Experts Tip The Scales For Fresh Turkey

By Nancy K. Crevier

Such a simple idea, initially: a day of thanks, celebrated nationwide. But before long, elaborate feasts and elaborate travel plans became synonymous with giving thanks. Then somehow the turkey, once under consideration for our national bird, got tangled up in the hoopla and for decades has taken on the starring role in Thanksgiving Day feasts from coast to coast. And from the days when picking out the special bird consisted of going out in the backyard and pointing to the unlucky winner in the poultry pen, turkey selection, like everything else, has become a far more complex operation.

There are fresh turkeys, frozen turkeys, organic turkeys, and natural turkeys. There are turkeys raised on special feed, turkeys that free-range, and self-basting turkeys. There are even, surprisingly enough, wild turkeys. What differentiates one type from the other and how much of a difference does selecting one kind over another make?

The most popular turkey sold around the holidays is the frozen turkey. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations state that if a processed turkey has ever been cooled to 0 degrees or lower, it must be labeled frozen. Frozen turkey can be purchased weeks, or even months, ahead of time, often to the shoppers’ advantage. Careful planning is required, however, as a frozen turkey takes several days in the refrigerator to thaw before roasting.

Only if the deep, internal muscle temperature has never dipped below 26 degrees can a turkey be labeled “fresh.” Advocates of fresh turkey claim that the meat is moister than that of a turkey frozen prior to preparation.

Natural and organic turkeys are easily confused. Because there is no legal definition of “natural” when applied to poultry, the term can mean any number of things. Generally, a “natural” turkey has no artificial flavors, colors, or synthetic ingredients added, and does not use any chemical preservatives. It is possible, though, that antibiotics were used somewhere between the time a “natural” turkey struggled out of the egg and the time it ended up in the grocery case.

The USDA National Organic Program, however, strictly regulates the designation of a certified “organic” turkey. No antibiotics, synthetic hormones, or synthetic pesticides can be used in production. No genetic modification is allowed. Only 100 percent organic feed can be provided for the turkeys, and they must be allowed to express natural behaviors such as scratching at the ground and hunting bugs. An organic turkey must be provided with regular, outside access.

Free-range turkeys are also confused with natural or organic birds, but the designation means only that the turkeys have access to — but do not necessarily use — the outside and natural light. What they are fed and how they are raised varies from producer to producer. The fact that a turkey is labeled “hormone free” is virtually meaningless, as hormones are never used in poultry production in the US.

A self-basting turkey is spiked with “butter or other edible fat, broth, stock, or water, plus spices, flavor enhancers and other approved substances,” under USDA regulations.

Kosher turkeys, preferred by some chefs for their saltier, flavorful meat, indicates that the turkey was killed according to Jewish law.

With all of the options, the weekend chef may be in a quandary, but several local professional cooks have their opinions on the perfect bird for a perfect dinner, as well as some tips to make the prelude to dinner play out more smoothly.

Adding Flavor

Newtown caterer Nancy Bamberg is one chef who prefers a Kosher turkey for the holidays.

“I try to buy a fresh, Kosher turkey because I sometimes cater for people who want only Kosher, but also because the Kosher turkeys have a lot more flavor than the others,” said Ms Bamberg. Before the turkey goes into the oven, Ms Bamberg like to rub lots of herbs inside and outside the turkey. “I try to use as many fresh herbs as I can, and under the turkey, I put a layer of apples, carrots, celery, onions, shallots, organs, and sometimes parsnips.” Cooking the turkey breast-side down for the first half of the cooking time keeps the turkey meat nice and moist, Ms Bamberg shared.

Fresh is the way to go, agrees Chef Patrick Wilson of Newtown, who is the executive chef at The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club in Hastings-On-Hudson, N.Y. But for this chef, it is the free-range turkey that seems most flavorful, with organic turkey coming in a close second. He advocates brining the turkey in one pound of sugar, one pound of salt, and five gallons of water for 24 hours before roasting, and like Ms Bamberg, he roasts the bird upside down.

“One thing I don’t do,” he said, “is fry them as some people do. There are so many variables and concerns about a fire.”

To add zest to the recipe, said Chef Wilson, “I toast cumin seeds and juniper berries and add them to the salt, sugar, and water solution.”

How the turkey is presented is important to this pro. “I always scoop a small mound of stuffing and set some dark meat into the stuffing, covered by a nice slice of white meat and cover it with giblet gravy. That is fine dining for me, comfort food style.”

Chef Wilson also confessed to coveting what he referred to as the “filet mignon of turkey.” Two small, round mounds located near the joint of the thigh are called the oysters. “After everybody has been served, and if nobody asks for them first, I remove the oysters from the underside of the turkey and eat those myself.”

Chef Chaz Fable oversees the kitchen at the Danbury Stew Leonard’s location on Federal Road. Free-range, organic, Kosher and all natural turkeys are available there, but this chef, who will help cook a portion of the 600,000 pounds of turkey the three Stew Leonard stores will sell during the holiday season, goes for the natural turkey at home.

“I grab the Stew Leonard brand. It’s a fresh turkey, kept at 28 degrees. I’m an old-fashioned guy. When I get home, after cooking hundreds of turkeys at the store, I just throw it in the oven nice and early and let it roast. It’s almost a lost tradition.”

Chef Fable is also not a big fan of deep-frying turkey. “It’s actually very dangerous for someone who doesn’t do it all of the time or doesn’t know what they are doing.”

Other turkey roasting dangers can be controlled, as well, he said. “Be cautious when handling raw turkey. Keep it in the coldest part of the refrigerator, usually the lowest shelf,” he advised. Cleaning the turkey inside and out before cooking with a solution of water and white vinegar ensures the removal of any blood and guards against the potential of health hazards, he added.

Unlike other poultry, which is considered thoroughly cooked at 165 degrees, the internal temperature for turkey should be 180 degrees. Placing the stuffing in the cavity of the turkey is not a safe practice, he said, as it is impossible for the stuffing to reach a safe temperature without overcooking the meat.

Chef Fable offered one other bit of advice to novice cooks: “People forget there is a bag of giblets and the neck inside the turkey. Be sure to take them out before roasting.”

Michele Grillo, a recent graduate of the Culinary Institute of America Pro-Chef program, used to brine and roast her Thanksgiving Day bird, but when she started deep-frying an additional turkey a few years back, she quickly discovered that her guests were gobbling down the deep fried version and the only leftovers were of the traditional roast. She has since refined her technique and her turkey.

“I order turducken now from cajungrocer.com. There are no bones in turducken, it has a shorter cooking time and the flavor is to die for.” Turducken is a boneless turkey stuffed with a boneless duck, which in turn is stuffed with a boneless chicken, and then flash frozen.

Playing It Safe

As much as she believes deep-frying is the way to go, Chef Grillo stresses the importance of reading the fire and safety precautions that come with the fryer.

“We deep fry out in the back yard, and I always premeasure ahead of time with water to see how much the turkey is going to displace, and how much oil I will really need. It doesn’t take as much oil as you would think. I use about 15 pounds of oil,” she said. What she likes, and what her guests rave about, is that the outside of the bird is sealed and crispy, while the inside meats stays juicy.

At Loree’s Kitchen in Bethel, owner Loree Ogan has been using fresh turkeys for her Thanksgiving Day customers since 1981.

“They are excellent in terms of flavor,” she said, but added, “Honestly, I’ve cooked frozen [turkey] and I’ll tell you, I can’t usually tell the difference.”

Along with a fresh turkey, the timed bake option on her home oven is Ms Ogan’s secret ingredient. “I put the turkey in before I go to work, turn it on, and pray I smell turkey baking when I walk back in,” she shared.

For Ms Ogan, the true pleasure of Thanksgiving Day is in her business kitchen, though. “Thanksgiving Day for us is most exciting. Everyone is so appreciative. I’m honored people invite us into their home to put the food on the table.”

It is simply about giving thanks, after all.