Christmas dinner was an unqualified success. Turkey turned out beautifully, as you can see, and I don’t think the diners were being indulgent in rating the pastured turkey a fine tasting bird, too.
I roasted it pretty much as Ed and Joanne suggested in the comments on this turkey post. I put a hunk of onion, a fat clove of garlic, a half-dozen leggy sprigs from my rosemary plant and some rubbed sage in the cavity, rubbed the bird down with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roasted, breast up 30 minutes at 425; turned over and roasted 2 hours or so (can’t remember) at 350, breast down, then topped it back up for another 20 minutes or so, to 165 degrees. I meant to do all but the first browning at 325, but evidently I wasn’t paying close enough attention and set it at 350.
In any event, it worked, and made a fine gravy, and I have leftovers, even after passing some out to the diners. I’m eager to taste the leftover turkey since, in all the hubbub of the feast, I didn’t get a clear enough sense of the flavor. The carcass already is in the pot (in the refrigerator) until I can turn it into soup and broth, probably Thursday.
Two postscripts to my holiday baking
First, the Moravian Coffee Cake mentioned in the last post was fabulous, if I may say so. I will definitely make it again and will post recipe when I have a minute. The texture was wonderful.
Second, a final photo farewell to today’s cookie tray:
New things
Come to think of it, this dinner was unusually successful. All the food was ready at about the same time, and it was served somewhere around 12:30 p.m. I’ve been digesting ever since.
Annual celebrations are places where tradition prevails, but I’m very glad for my new “discoveries” like the turkey and the bread. Oh! One more thing: the local butter. I was surprised to get compliments on the local butter! That’s definitely a first for me.
Did you make or serve anything new that you’ll do again and would recommend to others?
Pastured turkey has clear turkey flavor // Dec 27, 2007 at 5:59 pm
[...] some herbs), I am prepared to talk a little more in depth about the taste and texture of the pastured turkey we had for [...]
Joanne // Dec 28, 2007 at 12:42 pm
I haven’t cooked a turkey…and well, it was just a quiet winter time for us, but I have been working on my stew/tagines lately. We got this grass fed beef, locally raised, and I take the roasts, cut up or whole, throw it into a cast-iron dutch oven with: potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, chutney or jam (peach jam, or plum port, or plum chutney) some chicken broth or water, some dried apricots or prunes, and seasoning. Yesterday’s used Ras-El-Hanout and Aleppo Pepper, along with some salt. I pop it in the oven at 300 or so. For 2-3 hours. This is some seriously warming stuff over couscous…and it’s a “one dish” meal…for guests or on your own. It’s also good with beans in it, and the leftovers are great…flavorful, rich and filling. Another winter time treat.
Janet Majure // Dec 28, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Wow, Joanne. That sounds great! Think you could mail me some? ;-)
Glad this turned out well