnish

Directions

1. Fit a wire rack inside a roasting pan. Place turkey, breast side up, on wire rack. Run your fingers under breast and thigh skin to loosen from meat. Sprinkle turkey all over with 4 teaspoons salt and 2 1/2 teaspoons pepper, rubbing into skin, around joints, and inside cavity. Sprinkle turkey skin all over with 4 teaspoons chopped thyme, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, and 2 teaspoons lemon zest. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 12 hours or up to 36 hours. (If refrigerating more than 12 hours, cover turkey with plastic wrap; uncover for final 12 hours of refrigerating to let the skin air-dry.)
2. Stir together lardo, 1/2 tablespoon oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, remaining 2 teaspoons chopped thyme, remaining 1 tablespoon minced garlic, and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon zest in a medium bowl. Mix together with your hands until lardo is fully coated in seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use or up to 36 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in bottom third of oven. Remove turkey from refrigerator, and blot with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Push seasoned lardo slices underneath turkey skin, covering breast meat with a single layer and placing remaining slices over thigh meat. Bend the turkey wings back at the elbow, and tuck them behind the back. Insert 1 lemon half into turkey cavity; add onion, thyme sprigs, smashed garlic cloves, and bay leaves. Insert remaining lemon half. Crisscross turkey legs at the ankles (the ends of the drumsticks), and tie together using kitchen twine. Rub turkey skin all over with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil.
4. Roast turkey in preheated oven 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and brush turkey with pan juices. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Return turkey to oven, and roast, basting with pan juices every 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest portion of thigh registers 160°F and skin is crispy and dark golden brown, about 2 hours.
5. Remove turkey from oven, and transfer to a platter. Garnish with thyme sprigs, lemon halves, and bay leaves; let turkey rest 20 minutes before carving.

 

[last goodbye]

Don't forget the Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Garlic Butter.

Here's the recipe: https://www.101cookbooks.com/perfect-mashed-potatoes/#recipe

Ingredients

3 pounds potatoes, washed and cut into 2-inch chunks
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 medium garlic cloves minced
1 pinch of saffron (optional)
1 teaspoon dried coriander
1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 cup whole milk, gently warmed
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste


Instructions

Boil the Potatoes
To a large pot of boiling, salted water over high heat add the potatoes. Cook until tender throughout, but not falling apart, about 15 minutes - it really depends on the potatoes.


Prepare the Garlic Saffron Butter
Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter gently in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the garlic, and allow to steep there over low heat for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat. You can either leave the garlic bits in, or strain them out. Either way, at this point, stir in the saffron (if using), and a pinch of salt, and set aside.


Prepare the Almond Mixture
Crush the coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle. Add the almonds, and crush them, but not so much that they turn to paste. Stir in the sesame seeds, and then the oregano. Crushing the oregano in between your palms as you add it.

Mash the Potatoes
When the potatoes are tender, drain them, and return to the cooking pot over the lowest heat. Mash together with the milk, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and the salt. Serve hot, topped with the garlic butter and almond mixture.

 

[Alan]

Anything with garlic is good. I'll see if we can have that mashed tomorrow.