The side dish for your Thanksgiving Dinner. I hope you will try and enjoy some of my family favorite recipes.
This year the candied yams recipe is predicted to be the top side dish this holiday season, according to a Black Homeowner News poll. Yams are slowly becoming more common in US markets, the yam is a popular vegetable in Latin American and Caribbean markets, with over 150 varieties available worldwide. Yam are excellent source of vitamin A and a good source of potassium and vitamin C, B6, riboflavin, copper, pantothetic acid and folic acid. My first side for Thanksgiving Dinner will be my grandmothers famous candied yams
Sweet Potatoes or Yams is the question????????????
The true yam is a tropical vine (Dioscorea batatas) and is not even distantly related to the sweet potato.
Yams contain more natural sugar than sweet potatoes and have a higher moisture content and are generally sweeter than the sweet potato. The yam tuber has a brown or black skin which resembles the bark of a tree. The yams are darker-skinned and has a thicker, dark orange to reddish skin with a purple or red flesh, depending on the variety.
Sweet Potatoes are yellow or orange tubers are elongated with ends that taper to a point and are of two dominant types. The paler-skinned sweet potato has a thin, light yellow skin with pale yellow flesh which is not sweet and has a dry, crumbly texture similar to a white baking potato.
When buying yams or sweet potatoes, choose firm ones with no cracks or bruises. The flavor of raw potatoes might be altered if they're kept in a refrigerator. They should last for two weeks or more if stored in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place and handled with care. If the temperature is too warm -- above 60° F. -- they'll sprout sooner or become woody. Once cooked, sweet potatoes can be stored for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Like potatoes.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
ROAST TURKEY
Ingredients
1 (12 to 14 pound) turkey
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onions
2 celery stalks
Several sprigs of fresh herbs, such as thyme, parsley, rosemary, or sage
1 bay leaves
Special equipment: large roasting pan, pastry brush or bulb baster, instant-read thermometer
Directions
Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and remove the other racks. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
1.Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
2. Pat turkey dry from all moisture. Place the bird on a v-shaped roasting rack salt and pepper
the cavity.
3. Slice the onions, and chop celery, Stuff all inside the turkey along with some of the herbs and 1 bay leaf. Pin the wings behind the turkey.
4.Turn the turkey breast side down, and season with salt and pepper. Tie the legs with butcher twine, and place in *roasting pan.
Take 1/2 of the softened butter and liberally massage turkey, being sure to cover the entire birds, breast and thighs.
5.Tent turkey with aluminum foil place turkey in preheated oven, after 2 hours, remove the foil from the turkey and use a pastry brush or bulb baster to baste turkey with the reserved butter and some of the pan drippings, cover loosely with the foil tent. Bake until the skin is a light golden color, **roast for 3 ½ to 4 hours. During the last 45 minutes of baking, remove the foil tent to brown the skin. Basting is not necessary, but will promote even browning.
6.Allow turkey to rest for at l5 minutes before carving (or removing stuffing if stuffed)
*Use a shallow roasting pan
** Bake 20 minutes for each pound
.
1 (12 to 14 pound) turkey
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onions
2 celery stalks
Several sprigs of fresh herbs, such as thyme, parsley, rosemary, or sage
1 bay leaves
Special equipment: large roasting pan, pastry brush or bulb baster, instant-read thermometer
Directions
Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and remove the other racks. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
1.Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
2. Pat turkey dry from all moisture. Place the bird on a v-shaped roasting rack salt and pepper
the cavity.
3. Slice the onions, and chop celery, Stuff all inside the turkey along with some of the herbs and 1 bay leaf. Pin the wings behind the turkey.
4.Turn the turkey breast side down, and season with salt and pepper. Tie the legs with butcher twine, and place in *roasting pan.
Take 1/2 of the softened butter and liberally massage turkey, being sure to cover the entire birds, breast and thighs.
5.Tent turkey with aluminum foil place turkey in preheated oven, after 2 hours, remove the foil from the turkey and use a pastry brush or bulb baster to baste turkey with the reserved butter and some of the pan drippings, cover loosely with the foil tent. Bake until the skin is a light golden color, **roast for 3 ½ to 4 hours. During the last 45 minutes of baking, remove the foil tent to brown the skin. Basting is not necessary, but will promote even browning.
6.Allow turkey to rest for at l5 minutes before carving (or removing stuffing if stuffed)
*Use a shallow roasting pan
** Bake 20 minutes for each pound
.
ROASTING YOUR TURKEY
Do you know that a "frozen" turkey is fresher than a so called "fresh" turkey?
I always buy a frozen turkey because the so called fresh turkeys can sit in your store for days uncooked. The frozen turkey have been frozen immediately upon preparation.
Let's get Roasting!
Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
Place the bird on a v-shaped roasting rack, breast-side down and pat dry with paper towels,use a shallow roasting pan (If you use a deep roasting pan, you wind up steaming the meat). To prevent the meat from drying out, loosely cover with a thick sheet of aluminum foil, butter on on the inside to prevent sticking. The last hour or so,remove the foil and turn the turkey to brown the breast.
Baste, baste, baste.
Don't rely on the little plastic thermometer in some turkeys to pop out. If you wait for it, the turkey will overcook. Instead stick an instant read thermometer several inches down through the skin between the thigh and the breast so the tip ends up about an inch above the joint. The turkey is ready when the thermometer reads 165 degrees F. If you are not prepared to use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the turkey and the stuffing in the bird, that is okay but the stuffing should be cooked outside the turkey," I alway cook my stuffing outside of the turkey".
Let the cooked turkey "rest" after it have been removed from the oven. While the turkey cooks, the juices are forced away from the heat to the middle of the turkey. Cover loosely with the aluminum foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes after it is removed from the oven. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the turkey. A moist turkey is easier to carve.
If you need your oven to reheat or cook side dishes, it's better to serve the turkey at room temperature with hot gravy than to reheat it. Reheating dries out the meat. The interior of a large turkey will stay quite hot for at least an hour.
I always buy a frozen turkey because the so called fresh turkeys can sit in your store for days uncooked. The frozen turkey have been frozen immediately upon preparation.
Let's get Roasting!
Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
Place the bird on a v-shaped roasting rack, breast-side down and pat dry with paper towels,use a shallow roasting pan (If you use a deep roasting pan, you wind up steaming the meat). To prevent the meat from drying out, loosely cover with a thick sheet of aluminum foil, butter on on the inside to prevent sticking. The last hour or so,remove the foil and turn the turkey to brown the breast.
Baste, baste, baste.
Don't rely on the little plastic thermometer in some turkeys to pop out. If you wait for it, the turkey will overcook. Instead stick an instant read thermometer several inches down through the skin between the thigh and the breast so the tip ends up about an inch above the joint. The turkey is ready when the thermometer reads 165 degrees F. If you are not prepared to use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the turkey and the stuffing in the bird, that is okay but the stuffing should be cooked outside the turkey," I alway cook my stuffing outside of the turkey".
Let the cooked turkey "rest" after it have been removed from the oven. While the turkey cooks, the juices are forced away from the heat to the middle of the turkey. Cover loosely with the aluminum foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes after it is removed from the oven. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the turkey. A moist turkey is easier to carve.
If you need your oven to reheat or cook side dishes, it's better to serve the turkey at room temperature with hot gravy than to reheat it. Reheating dries out the meat. The interior of a large turkey will stay quite hot for at least an hour.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
ULTIMATE BRINE FOR TURKEY
This is the brine recipe my sister makes every year for her holiday turkey, give it a try.
1 1/2 cups, Kosher salt*
1 1/4 cups, brown sugar
10 whole cloves
3 teaspoons, black peppercorns
1 1/2 gallons (6 quarts) apple juice or cider (non-alcoholic)
the peel from one orange or one tangerine (colored part only - not white pith)
[optional: 3 teaspoons, dried thyme and/or 3 teaspoons, dried sage]
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot, bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (partly covered). Allow brine to cool completely.
Rinse turkey under cool running water, inside and out (remove giblets from body cavity). Pat turkey dry with paper towels, then immerse turkey in cooled brine.** Turkey should be completely submerged in liquid (place a plate on top of the bird if necessary to keep it covered with the liquid).
Cover the pot and refrigerate for 8-10 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove turkey, rinse, pat dry, and roast as usual. [See note under “basic technique” for extra step to get crispiest skin.]
* Kosher salt is the ONLY type of salt to be used in making brine (it is sweeter and more pure than ordinary table salt).
**Be sure the container used for brining turkey is non-reactive: use enamel, glass or crockery or stainless steel - never cast iron or aluminum. The pot should be just large enough to contain the turkey (so the brine will be sufficient to cover the bird).
1 1/2 cups, Kosher salt*
1 1/4 cups, brown sugar
10 whole cloves
3 teaspoons, black peppercorns
1 1/2 gallons (6 quarts) apple juice or cider (non-alcoholic)
the peel from one orange or one tangerine (colored part only - not white pith)
[optional: 3 teaspoons, dried thyme and/or 3 teaspoons, dried sage]
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot, bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (partly covered). Allow brine to cool completely.
Rinse turkey under cool running water, inside and out (remove giblets from body cavity). Pat turkey dry with paper towels, then immerse turkey in cooled brine.** Turkey should be completely submerged in liquid (place a plate on top of the bird if necessary to keep it covered with the liquid).
Cover the pot and refrigerate for 8-10 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove turkey, rinse, pat dry, and roast as usual. [See note under “basic technique” for extra step to get crispiest skin.]
* Kosher salt is the ONLY type of salt to be used in making brine (it is sweeter and more pure than ordinary table salt).
**Be sure the container used for brining turkey is non-reactive: use enamel, glass or crockery or stainless steel - never cast iron or aluminum. The pot should be just large enough to contain the turkey (so the brine will be sufficient to cover the bird).
BRINING YOUR TURKEY
To get a flavorful turkey, you must start with a brine. Brining adds moisture and flavor to the turkey and helps to keep it from drying out
Supplies: To properly brine a turkey you need to start the night before you plan to cook. You will need a container large enough to hold your turkey and enough brine to cover it. You'll also need *Kosher salt, water, sugar, and enough room to refrigerate it. A large stainless steel stock pot or even a 5 gallon clean plastic bucket would make excellent containers. Whatever container you choose the turkey needs to have enough room to be turned so it should be big. Both Reynolds (Oven Roasting Bag for Turkeys) and Ziploc (XL Storage Bag) make very large food safe sealable bags that are great for brining.
Turkey: Now let's get to the turkey. Wash the bird, inside and out, in cool running water, completely thawed, and should not be a self-basting or Kosher turkey. Self-basting and Kosher turkeys have a salty stock added that will make your brined turkey too salty. A fresh turkey works best, but a completely thawed, previously frozen turkey will work just as well.
Brine Ingredients: To make the brine, mix 1 cup of Kosher salt in 1 gallon of water. You will need more than 1 gallon of water but that’s the ratio to aim. Add up to 1 cup of sugar per gallon of brine, then bring the whole thing to a boil for 5 minutes to blend flavors. Make sure that the salt and sugar is completely dissolved. Be sure to allow it to cool before immersing the turkey.
Set-up: Place the turkey in a bucket or pot (plastic, stainless steel or enamel – not aluminum or other “reactive” metal) pour in enough brine to completely cover the turkey with an inch or two to spare. You do not want any part of the turkey above the surface of the brine. Now you put the whole thing in the refrigerator. Cover the pot and refrigerate for 6 hours - or up to 24 hours
Keep it Cool!: Don't have room in the refrigerator? Try a cooler. A cooler big enough to hold your turkey and makes a good container for your turkey and brine. If the weather is cool, but not freezing you can put the whole thing outside until you need the turkey. If the weather is warm fill a a zip top bag with ice. Place this in the cooler with the turkey and brine and it will hold down the temperature during the brining process.
Rinsing: When you are ready to start cooking your turkey, remove it from the brine and rinse it off thoroughly in the sink with cold water until all traces of salt are off the surface inside and out. pat dry with paper towels, and roast as usual. Safely discard the brine.
Brining makes an exceptionally moist and juicy (but not watery) turkey. This is way I have the Perfect Turkey year after year, just follow my steps and you will to.
* Kosher salt is the ONLY type of salt to be used in making brine (it is sweeter and more pure than ordinary table salt).
Tips: After rinsing your turkey, allow the turkey to stand, refrigerated, for 6 hours or overnight. This resting period has the added advantage of evening the degree of brininess throughout the meat (it will be less salty on the surface of the meat, more evenly brined throughout), and resting produces a slightly more tender result.
If salt is a concern (the entire turkey will absorb only 10-15% of the brine)
Supplies: To properly brine a turkey you need to start the night before you plan to cook. You will need a container large enough to hold your turkey and enough brine to cover it. You'll also need *Kosher salt, water, sugar, and enough room to refrigerate it. A large stainless steel stock pot or even a 5 gallon clean plastic bucket would make excellent containers. Whatever container you choose the turkey needs to have enough room to be turned so it should be big. Both Reynolds (Oven Roasting Bag for Turkeys) and Ziploc (XL Storage Bag) make very large food safe sealable bags that are great for brining.
Turkey: Now let's get to the turkey. Wash the bird, inside and out, in cool running water, completely thawed, and should not be a self-basting or Kosher turkey. Self-basting and Kosher turkeys have a salty stock added that will make your brined turkey too salty. A fresh turkey works best, but a completely thawed, previously frozen turkey will work just as well.
Brine Ingredients: To make the brine, mix 1 cup of Kosher salt in 1 gallon of water. You will need more than 1 gallon of water but that’s the ratio to aim. Add up to 1 cup of sugar per gallon of brine, then bring the whole thing to a boil for 5 minutes to blend flavors. Make sure that the salt and sugar is completely dissolved. Be sure to allow it to cool before immersing the turkey.
Set-up: Place the turkey in a bucket or pot (plastic, stainless steel or enamel – not aluminum or other “reactive” metal) pour in enough brine to completely cover the turkey with an inch or two to spare. You do not want any part of the turkey above the surface of the brine. Now you put the whole thing in the refrigerator. Cover the pot and refrigerate for 6 hours - or up to 24 hours
Keep it Cool!: Don't have room in the refrigerator? Try a cooler. A cooler big enough to hold your turkey and makes a good container for your turkey and brine. If the weather is cool, but not freezing you can put the whole thing outside until you need the turkey. If the weather is warm fill a a zip top bag with ice. Place this in the cooler with the turkey and brine and it will hold down the temperature during the brining process.
Rinsing: When you are ready to start cooking your turkey, remove it from the brine and rinse it off thoroughly in the sink with cold water until all traces of salt are off the surface inside and out. pat dry with paper towels, and roast as usual. Safely discard the brine.
Brining makes an exceptionally moist and juicy (but not watery) turkey. This is way I have the Perfect Turkey year after year, just follow my steps and you will to.
* Kosher salt is the ONLY type of salt to be used in making brine (it is sweeter and more pure than ordinary table salt).
Tips: After rinsing your turkey, allow the turkey to stand, refrigerated, for 6 hours or overnight. This resting period has the added advantage of evening the degree of brininess throughout the meat (it will be less salty on the surface of the meat, more evenly brined throughout), and resting produces a slightly more tender result.
If salt is a concern (the entire turkey will absorb only 10-15% of the brine)
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