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Duo of Roasted and
Braised Heritage Turkey
By Alain Sailhac,
French Culinary Institute
--For an 18 lb. heritage turkey, legs & thighs removed,
and wings removed at the second joint.
The hardest part of this recipe is cutting a raw turkey into
4 parts – 2 leg/thighs, the back that was between them, and the breast attached
to everything else. Prepare all the ingredients first as it can take over ½
hour cut up the bird. The turkey comes up to room temperature during that time,
but you don’t want to leave it sit out much longer than that.
-- Preheat oven to 350 ˚.
--Make a mirepoix by chopping:
1 large
peeled onion
1 large
peeled carrot
1 celery
branch
1 small
peeled rutabaga
Combine all these, then divide them equally into 2 bowls.
-- Make a bouquet garni with:
2 bay
leaves
2 branches
of sage
5-6 parsley
stems
A few inner
celery leaves
--Stem 25-30 sage leaves, and preserve the stems
-- Chop 4 oz. onion
-- Have ready:
3 C. white
wine
11 ½ C.
chicken stock
4 garlic
cloves, unpeeled and lightly crushed
For the Braise:
§ Season
legs with salt and pepper.
§ In
a pot just large enough to hold the legs comfortably, heat 1/3 C. oil; add the
legs and brown well on all sides.
§ Add
half the mirepoix and cook until soft and it develops some color. Remove the
legs and strain the contents, leaving 2-3 T. of the fat in the pan.
§ Return
all ingredients to the pan and deglaze with 2 C. wine. Reduce the liquid until
syrupy and add about 7 C. of the stock. The liquid should come about halfway up
the sides of the legs.
§ Add
the bouquet garni and 2 garlic cloves, bring to a boil, cover, and place in the
oven. Let braise, turning occasionally, for 2-2 ½ hours, or until a thermometer
inserted into the thickest part of the inner thigh (not touching bone)
registers at least 180 ˚ F.
§ Remove
the legs, cover and keep warm.
§ Strain
the braising liquid and return to the heat, skimming diligently and reducing
slightly.
For the Roast:
§ At
the same time you start braising the legs, begin roasting the breast.
§ Rub
it all over with about 2 T. of oil and season with salt and pepper.
§ Chop
the neck and wings into 1-inch pieces.
§ Place
a small roasting pan in the oven to heat it for a few minutes. Add ¼ C. of oil
to the pan, place the breast in the pan, skin side up, and distribute 2 garlic
cloves, the neck and wing pieces, and the other half of the mirepoix around it.
§ Place
the pan in the oven, and roast the turkey for 30 minutes.
§ Baste
with one T. butter to encourage browning.
§ If
the neck and wing pieces have developed color, deglaze them with 4 ½ C. stock
and bring to a boil.
§ Return
the pan to the oven and continue basting every 15 minutes for approximately 1 ½
to 2 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers
168 ˚
F.
§ Remove
the breast, cover loosely with foil, and keep warm. Let the breast rest a
minimum of 15-20 minutes before carving.
§ Strain
and degrease the cooking liquid and skim well.
For the Sauce:
§ Marry
the braising and the roasting liquids together and reduce them to just under 1
quart.
§ Meanwhile,
soften the onion in 4 T. butter and deglaze with 1 C. wine. Add sage stems and
reduce by two-thirds. Combine this with the reduced stock and simmer for just a
few minutes to meld the flavors.
§ Strain
the sauce through a fine chinois and mount with 2 T. butter.
§ Taste
for seasoning and add a chiffonade of sage leaves.
