Anyone else going to dismantle the turkey before cooking it?

[HamdenRice]

This is my second year. I think I got the idea from a cooking show. The wings, thighs and drumsticks are so much better slow braised and the breast is so much better quick roasted, that if you cut up the turkey and cook the parts separately, you get neither the traditional dry breast, nor tough drumstick.

Anyone else hooked on this method?

[pengillian101]

1. Good Idea!

We are just two this year and are just doing a breast alone. It has been great in the past. Hope so this year, too.

[hippywife]

2. Well, I wasn't going to.

But I just did because it was too big. I have the legs and wings marinating in separate containers. How would you suggest I prepare those tomorrow?

ETA: I did leave the thighs attached.

[HamdenRice]

3. I'll brown the legs, thighs and wings

pretty quickly, pour off excess fat, wilt onions and garlic, make a roux, add back the bird, add oregano, sage, thyme, then braise for about 4 hours in stock, till the meat is falling off the bones. Parsley goes in about 20 minutes before serving.

I think the thighs do better with the other dark meat than with the breast.

The breast (breast bone in) will be roasted for probably an hour, basted with butter and stock.

Last year, I curried the dark meat for some West Indian friends and they loved it, but my sister is coming this year and hates curry.

[hippywife]

4. That sounds good but

while you were typing this, I put the legs and wings in a baking dish wrapped in foil with lemon, olive oil, fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, a smidge of granulated garlic.

I have melted butter for basting both the larger carcass and the wings and legs.

This is about as far a departure from traditional that I think my other half's family will let me get by with but the curry sounds good, too.

Thanx for the idea of cutting the bird apart. I wouldn't have thought to do that if I hadn't seen your post last night just before starting.

Hope yours is a great day. :hi:

[HamdenRice]

5. Sounds delicious!

Those parts make so much liquid, they'll baste in their own juices. I just have a lot of gravy addicts coming over.

:rofl:

[wryter2000]

6. Test recipe from Cooks Illustrated

I got a recipe to test from CI a while back. Cut the legs from the turkey and roast them in the same pan as the breast but not touching. Because the legs are so much smaller than the entire breast, breast and legs cook in the same amount of time. It really worked. I got cooked legs and juicy breast.

[Tesha]

7. Go visit NYT

Bittman of the Times has a video on the main page of dining http://www.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.html -

We followed the process this year and ate the most amazing turkey! Moist and tender dark meat that had braised for 2 hours and tender and moist white meat just baked until done - wonderful! oh, and the compliments!

[Hekate]

8. I wish I had visited this thread before I cooked the bird yesterday

The only one I could find was 20 pounds, and aside from being too big to handle, it simply did not cook as well as it should have. The ultimate soup should be great, but the roasting was not to my satisfaction.

I am going to print out these ideas for the next turkey that comes my way (like the one in the freezer right now).

Yum!

Hekate