holiday recipes

APPLE BRINED ROASTED TURKEY
George Hirsch Living it UP!
From www.georgehirschliving.com

Brining is an overnight process. If preparing a frozen turkey, be sure to thaw it well in advance. Brine the turkey in a large stockpot. Turkey needs to be completely submerged in brine, or you must turn every couple hours. I prefer turkeys no larger than 12-14 pounds for best tenderness and flavor. Cook additional turkeys if serving more than 12- 14 people. As a guide figure each pound of turkey on the bone feeds one person.

On the day prior to cooking: Brine for a 12 pound Turkey, double recipe for larger turkey.
8 cups apple cider
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
2/3 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
2 bay leaves
To prepare brine, combine ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until sugar and salt dissolve. Cool completely.
To Brine:
2 oranges, quartered
6 garlic cloves, peeled & cut in half
1 onion, quartered
1 rib celery, chopped into two inch pieces
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled & sliced
3 each sage leaves, rosemary sprigs, thyme
4 cups ice
Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for gravy. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Stuff body cavity with orange quarters, ice, onion, ginger, sage, rosemary and thyme. Depending on size of turkey refrigerate for 12 hours for 12 pounds, turning occasionally. Add one hour bringing time per pound of turkey.
To Roast:
1 yard kitchen twine
2 cups chicken broth or stock
4 Tablespoons butter
fresh gound black pepper
6 slices pancetta or bacon
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Remove turkey from brine, discard brine and orange quarters. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Place garlic, sage, thyme, parsley, onion, and broth in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place roasting rack In pan. Arrange turkey, breast side down, on roasting rack. Brush turkey back with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350º.
Remove turkey from oven. Carefully turn turkey over, breast side up. Put turkey neck and giblets in pan. Brush turkey breast with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper; lay slices of pancetta over breasts. Bake at 350º for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the center meaty part of thigh registers 170º.
Cover breast of turkey loosely with foil if it browns too quickly. Remove turkey from oven; let stand 30 minutes. Pour off drippings and remove turkey neck and giblets for gravy; cover turkey to keep warm.

STUFFING
makes 8 cups
· 3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian Sausage, removed from casing
· 3 cups crumbled day old French bread
· 3/4 cup hot chicken broth
· 1/2 cup onion, chopped
· 1/4 cup celery, chopped
· 8 cloves caramelized garlic
· One 8-ounce jar of applesauce
· 1 egg, lightly beaten
· 2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped
· 1 teaspoon each poultry seasoning, basil, and parsley
· 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
Pre heat a large sauté pan to medium-low temperature. Add sausage meat, and lightly brown. Add onion, celery, and garlic, poultry seasoning, sage, basil, parsley, and Tabasco. Cook for 2-3 minutes until vegetables are slightly soft but do not allow to color. Remove and cool. Mix hot broth with French bread, add sautéed vegetable mixture, applesauce, and egg. Put stuffing mixture in a casserole pan, cover, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Add any of the following to make a sensational stuffing. 1/4 chopped cooked spinach, or 1/2 cup cooked chopped chestnuts, or 1/2 cup oysters, or 1/2 cup chopped shrimp, 1/2 cup chopped chorizo sausage

CRANBERRY DRESSING
www.chefgeorgehirsch.com
(adapted from Gather ‘Round the Grill©1996 George Hirsch)
· 2 cups fresh cranberries, washed
· 1/4 cup sugar
· Juice of 1 orange
· 2 T. cider vinegar
· 1 bay leaf
· Freshly ground black pepper
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan. Lower heat. Cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Cool and refrigerate 2 hours. Serve as an accompaniment for turkey, chicken, or goose.

FRESH CRANBERRY PECAN RELISH
(adapted from Grilling with Chef George Hirsch©1994 George Hirsch)
· 2 cups fresh cranberries, washed
· juice and rind of one lemon
· 1/4 cup golden raisins
· 1 cup water
· 1/4 cup sugar
· 2T. Toasted pecans, chopped
· pinch of ground cinnamon
· 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
Place the cranberries in a 2-quart saucepan and add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the cranberries pop. Add pecans, cool and refrigerate 2 hours. Serve as a flavorful relish for your holiday feast.

SAVORY HERB GRAVY
Makes 14 1/4 cup servings
From George Hirsch Living it UP!
www.chefgeorgehirsch.com
2 cups Drippings from roasted turkey
2 cups chicken broth or stock roasted turkey neck & giblets
3 Tablespoons fat from turkey drippings
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh sage or parsley fresh ground black pepper
In a saucepan, place drippings from roasted turkey, turkey neck and giblets over medium heat. Heat to boil reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Strain broth into a large bowl, place bowl over another bowl with ice to cool quickly; until the fat rises to the top.
Remove fat from top of gravy; over medium heat, spoon 3 tablespoons fat from the poultry drippings into a 2-quart saucepan. Whisk flour into the heated fat and continue to cook and stir until the flour turns golden. Meanwhile, skim and discard any fat remaining on top of the poultry drippings. Gradually whisk in warm poultry drippings and chicken broth mixture. Cook and stir, until gravy simmers and is slightly thick. Add fresh sage and black pepper.

TURKEY CARVING TIPS
With sharp carving knife, cut both leg quarters off the turkey. Cut both wing pieces off the breast section. Slice straight down along the breastbone. Continue to slice down, with knife hugging rib bones, to remove the breast meat from bones. Beginning at narrow end of breast, slice meat across the grain, about 1/4 inch thick. Pull the thigh and the drumstick apart and locate joint. Cut through the joint, separating it into two pieces. Remove the largest pieces of meat from thigh and slice the meat across grain, about 1/4 inch thick.

TURKEY THAWING TIPS
Turkey can be thawed in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave. Whole turkey takes about 24 hours per five pounds to thaw in the refrigerator. In cold water, changed every 30 minutes, turkey takes about 30 minutes per pound to thaw. When using a microwave to thaw a turkey, follow the manufacturer's instructions for the size turkey that will fit in your oven, the minutes per pound and the power level to use. Never defrost turkey on the counter. Once thawed, keep turkey refrigerated at 40 degrees F. or below until it is ready to be cooked. Turkey thawed in the microwave should be cooked immediately

The Brine