Published: Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Roasting in pieces ensures a perfect bird
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Sarah Weiser / The Herald
Chef Lesa Sullivan, seen here in the reflection of a mirror above the counter, prepares wild mushrooms for the stuffing she made during Thanksgiving 101, a cooking class that she taught Wednesday evening at Pacific Culinary Studio, at Pacific Wine & Kitchen in Everett.
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Sarah Weiser / The Herald
Sullivan works on the wild mushroom and pork sausage stuffing during Thanksgiving 101.
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Sarah Weiser / The Herald
Chef Lesa Sullivan carves the turkey she made during Thanksgiving 101, the class she taught Wednesday evening at Pacific Culinary Studio, at Pacific Wine & Kitchen in Everett.
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Sarah Weiser / The Herald
Baked fresh green beans with crispy shallots, turkey and wild mushroom and pork sausage stuffing, prepared by chef Lesa Sullivan during her Thanksgiving 101 class at Pacific Wine & Kitchen’s Pacific Culinary Studio in Everett Wednesday evening.
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Sarah Weiser / The Herald
Chef Lesa Sullivan cooked the dark meat of the turkey over the stuffing, while she prepared the turkey breast over potatoes during her Thanksgiving 101 class at Pacific Wine & Kitchen’s Pacific Culinary Studio Wednesday evening.
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Sarah Weiser / The Herald
Chef Lesa Sullivan prepares the thighs, wings and legs of the turkey to be cooked over the stuffing, as members of her Thanksgiving 101 class look on Wednesday evening at Pacific Wine & Kitchen’s Pacific Culinary Studio in Everett.
Cooking a turkey perfectly can be tricky.
Often the breasts are ready to serve when the thighs are still raw.
If you stuff the bird, you have to add even more cooking time.
Eons of roasting these big birds have given us many tricks to combat this problem.
You can cover the breasts with bacon, cook the turkey in an oven-safe basting bag or even bake your bird breast-side down to avoid the dreaded dry, white meat.
You can also do something radical: break down the bird.
Though cooking the turkey whole, stuffed and perfectly trussed is a classic American tradition, an increasing number of cooks are approaching the sacred Thanksgiving meal with a deconstructionist's eye.
That includes chef Lesa Sullivan.
During a recent “Thanksgiving 101” class at Pacific Culinary Studio at Pacific Wine & Kitchen in Everett, Sullivan demonstrated her favorite turkey-two-ways technique, which includes cooking the legs, thighs and wings over stuffing while roasting the breast part of the bird in a separate pan.
“Doing it the traditional way has really not worked for me,” Sullivan said.
Lindalee McCandlis, a seasoned cook and co-owner of Pacific Culinary Studio, said a turkey-roasting debacle last year caused her to doubt her long-standing whole-bird methods.
“I discovered my beautiful turkey was still slightly under cooked, only after all of my side dishes were on the table and I was completing the last step of the meal, carving the turkey,” she said.
McCandlis, who is by no means a turkey rookie, said she is more than ready to take the guesswork out of roasting.
“I'll never cook a whole turkey again,” McCandlis told the Everett class, adding that not only does Sullivan's break-down method save on baking time and juices, but it also minimizes carving time. “I'm doing this for the rest of my life.”
Sullivan's method, which leaves the breasts attached to the rib cage, does require cooks to be comfortable with poultry parts.
While showing the Everett class how to break down a large turkey, Sullivan used a combination of techniques including cutting the skin and cartilage, popping the joints just so, and pulling the pieces gently apart.
Sullivan also is an advocate for brining the turkey whole, before breaking it down, with a solution of salt, sugar, spices and fresh herbs.
Though she likes the flavor of the seasonings — and how the sugar translates into a beautiful brown skin on her turkey — she said it's not mandatory to brine the bird with her turkey two-ways recipes.
“It comes out just as well without the brine,” Sullivan said.
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.
Whole turkey brine
1 10- to 13-pound natural turkey (solution or brine-free)
10 quarts water (2 1/2 gallons), divided into 1 quart and 9 quarts
1½ cups salt
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons each peppercorns, allspice and coriander seed
1 tablespoon juniper berries
½ tablespoon whole cloves
1 bunch each fresh sage and oregano
To prepare the whole turkey for brining:
Heat 1 quart of water over the stove top or in microwave with the salt, sugar, spices and fresh herbs until sugar and salt are dissolved. Cool in refrigerator, and then add to 9 quarts plain water. Stir well.
Submerge turkey in the brining solution, weighing it down with a plate if necessary to completely cover the bird with brine.
Brine the bird for 10 to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Rinse the bird well before preparing to cook. Discard the brining solution.
To break down the bird
Place the bird breast side up with the legs pointing toward you.
With a paring knife or chef's knife, make a cut down the section between the leg and the breast, pulling the leg away from the breast as you do so. When you have cut all the way to the joint, pull the leg back until the joint pops, and then cut through the socket to remove the leg completely. Repeat on the other side.
When both legs are removed, turn the leg flesh side up and bend the thigh and leg sections away from each other until the joint pops. Cut the leg and thigh apart at this joint section and repeat on the other leg.
To remove the wing, lift the wing up and back and listen for the joint to pop. Make a cut to remove the wing from the breast. Repeat on the other side.
To make a tidy package out of the remaining breast and rib cage, remove the lower portion of the back by snapping the bones as close as possible to the breast meat.
With silicone bands or twine, tie the joints from the neck together. At the other end of the breast, place another band or twine around the tip of the breast to tuck in the two sides of the breast.
Turkey breast
Tied turkey breast
½ cup peanut, avocado or grapeseed oil, plus more if necessary
1/3 cup dried herbs, such as Herbes de Provence, or an Italian mix of basil, oregano, rosemary and parsley
3-4 potatoes, sweet potatoes and/or yams, cut into chunks and tossed with canola oil, salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Put potatoes, sweet potatoes and/or yams into the bottom of a deep roasting pan.
Pour a little water into the side of the pan, but not directly over the vegetables, to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pan.
Place a V-rack over the vegetables and place the breast piece onto the rack.
Rub both sides of the breast with the peanut, avocado or grapeseed oil until well coated. Sprinkle with dried herbs on both sides. Place the breast plump side up.
Position a baking rack in the lower third section of your oven and put the roasting pan with breast and vegetables into the oven.
Roast for 25 minutes, then turn the heat down to 325 degrees. Turn the breast over so the plump side is down. Cook for an additional 2 1/2 to three hours, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
For best results and even browning, give the roasting pan a quarter turn every half hour or so.
Turn the breast over again, plump side up, for the last 3 to 4 minutes for a crisp finish on the skin. Move it from the oven to a carving board. Tent it with foil and let it rest 30 minutes before serving. Pour off pan juices and set aside.
Thighs, legs, wings and stuffing
6 cups day-old bread cut into 1- to 1 ½-inch cubes
¼ cup melted butter
2 teaspoons each salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound pork sausage, chopped or crumbled
4-5 chopped fresh garlic cloves
1 pound fresh mixed wild mushrooms (maitake, hedgehog, chanterelle, porcini or your favorite), wiped clean with a dry paper towel
3 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram or thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2-3 tablespoons white wine
1-2 cups chicken broth
Reserved legs, thighs and wings from the turkey
½-1 cup peanut, grapeseed or avocado oil
2-3 tablespoons herb mix (see note)
1-3 teaspoons granulated garlic
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the bread cubes with butter, salt and pepper and toast on a baking sheet until crispy, 6 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat sausage in a wide saute pan over medium heat until the fat begins to melt a bit. Add the garlic cloves and saute until they are golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
Turn heat up to high and add mushrooms. Cook until they have just begun to soften and give off a bit of liquid. Add fresh herbs, stir well and remove from heat. Add white wine.
Note: Use your favorite herb mix, the same mixture you used on the breast or something else.
Combine with the toasted bread cubes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Moisten with 1 to 2 cups chicken broth. Bread cubes should soften slightly but not be soggy. Place in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
Rub brined, rinsed and dried legs, thighs and wing sections with oil and follow with the herb mixture and granulated garlic. Place on top of the stuffing mixture and cover with foil.
Bake in a 375-degree oven until the legs, wings and thighs have reached an internal temperature of 155, about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove foil and let the meat brown for another 10 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Remove the meat from the baking dish and cook the stuffing, foil off, until it has reached 165 degrees.
Serves 8 to 12 with plenty of leftovers.
Quick pan gravy
2-3 tablespoons of white wine
2 tablespoons cold water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Reserved pan juices, fat skimmed
To make a quick pan gravy with the juices, skim off the fat and heat the juices in a saucepan with white wine. Heat until simmering.
Mix cold water with cornstarch and combine well. Add this to the simmering pan juices and wine and whisk well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Source: Lesa Sullivan, lesacooks.com
Take a holiday cooking class
Pacific Culinary Studio, 6915 Evergreen Way, Everett.
Most classes start at 6:30 p.m. and cost between $40 and $55.
Go to www.pacificculinary studio.com for a schedule or call 425-353-6468.
Learn more about chef Lesa Sullivan, who teaches frequently at the studio, at lesacooks.com or call 206-478-0562.
Often the breasts are ready to serve when the thighs are still raw.
If you stuff the bird, you have to add even more cooking time.
Eons of roasting these big birds have given us many tricks to combat this problem.
You can cover the breasts with bacon, cook the turkey in an oven-safe basting bag or even bake your bird breast-side down to avoid the dreaded dry, white meat.
You can also do something radical: break down the bird.
Though cooking the turkey whole, stuffed and perfectly trussed is a classic American tradition, an increasing number of cooks are approaching the sacred Thanksgiving meal with a deconstructionist's eye.
That includes chef Lesa Sullivan.
During a recent “Thanksgiving 101” class at Pacific Culinary Studio at Pacific Wine & Kitchen in Everett, Sullivan demonstrated her favorite turkey-two-ways technique, which includes cooking the legs, thighs and wings over stuffing while roasting the breast part of the bird in a separate pan.
“Doing it the traditional way has really not worked for me,” Sullivan said.
Lindalee McCandlis, a seasoned cook and co-owner of Pacific Culinary Studio, said a turkey-roasting debacle last year caused her to doubt her long-standing whole-bird methods.
“I discovered my beautiful turkey was still slightly under cooked, only after all of my side dishes were on the table and I was completing the last step of the meal, carving the turkey,” she said.
McCandlis, who is by no means a turkey rookie, said she is more than ready to take the guesswork out of roasting.
“I'll never cook a whole turkey again,” McCandlis told the Everett class, adding that not only does Sullivan's break-down method save on baking time and juices, but it also minimizes carving time. “I'm doing this for the rest of my life.”
Sullivan's method, which leaves the breasts attached to the rib cage, does require cooks to be comfortable with poultry parts.
While showing the Everett class how to break down a large turkey, Sullivan used a combination of techniques including cutting the skin and cartilage, popping the joints just so, and pulling the pieces gently apart.
Sullivan also is an advocate for brining the turkey whole, before breaking it down, with a solution of salt, sugar, spices and fresh herbs.
Though she likes the flavor of the seasonings — and how the sugar translates into a beautiful brown skin on her turkey — she said it's not mandatory to brine the bird with her turkey two-ways recipes.
“It comes out just as well without the brine,” Sullivan said.
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.
Whole turkey brine
1 10- to 13-pound natural turkey (solution or brine-free)
10 quarts water (2 1/2 gallons), divided into 1 quart and 9 quarts
1½ cups salt
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons each peppercorns, allspice and coriander seed
1 tablespoon juniper berries
½ tablespoon whole cloves
1 bunch each fresh sage and oregano
To prepare the whole turkey for brining:
Heat 1 quart of water over the stove top or in microwave with the salt, sugar, spices and fresh herbs until sugar and salt are dissolved. Cool in refrigerator, and then add to 9 quarts plain water. Stir well.
Submerge turkey in the brining solution, weighing it down with a plate if necessary to completely cover the bird with brine.
Brine the bird for 10 to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Rinse the bird well before preparing to cook. Discard the brining solution.
To break down the bird
Place the bird breast side up with the legs pointing toward you.
With a paring knife or chef's knife, make a cut down the section between the leg and the breast, pulling the leg away from the breast as you do so. When you have cut all the way to the joint, pull the leg back until the joint pops, and then cut through the socket to remove the leg completely. Repeat on the other side.
When both legs are removed, turn the leg flesh side up and bend the thigh and leg sections away from each other until the joint pops. Cut the leg and thigh apart at this joint section and repeat on the other leg.
To remove the wing, lift the wing up and back and listen for the joint to pop. Make a cut to remove the wing from the breast. Repeat on the other side.
To make a tidy package out of the remaining breast and rib cage, remove the lower portion of the back by snapping the bones as close as possible to the breast meat.
With silicone bands or twine, tie the joints from the neck together. At the other end of the breast, place another band or twine around the tip of the breast to tuck in the two sides of the breast.
Turkey breast
Tied turkey breast
½ cup peanut, avocado or grapeseed oil, plus more if necessary
1/3 cup dried herbs, such as Herbes de Provence, or an Italian mix of basil, oregano, rosemary and parsley
3-4 potatoes, sweet potatoes and/or yams, cut into chunks and tossed with canola oil, salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Put potatoes, sweet potatoes and/or yams into the bottom of a deep roasting pan.
Pour a little water into the side of the pan, but not directly over the vegetables, to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pan.
Place a V-rack over the vegetables and place the breast piece onto the rack.
Rub both sides of the breast with the peanut, avocado or grapeseed oil until well coated. Sprinkle with dried herbs on both sides. Place the breast plump side up.
Position a baking rack in the lower third section of your oven and put the roasting pan with breast and vegetables into the oven.
Roast for 25 minutes, then turn the heat down to 325 degrees. Turn the breast over so the plump side is down. Cook for an additional 2 1/2 to three hours, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
For best results and even browning, give the roasting pan a quarter turn every half hour or so.
Turn the breast over again, plump side up, for the last 3 to 4 minutes for a crisp finish on the skin. Move it from the oven to a carving board. Tent it with foil and let it rest 30 minutes before serving. Pour off pan juices and set aside.
Thighs, legs, wings and stuffing
6 cups day-old bread cut into 1- to 1 ½-inch cubes
¼ cup melted butter
2 teaspoons each salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound pork sausage, chopped or crumbled
4-5 chopped fresh garlic cloves
1 pound fresh mixed wild mushrooms (maitake, hedgehog, chanterelle, porcini or your favorite), wiped clean with a dry paper towel
3 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram or thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2-3 tablespoons white wine
1-2 cups chicken broth
Reserved legs, thighs and wings from the turkey
½-1 cup peanut, grapeseed or avocado oil
2-3 tablespoons herb mix (see note)
1-3 teaspoons granulated garlic
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the bread cubes with butter, salt and pepper and toast on a baking sheet until crispy, 6 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat sausage in a wide saute pan over medium heat until the fat begins to melt a bit. Add the garlic cloves and saute until they are golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
Turn heat up to high and add mushrooms. Cook until they have just begun to soften and give off a bit of liquid. Add fresh herbs, stir well and remove from heat. Add white wine.
Note: Use your favorite herb mix, the same mixture you used on the breast or something else.
Combine with the toasted bread cubes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Moisten with 1 to 2 cups chicken broth. Bread cubes should soften slightly but not be soggy. Place in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
Rub brined, rinsed and dried legs, thighs and wing sections with oil and follow with the herb mixture and granulated garlic. Place on top of the stuffing mixture and cover with foil.
Bake in a 375-degree oven until the legs, wings and thighs have reached an internal temperature of 155, about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove foil and let the meat brown for another 10 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Remove the meat from the baking dish and cook the stuffing, foil off, until it has reached 165 degrees.
Serves 8 to 12 with plenty of leftovers.
Quick pan gravy
2-3 tablespoons of white wine
2 tablespoons cold water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Reserved pan juices, fat skimmed
To make a quick pan gravy with the juices, skim off the fat and heat the juices in a saucepan with white wine. Heat until simmering.
Mix cold water with cornstarch and combine well. Add this to the simmering pan juices and wine and whisk well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Source: Lesa Sullivan, lesacooks.com
Take a holiday cooking class
Pacific Culinary Studio, 6915 Evergreen Way, Everett.
Most classes start at 6:30 p.m. and cost between $40 and $55.
Go to www.pacificculinary studio.com for a schedule or call 425-353-6468.
Learn more about chef Lesa Sullivan, who teaches frequently at the studio, at lesacooks.com or call 206-478-0562.
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