roasting a turkey - in pieces

[cacao]

Hello:

After being primarily vegetarian for a very long time, and newly rediscovering poultry, I've elected to prepare a small turkey for Thanksgiving. However, I'll be in a strange kitchen for this holiday - a primitive, small one with a _propane_ range. See, I'll be in a little getaway cottage literally in the woods; but the price of the peaceful setting is the lack of my tried and true kitchen toys! At any rate, to simplify my life, I'm thinking to brine the turkey, and roast it in pieces. I figure this also improves my chances of the light and dark meat getting evenly cooked, as I can remove the breast first, for instance. My only remaining problem, is, I'm not sure how long this method will take, or what a good temperature is to roast at? I will bring along my oven thermometer, but I don't own a meat thermometer - my oven at home has it's own electric probe, so I've not bought an 'old fashioned' one.

Any advice how to test for doneness? I wouldn't mind the legs being a touch undercooked, as I plan to reheat them buried in mole sauce the following day.

thanks,

Cacao

[alacarte]

This is how I've always cooked my turkey -- in pieces -- and in my opinion, it's the best way to preserve your sanity. I say you've chosen a wise course.

No, you don't get the food-porn shot from the cover of a magazine. But you also don't have to wrestle with carving it, it cooks a LOT faster, and you can easily manage how well done you want certain pieces.

Usually, I'll purchase a roll of breast meat from the butcher, along with a variety of drumsticks, thighs, and wings. My extended family is a fan of dark meat, so I buy extra drumsticks and and thighs (the extra parts would make for one funny-looking assembled bird!)

I arrange the breast meat in one pan, and the dark meat in as many other pans as needed. Everything gets propped up on celery sticks to keep the meat from boiling in the marinade, then it's all basted and then tented under tin foil for the first hour, and then I remove the tinfoil after that so everything gets crisp on the outside and baste every 30 min. or so.

The dark meat usually cooks for a little under 2 hours at around 425 degrees (it might be less time if I didn't have other stuff going in the oven too) and then I remove it and let it rest while the breast meat finishes for another hour. If it's still not done by then, I'll slice it and amp up the heat a bit, and it finishes all right.

When your family gushes about how your turkey is not dry like all the other turkeys they've eaten on Thanksgivings past -- that's why -- you're not overcooking the rest of the bird just to get the breast done!

I don't usually worry about meat thermometers because it's in pieces -- another big benefit! I'll make a discreet slice in the largest piece of dark meat to test, and if the juices run clear and the meat looks done, then it's good to go. (similar to testing for doneness in a chicken). And the white meat -- I slice it to check that it's not too pink, and that's the doneness test for that.

And if you want to present a 'beauty shot' for your guests to ooh and ahh over -- just slice up the breast meat, arrange the light and dark meat prettily on a platter surrounded by nice frills of lettuce and radish rosettes and whatever else looks nice.

[Ann_T]

I almost always roast chickens and turkeys at 500°F.

A couple of Christmas's ago I roasted the turkey in pieces following Julia Child's instructions. The legs were partially boned and stuffed.

Pictures aren't great but this will give you the idea.

Roast Turkey

[snowangel]

And, then there's Sam's "turkey two ways," and it looks like a bunch of it can be done somewhat in advance, in the comfort of your own kitchen, with your own equipment!

[Abra]

Ann, will you tell us more about how you boned and stuffed the legs? I love that idea, stuffing a leg.

[Dave Hatfield]

Julia Child has a great recipe for 'deconstructed turkey' in her The way to Cook Book.

Essentially you chop out the back bone, remove the leg/ thighs then cook separately.

Bone the leg/thighs & stuff them. Cook separately. The body with brests can be pretty much stuffed in the normal way.

You can even sort of put the turkey back together for a nice presentation.

PS: We have lots of dark meat lovers so I normally do a 4 legged turkey.

edited to add the PS.

Edited November 15, 2006 by Dave Hatfield (log)

[cacao]

Thanks for the advice (and the book references - I read cookbooks like novels, sometimes, I think!),

everyone.

I'll see how it turns out. The separate roasting pans for light and dark meat are a good idea. I'm not too worried about the presentation - where we are going, it will still be the best looking turkey for miles, I suspect!

I like the 'reassembly' idea, too. II have a story about a psuedo turkey I made when I was vegetarian - wheat gluten pieces, wrapped and basted in soybean skin - designed with drumstricks and all. Oh, that was work. Wish I had a photo of that! It really was tastier than it sounds... I swear!

Now I'm digesting the debate on brining vs. salt curing for the turkey pieces... oh, dear....

-Cacao

Edited November 15, 2006 by cacao (log)

[Ann_T]

Ann, will you tell us more about how you boned and stuffed the legs?  I love that idea, stuffing a leg.

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Abra, it is really easy to bone out whole chickens or turkeys or just the legs. You just hold the thigh bone and take the knife and cut the meat away from the bone, kind of cutting and pushing the meat down and away from the bone.

Boneless chicken legs with Kalamata Olive/ lemon stuffing

[Marc Olson]

"Waiting for the breast meat to cook..."?

It's been my experience that the legs/thighs need more time than the breast, and that waiting for the dark meat to get tender results in overcooked white meat.

[johnjohn]

Is it difficult to cut out a turkey backbone? Can you do it with poultry shears or do you need to hack at it with a cleaver.

[Dave Hatfield]

Is it difficult to cut out a turkey backbone?  Can you do it with poultry shears or do you need to hack at it with a cleaver.

←

Being a violent sort I just give it a few good whacks with a sharp cleaver, then trim it up a bit.

The backbone's a good addition to your stock.

[snowangel]

Now I'm digesting the debate on brining vs. salt curing for the turkey pieces... oh, dear....

-Cacao

←

You could always brine part of them, and salt others (keeping track of which is which) and report back.

Oh, big hint on the turkey legs. Be sure and either cut off the end of the leg, or sever all of the tendons. It'll sort of "lollipop" but will cook evenly and nicely!