Turkey Stock from Bones - Serves 12

 Turkey Stock - 12 servings

From: TheFoodCharlatan

Time: 4 hours 

Ingredients

• 1 12-15 pound turkey carcass, picked over
• ▢turkey neck, if you have it (it’s ok if you don’t)
• ▢giblets, if you have them (it’s ok if you don’t)
• ▢leftover turkey drippings, if you have them (it's ok if you don't)
• ▢1 onion, peeled and quartered
• ▢4 cloves of garlic, smashed
• ▢2 large carrots, scrubbed or peeled, chopped into thirds
• ▢about 1/3 a head of celery, leaves included
• ▢1 large bunch of parsley, roughly torn or chopped
• ▢1/2 bunch sage, roughly torn or chopped
• ▢3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• ▢5 sprigs thyme
• ▢3 bay leaves
• ▢8-10 whole peppercorns
• ▢about 4 quarts of water

Directions

• Place your turkey carcass into a very large stock pot (at least 6-quart capacity.) Add in your turkey neck, giblets, any skin, and leftover turkey drippings, if you have them. It’s okay if you don’t, you will still get a great turkey stock from just the carcass.
• Add the onion, carrots, and garlic. Chop off about a third of a head of celery, the end that has the leaves preferably, but use what you have. You should have several short stalks. Add them to the pot.
• Add a bunch of parsley, half a bunch of sage, 3-4 sprigs of rosemary, and about 5 sprigs of thyme.* Tear the herbs up a bit so they start releasing flavor faster.
• Add 3 bay leaves and 8-10 peppercorns.
• Cover the turkey and vegetables with about 4 quarts of water, or however much you need to submerge everything in the pot (at least mostly, some parts sticking out is okay.)
• Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. After if has come to a rapid boil, turn the burner down to just below medium, or wherever you can maintain a low simmer. There should be gentle bubbles but nothing too active.The liquid should be gently moving at all times, not still.
• Simmer for about 2-4 hours. See how chill this recipe is? I would say 2 hours is the minimum, 4 hours will get you a super duper rich stock. Check on it every now and then, and skim off any foam or scum that may settle on the top. If your water is boiling off too quickly and the bones start to stick out of the water, add more water to cover it up, and bring back to a simmer.
• Pour the stock through a colander into a large bowl (or two), catching any bones or vegetables.
• At this point I like to use a gravy fat separator to easily discard all the fat that will rise to the top. You can also just wait for the stock to cool (or refrigerate/freeze it) and skim the fat off with a spoon.
• Allow stock to cool before moving to an airtight container and placing in the fridge or freezer. The stock may have a gelatin-like consistency - this is good as it is all the collagen from the bones and is very good for your skin!
• Use this turkey stock as a base for soups or anything that calls for chicken broth!
• Stock can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
• Usein the Chicken Noodle Soup to make turkey noodle soup!

ALTERNATIVE Slow Cooker Instructions: Add all the ingredients to a large crock pot. Cook on low for 10-12 hours. Pick up with the recipe in step 8, when you strain it through a colander.

Potatoes Au Gratin - 8-10 servings

Potatoes Au Gratin (or if no cheese, Dauphinoise) - 8 to 10 servings

First made Xmas 2024 for the Rupinskis and it was a hit (and replaced two older recipes) 

From: Mark Bittman and RecipeTinEats

Time: 2 hrs

Equipment - 9x13 baking dish, oven

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ to ½ onion diced smallish
• 2 to 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (or russet)
• 1¼ teaspoon salt, divided into 3 portions (eyeball it)
• 2.5 tsp fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried, divided into 3 portions
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2.5 cups freshly grated Gruyere or Parmesan, divided into 3 portions (eyeball it)
• *Optional: Pinch of nutmeg. Also, can remove or sub the garlic and onions with whatever you want, like leeks, rosemary, etc. You may also lightly cook the onions and garlic for a milder but nuttier taste. Can also add mustard powder in between the layers, or mix in actual mustard with the cream. Chopped chives also good to sprinkle at the end.
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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F to 375°F (oven-dependent; Cafe used 375F).
2. Combine melted butter, cream, onion, and garlic in a medium bowl
3. Peel and slice the potatoes about 1/8" to 1/4" thick
4. Layer 1: Spread 1/3 of the potatoes in a baking dish, overlapping evenly (doesn't have to be perfect), then pour over 1/3 of the cream mixture. Scatter with 1/3 portion of salt, pepper, and thyme. Sprinkle with 1/3 portion of the cheese.
5. Layer 2: Repeat for 2nd layer.
6. Layer 3: Repeat for final layer BUT DO NOT FINISH WITH THE CHEESE (save it for Step #8).
7. Cover and bake for 1:15 to 1:30 hrs.
8. Uncover and check for tenderness (if a knife or fork goes smoothly into the middle). If so, sprinkle the final layer of cheese.
9. Increase oven temp to 425°F and bake uncovered an additional 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. May use convection, or broil for 3-4 minutes.
10. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Easy Bread Stuffing - 8 Servings

Easy Bread Stuffing

From: WashingtonPost

Ingredients

• 1 lb white bread, torn into bite-size pieces (~10 cups)
• 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
• 2 large yellow onions, diced 1/2 inchs (~3 cups)
• 4 ribs celery, diced 1/2 inch (~3/4 to 1 cup)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp minced fresh sage (or 1 tbsp dried)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 cups good-quality homemade or no-salt-added chicken stock or broth
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

1. 1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. 2) Arrange the bread pieces in a large baking dish; toast (middle rack) for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they look dried and crisped. Cool to room temperature.

3. 3) Meanwhile, melt half of the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onions and celery; cook for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are just softened. Turn off the heat and stir in the salt, sage, parsley and the toasted bread pieces. Pour in the stock or broth and the eggs, then stir to incorporate and evenly moisten the mix.

4. 4) Coat the now-empty baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the butter, then pack the stuffing mixture in it. Dot the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.

5. 5) Bake the stuffing (middle rack) for about 45 minutes, until it is firm to the touch and the top is browned and crisp. Serve hot.

Whole Turkey, Brined & Roasted, 12-14 lb turkey (12 servings)

Thanksgiving Turkey - 12 servings

From: SimplyRecipes

Time: 3 hours 

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh rosemary, leaves from about one 9-inch sprig
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh thyme
• 3/4 tbsp dried sage, or 1 tbsp minced fresh
• 1 1/4 tbsp whole black peppercorns, ground
• 3 tbsp Morton's kosher salt (add 1 1/2 tsp if using Diamond Crystal)
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• Zest from 2 lemons
• 3 1/2 tbsp lemon juice (likely from 1 lemon)
• 3 1/2 tbsp EVOO
• 1 12- to 18-lb natural turkey, thawed (NOT kosher or otherwise pre-salted; if pre-injected with a saline solution, that's ok)
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 2 to 3 cups turkey or chicken stock, if needed for basting

Combine the dry brine ingredients:

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the minced garlic, parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, ground black peppercorns, salt, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil. Stir to combine. Quarter the remaining lemons, and save them for the cavity of the turkey.

Prepare the turkey for brining:

About 24 to 72 hours before you want to roast the bird, take the thawed turkey out of any packaging, and remove the pop-up thermometer, if it has one. Remove and reserve the giblets and neck for making gravy or stock.

Dry brine the turkey:

Place turkey on either a cooling rack set on top of a rimmed baking sheet or directly on the roasting rack in the roasting pan (mine didn't fit easily in the fridge that way!). Thoroughly pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels. Loosen the skin of the breast and legs.

Spread about half of the brine mixture under the skin, massaging it into the breasts and legs, 1/4 on the outside and the remaining 1/4 inside the cavity. Refrigerate uncovered for 24 to 72 hours.

Prepare for roasting:

Samsung Oven: Moved rack to level just above the pull-out divider. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

If it's not there already, transfer the turkey to a roasting rack set in a roasting pan. Into the cavity of the turkey, put the quartered onion and lemon, and the rest of the fresh herbs you used for the dry brine.

To truss the bird, tuck the wings under the body as best as you can. Place butcher’s twine under the turkey, close to the wings. Cross the twine at the neck of the turkey, wrap each end of twine around the tip of the leg, and tie the legs together.

Begin roasting the turkey:

Roast the turkey at 425°F until the skin starts to brown in spots, about 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and roast for another 45 minutes.

Baste the turkey and finish roasting:

Rotate the roasting pan, baste the turkey with the pan juices, and tent the breast with foil to prevent it from overcooking. (If you find that your turkey hasn’t produced enough juices to use for basting, warm a cup or two of extra chicken broth on the stovetop or in the microwave and use that to baste the turkey.)

Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone registers 160°F. This should take an additional 50 to 75 minutes**; check the temperature and baste every 15 minutes until the bird is fully cooked.

1. 1. POTATOES & STUFFING: 

   2. Potatoes - Scalloped potatoes go in for 1.5 hours on the very bottom slide-out rack.

   3. Stuffing - Put it on the very bottom slide-out rack (next to the potatoes) when turkey has about 45 minutes remaining. 

   5. Rest the turkey and serve:

      Transfer the turkey to a clean cutting board and tent with foil. Let it rest 20 minutes before carving.

Whole Roast Chicken Dry-Brined

Whole Roast Chicken, Dry Lemon Brined 

Adapted from: SimplyRecipes

• 2.5 tsp Kosher salt
• 3/4 to 1 whole organic lemon
• Olive oil, divided: 1 tbsp for brining, + 1/2 tbsp for just before broiling
• 1.25 tsp freshly cracked pepper
• 1.25 tsp dried thyme

BRINING

1. Zest and quarter the lemon. 
2. In a small bowl, combine the zest, juice from 1/4 lemon, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2.5 tsp salt, pepper, and thyme together. Save the remaining lemon quarters (even the one you squeezed dry) to insert in to the cavity.
3. Slide your fingers between the skin and the breast meat to loosen the skin. Try to separate the skin from around the legs as well.
4. Rub 3/4 of the spice mixture under the skin and into the breast and leg meat. Rub the remaining mixture inside the bird cavity. Insert the lemon quarters in the cavity.
5. Truss the chicken: cut a piece of kitchen twine about 15 inches long. Tuck the wings under the bird as best you can. Center the twine under the back end of the chicken so equal lengths of twine are where you tucked the wings in. Lift up each side of the twine crossing it over the top of bird’s body, wrap it around the legs. Tie the legs together.
6. Place the bird, baking sheet and all, into your refrigerator uncovered for 24 to 72 hours. If you don’t have the room in your refrigerator it’s ok to put the chicken on a plate. The chicken will look a little desiccated after the 24-72 hour rest - it means your chicken will have crispy skin!

ROASTING

This is not ideal in a house with no vented hood. Better method is to use a slow cooker on Hi for 3-5 hours, then broil it for the final 4-6 minutes. See our Whole Chicken Slow Cooker recipe and follow Option B.

1. When ready to roast, move oven rack to the second lowest spot in the oven, then start the preheat at 375°F.
2. Transfer the baking sheet from the fridge to the counter. Rub the outside of the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt, and a few cracks of fresh ground pepper.
3. Place the baking sheet into the oven and roast for 45 minutes, at which time check the chicken and baste it. Tip the pan as needed to get the juices. If you don’t have a baster, use a long-handled spoon to scoop up and pour the drippings over the chicken.
4. Roast another 15 minutes after basting it from Step 3. 
5. Increase oven to 425°F. Roast for 10 minutes, then baste again. Roast the final 10 to 20 minutes (or until the temperature in the thickest part of the breast reaches 160°F). Total roasting time of ~1hr 20min to 1hr 30min, or it has reached a deep, rich, golden color, the skin is crispy, and the chicken has finished cooking through.
6. Rest the chicken: Remove the chicken from the oven when the temperature in the thickest part of the breast reads about 160°F. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise to reach 165°F.
7. If you don’t have a thermometer that’s ok. The chicken is cooked through when you slice into it and the juices run clear.

Roasted Chicken Pieces, 5 Ways

A) For roasting a WHOLE chicken, you can also use the Brining recipes:

https://ducbeemtnccc.blogspot.com/2023/12/brined-chicken-dry-wet.html

1) Chicken Pieces with Cumin & Paprika - Serves 4

From: RealSimple

Serve with Roasted Beets & Yogurt with and cous cous

Time: 5 minutes hands-on, total 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 1/4 lbs chicken drumsticks & thighs (8 total)

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1 tbsp olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:

Heat oven to 425° F (if using "Roast" setting in Convection Oven, set to 385°F). On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the chicken with the cumin, paprika, 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Roast until the chicken is cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes.

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2) Soy-Balsamic Roasted Rosemary Chicken - Serves 4

From RealSimple.com

Grade Level - 2, in Ducbee's Opinion

(1 - easiest, 5 - difficult)

Details: 10 minutes hands-on, total 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/4 cup honey
• Black Pepper
• 1 - 3.5lb to 4lb chicken, cut into 10 pieces (or thigh & drum mix)
• 8 shallots, peeled
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Optional - cherry tomatoes

Other/Equipment

• 9x13x1 or shallow 3qt baking dish
• Oven
• Tongs

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425° F (if using "Roast" setting on Convection Oven, set to 385° F). Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, rosemary, honey, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a 9"x13"x2" or another shallow 3-quart baking dish. Add the chicken, turn to coat, and place skin-side down.
2. Toss the shallots (and optional tomatoes) with the oil in a medium bowl and arrange on top of the chicken.
3. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes.
4. Using the tongs (anything works, but this is easiest), turn the pieces skin-side up and continue to roast 15 to 20 minutes more, basting occasionally, until the shallots are tender and the chicken is glazed, (if concerned, use a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh registers 165° F). If the chicken browns too quickly, tent the dish loosely with foil.

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3) Deviled (A) Chicken Thighs - Serves 4

Details: 20 min

Grade Level - 3, in Ducbee's Opinion

(1 - easiest, 5 - difficult)

Ingredients

5 cloves garlic, minced

4.5 tbsp mustard

3 tbsp olive oil

0.75 tsp salt

0.25 tsp fresh ground pepper

8 chicken thighs

Optional: 6 sprigs parsley, minced

Directions

Heat the broiler. 

Mix garlic, mustard, oil, salt & pepper in a bowl; spread the paste over all sides of the chicken thighs.  Place chicken on a broiler pan, skin side up.  

Broil until browned on top, about 8 minutes.  Turn.  Broil until browned, 7 minutes.

Sprinkle with parsley.

OPTIONAL:

If you'd rather not use the broiler, set oven to 425°F (if using "Roast" setting in a Convection Oven), set to 385°F.  Roast for 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

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4) Deviled (B) Chicken Thighs - Serves 4

From: Real Simple Oct 2013

Serve with Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts

Hands-on Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes 

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard (JR: or stone ground is nice)
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds total)

1) Heat oven to 425 degree with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. Combine the butter and mustard in a small bowl. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and loosen the skin, using your fingers. Spread the mustard butter under the skin of each thigh, dividing evenly. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

2) Roast the chicken on the top rack until and instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part (avoiding the bone) registers 165 degrees, 20 to 27 minutes. (JR: 27 minutes works well in our oven).

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5) Garam Masala Baked Chicken with Pears - Serves 2-4

From: WashingtonPost

Serve with Rice or Bread

Hands-on Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large pears (Bosc preferred, ~1.25 lb), halved, cored, & sliced
• 1 jumbo red onion (14 oz), or 8 shallots, sliced
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drums (2 to 2.5 lb)
• Pomegranate molasses (or quality balsamic vinegar), for serving

DIRECTIONS 

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. 

• In a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet (or similar-size baking dish), toss together pears, onion and oil.

• In a small bowl, whisk together the garam masala, salt and pepper until combined.

• Place the chicken thighs atop the pear mixture, and sprinkle both sides with the garam masala mixture, finishing with the chicken pieces skin side up.

• Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is nicely browned and reaches an internal temperature of 185 degrees on an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh away from the bone.

• Drizzle with pomegranate molasses, and serve warm, with bread for dipping into the juices.