Turkey Tips

    

      Last night I returned to Vetri, a world class Italian restaurant in the Big Scrapple,  this time to celebrate a belated birthday with my culinary companion.  As an array of amazing tastes were presented to us, things like farro minestra with scampi and chestnut maltagliati with boar ragu, we pondered how we would be preparing our respective turkeys for family gatherings on Thanksgiving.  In between delectable morsels we expressed our considerations to Chuck the General Manager.  He offered to ask the executive chef for his opinion and a few moments later we were conferring with Joe, suitably dressed in his starched white kitchen attire.

    Our contemplation on preparing a deconstructed fowl was endorsed with several very helpful tips.  Having only ever roasted a whole turkey in prior attempts it seemed like a much better and easier way to prepare the main event.  By cooking the turkey in pieces, on top of dressing, the end result is a perfectly cooked and moist bird in less than half the time it typically takes to cook a whole turkey.  Not only do the individual pieces cook faster, but there is no concern about having the meat under or over-cooked.  Each piece is removed from the oven as it reaches a safe temperature.



     Joe recommended beginning the roasting process in a very hot (500F) oven and then when the turkey parts have bronzed nicely, cutting back the temp to around 350 for the remainder of the time.  And brining?  He advised that since the dark meat of the drumsticks is naturally juicy it need not spend the day before in a salty solution.  But do use a homemade solution of salt and sugar with spices for the white breast meat that tends to dry out when cooked.

As Bob sampled some roasted guinea hen and capretto with soft polenta I delighted in a portion of venison with delicata squash.  But we both savored the concept of a Thanksgiving dinner without all the muss and fuss normally associated with roasting and carving a whole turkey.

     Our thanks to the remarkable and knowledgeable staff at Vetri for another incomparable dining event and some sage turkey tips!