Wine Me Dine Me: Chef share creative ways to spice up turkey

Although his book is titled “The Perfect Turkey” (Cider Mill Press, 2018), chef Keith Sarasin says the most important thing to remember about cooking your Thanksgiving turkey this year is that you should never worry about perfection.

“It’s not about perfect food. It’s about being around friends and loved ones. Get people involved. It should be about having fun. We have a great responsibility to get family together and that’s what’s important, so don’t worry about it.”

But if you do want to get as close to poultry perfection as possible, Sarasin’s cool little book will help. While it’s chock full of recipes for sides and desserts including gravy and cranberry sauce, turkey takes center stage in all its many preparations – smoked, spatchcocked, grilled, roasted and even sous vide. If you’re wondering about which rubs and brines to use (both wet and dry brines), he includes plenty of ideas for that, too.

The founder of The Farmers Dinner, a pop-up dining and catering company, Sarasin has cooked many turkeys at dinners that bring farmers, chefs and eager diners together to enjoy really good food, often at long tables in the middle of a gorgeous, green farm field. Since 2012, The Farmers Dinner has sold out 61 consecutive pop-up dinners.

Sarasin says his own Thanksgiving plans include a Friendsgiving with The Farmers Dinner co-chef Chris Viand with whom he’s working on a new cookbook, “The Farmers Dinner Cookbook: A Story in Every Bite,” to be released summer 2019. He’ll also go to a friend’s house in Boston and make a turkey using the sous vide method.

Other than not stressing out about making sure everything’s “perfect,” Sarasin has plenty of advice about cooking your turkey throughout the book. Here are a few tips he shared followed by some choice recipes from “The Perfect Turkey.” Find the book at your local bookstore, at www.thefarmersdinner.com or at your preferred online bookseller.

Why brine?

It’s a two-fold process. The brine moisture will stay in the bird and it slowly breaks down the muscle so you get a moister bird and it protects it from getting dry. The turkeys you get at farms are not injected with any brine or salt solution so you can use any brine you like.

Should I get a turkey from a farm or a supermarket?

Sarasin says that you should find out what bird is right for you. While he’s cooking a Chocolate Turkey (a variety of turkey with chocolate referring to the color of its feathers), there are many turkeys available at local farms and winter farmers market. Purchasing a Butterball turkey at the supermarket is an affordable solution to feeding masses of people.

Stuffing in or out of the bird?

As the bird is cooking, it releases fat and liquid and the stuffing absorbs it. You want that liquid and fat for your gravy and to keep the bird moist while cooking. Keep the stuffing out of the bird while roasting and use the drippings to fold into the stuffing after. In the cavity, put citrus and aromatics like herbs.

What should I drink with my Thanksgiving dinner?

Sarasin likes to pair turkey with a sweeter wine like a Chardonnay or a Riesling. He tends to put some spice into his sides and a Riesling is good with those dishes as well as a smoked turkey. For beer, Sarasin recommends an IPA.

What about the leftovers?

Always make sure you have leftover turkey for the next day. “The Perfect Turkey” includes a chapter on what to make with your leftovers, including his Ultimate Thanksgiving Leftovers Sandwich (recipe below).

All recipes courtesy “The Perfect Turkey” by Keith Sarasin (Cider Mill Press)

Holiday-Spice Wet Brine

Yield: Brine for 10-20 lb. turkey

Active time: 45 minutes, total time 24 hours

These iconic fall spices are a wonderful way of imparting a warm flavor to your next turkey without sacrificing any tenderness.

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup salt

5 bay leaves

3 cinnamon sticks

4 garlic cloves

3 sprigs thyme

3 sprigs rosemary

2 teaspoons cloves

2 teaspoons nutmeg

Remove the turkey from its packaging and remove the innards. You can reserve these for gravy. Rinse the turkey under cold water and dry it with a towel.

Add all of the ingredients to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.

Place the turkey in the brine breast side down. Make sure that the turkey is fully submerged, weighing down with plates if necessary. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Remove the turkey from the brine and dry the bird inside and out. Discard the brine and cook the turkey.

Barbecue Rub

Yield: Rub for 10-20 lb. turkey

Active time: 15 minutes, total time 15 minutes

The smokiness of the paprika and the heat of the chili powder bring out the turkey’s natural juices.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup smoked paprika

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon coriander

1 tablespoon mustard powder

Remove the turkey from its packaging and take out the innards. You can reserve these for gravy. Rinse the turkey under cold water and dry it with a towel.

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and mix thoroughly.Rub mixture under the turkey skin, all over the outside, and inside the carcass.

Grilled Turkey

Grilling allows you to free up your oven for all the side dishes you want to cook and adds a nice smoky flavor to the turkey.Serves 5-10 depending on size

Active time: 15 minutes, total time 3-4 hours

Ingredients

10 to 20 lb. turkey (innards removed), brined if desired

Rub of choice

1 lemon

1 onion, quartered

2 sprigs sage, quartered

2 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

Pat the inside and outside of the turkey dry.

Have your rub ready and work into the inside and outside of the bird. Stuff with the aromatics.

Tuck the wing tips under the breast of the turkey and truss the legs together.

Heat your grill on high for 10 minutes, then turn off one of the burners.

Place the turkey in a pan with 2 cups of water. Then, place the pan containing the turkey on the grill grate that is turned on.

Close the grill cover and maintain a temperature of 450 F until the legs of the turkey register 170 F.

The Ultimate Thanksgiving Leftovers Sandwich

Servings: 2

Active time: 15 minutes, total time: 30 minutes

This leftover Thanksgiving sandwich is simple and focuses on iconic ingredients to make the whole thing come together.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon giblet gravy

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Leftover turkey

1 tablespoon cranberry sauce

(leftover homemade preferable)

1/4 cup preferred stuffing

4 slices of bread

Mix mayonnaise and gravy in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Place a pan over medium heat and add the oil.

Butter your bread slices on one side and spread the gravy-and-mayo mixture over the other. Place turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce on top of the gravy-and-mayonnaise spread.

Form into sandwiches and cook in the pan until golden brown. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown.

Find out more about The Farmers Dinner at www.thefarmersdinner.com/

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Wine Me Dine Me: Chef share creative ways to spice up turkey