Food column: Turkey, the centerpiece of Thanksgiving

“As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.”

With those immortal words in November of 1978, Arthur C. Carlson, CEO of radio station WKRP in Cincinnati rocketed his way into Thanksgiving lore. Not that there is a lot of competition.

TV doesn’t seem to care much for Thanksgiving. When it comes to television, Thanksgiving is strictly a football and parade kind of holiday. There is nary a Grinch nor a Great Pumpkin to be seen anywhere this time of year.

And, yes, I am familiar with Charles Schultz’s “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” While “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is a program that is guaranteed to tug at my heartstrings on a yearly basis, Schultz’s shout-out for Thanksgiving usually leaves me feeling, at best, uncomfortable. I can stand watching Charlie Brown receive rocks in his trick-or-treat bag at Halloween, and smile as Lucy regularly pulls the football away just as he tries to kick it, but I have never liked watching Peppermint Patty invite herself over to “Chuck’s” house for Thanksgiving and then bawl him out when she learns that all he can make is toast and popcorn.

Maybe it was the future host in me, but Patty’s rude behavior always left me cold.

But that “WKRP” episode? Four decades later, and it makes me smile just to think about it.

Thus, I propose that one of the networks adopt the “WKRP in Cincinnati” Thanksgiving episode and make it a regular November special. The episode is comedy (and holiday) gold. Here’s a quick recap if you’ve never seen it: Mr. Carlson, a sweet but bumbling idiot, organizes what he describes as the greatest Thanksgiving turkey give-away in history. Believing that the birds could fly, he drops them from a helicopter as it circles a Cincinnati shopping mall. As a horrified  Les Nessman – doing his best Hindenburg imitation – describes it,  “The turkeys are hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement! One just went through the window of a parked car! Oh the humanity!”

Now, I don’t condone cruelty to animals, but even I have to admit that I laugh out loud every time I watch that scene. It also never fails to remind me of Thanksgiving.

Which brings me to this column.

Turkey is the centerpiece of this holiday. Roasting one is perhaps beyond the skills of an 8-year-old Charlie Brown, but it is something just anyone with an oven, a roasting pan, and a few simple ingredients can do.

That includes you. Who cares if you have 12 guests due at your house for dinner tomorrow at noon, you can pull this off. Turkey is really easy to make. You really just thaw it, give it a little seasoning and then stuff it into the oven for a couple of hours. It doesn’t take much more than that.

And if you are not hosting the holiday meal, I’ve included some other recipes that will make you the most welcome guest at the feast.

A Brined Bird

If you have the time, brining your bird is the way to go. A brine – just a solution of salt and water – forces the turkey to absorb moisture. That almost ensures a moist juicy bird when it comes out of the oven.

It also is a great way to introduce a little more flavor to the meat. While the bird is absorbing the water, it also absorbs whatever flavor is added to the water. In the case of this brine, that flavor is orange juice, a little sugar and some herbs.

The recipe is Alton Brown’s from “I’m Just Here for the Food,” my guide to all things brined.

If you decide to brine, you’ll need a few things. The first is time. You need to brine the turkey at least six to eight hours before sticking it in the oven. You also need a cooler that is big enough to keep the turkey immersed in the solution during that whole time.

Finally, once your bird is out of the brine and in the oven, clean out the cooler immediately. Otherwise – and I say this from experience - you’ll be in for a very nasty surprise next summer when you pull that cooler out for your trip to the beach.

Ingredients

1 quart of chicken or vegetable stock, chilled

½ cup kosher salt

¼ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 quart orange juice, chilled

2 quarts ice water

A couple bags of ice

1 turkey, thawed

Combine the stock, the salt, the brown sugar, peppercorns, and bay leaves in a large saucepan. Bring solution to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the remaining stock, the orange juice and 2 quarts of ice water. Let mixture cool to below 40 degrees.

Meanwhile, rinse your turkey inside and out with cool water. Pat dry. You may need to refrigerate it while waiting for the brine to cool.  (Depending on the size of your cooler and your bird, you may want to double the brine recipe.)

Place the turkey in your cooler. Once the brine has cooled, pour it over and around the turkey until the bird is completely immersed. Add more stock if needed. Pour ice around the bird to keep the solution cold. You may need to replenish the ice as it melts. You also may need to weigh the turkey down with a pot to keep it immersed.

Let the turkey soak for six to eight hours.

When the turkey is almost done soaking, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Pull the turkey from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the bird, breast side down in a roasting pan. Insert an oven-proof meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, but make sure the tip does not touch bone. Drape turkey loosely with aluminum foil.

Roasting times will vary depending on the size of the bird. A 13-pounder (without stuffing) will take about 2 ½ to 3 hours. However, the key is temperature. The turkey is done when the thermometer registers 180 degrees and when the juices run clear.  If your thermometer is not oven-proof, start checking the temperature after two hours.

Alton Brown does not recommend basting your turkey. He says all that does is let heat out of the oven without adding any additional moisture.

Remove the turkey from the oven and tent with foil. Let sit for about 30 minutes before carving.

Fly-Off-the-Plate Dinner Rolls

If you are a guest at someone’s Thanksgiving dinner, there is always the dilemma of what to bring. One of my go-to’s is the simple dinner roll. For one thing you can make them a day ahead, and they travel well.

This recipe from the book, “A Cook’s Tour of Iowa,” is one of my most requested. The rolls are relatively simple to make, and they taste wonderful, especially when they are a little warm.

Note: This recipe is easier if you have a stand mixer. That said, you can mix everything by hand.

Ingredients

2 packages active dry yeast

½ cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees F)

2 cups hot water

½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons butter

6 to 6 ½ cups flour (you may need a little more or less)

3 teaspoons salt

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Place the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. Heat 2 more cups of water to boiling. Pour the hot water over the sugar and butter. Beat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Add 2 cups of flour, and beat to combine. Add the yeast mixture, and stir to combine. Add the remaining flour – 2 cups at a time – and the salt and beat. If you are using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5-7 minutes.

Pour dough into a large greased bowl. Cover and leave in a warm place until dough doubles (this could take anywhere from 45 minutes to 90 minutes; It depends on how warm your kitchen is).

Once the dough has doubled, remove from the bowl. Divide into 20-24 rolls. Place in two greased 9x13-inch pans. Let rise again until doubled (30 to 45 minutes).

While the rolls are rising the second time, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. If desired brush the tops with a little melted butter.

Makes 20-24 rolls.

Bourbon Apple Pie with Pecan Streusel

I know that I am known for my apple cider pie. However, I’ve shared that with you so many times that I thought you might like something a little different.

This apple pie from the website Layers of Happiness does the trick. It’s got the smoky sweetness of bourbon and the crunch of the pecan streusel. It’s definitely one of my favorites.

Of course, you can leave the bourbon out if you like. Same goes for the pecans in the streusel.

Ingredients:

For the Pie Crust:

1 ¼ cups flour (plus more for rolling out the dough)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cold and cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons (or more) ice water

For the Pie Filling:

6 large apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces (I use a variety of apples in my pie, so choose your favorite)

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 ½ tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Streusel:

2/3 cup flour

½ cup white sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup pecans, roughly chopped

8 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into small pieces

To make your pie crust:

Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add in the pieces of cold butter and mix using either your stand mixer or a pastry blender until the butter is worked into the dry ingredients (there should still be larger pieces of butter visible). Add the ice water a little bit at a time and blend/mix until the dough begins to come together. You may need more than 2 tablespoons to get a cohesive dough. Bring the dough together and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

To make your pie filling:

Melt the butter in a large skillet over a medium-low heat. Add the chunks of apple, followed by both sugars. Stir until the sugar melts and the apples are thoroughly coated in the butter/sugar mixture. Continue to cook at a low temperature until the apples become soft but still hold their shape (this took me about 8 minutes). Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool completely.

In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cornstarch. Once your apples are cool, stir this mixture into the apples. Next, add the bourbon and the vanilla extract.

To make the streusel:

Toast the pecans in a small skillet over low heat, stirring frequently (be VERY careful; the pecans will scorch easily). Cook only until pecans just begin to become fragrant. Remove them from the pan to stop them from cooking.

Mix the pecans into the flour, along with both sugars, the cinnamon, salt and butter. You are done mixing when the mixture becomes crumbly.

To assemble and bake the pie:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil (this will protect your oven from the filling if it bubbles over).

Roll out your crust to roughly a 12-inch diameter (it should be about ¼-inch thick). Place in a 9-inch pie plate and trim and fold the edges neatly. Add the filling and then cover the filling completely with the streusel. Place pie on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 60-70 minutes. If the streusel is baking too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.

Allow pie to cool for about an hour before cutting.

Michael Knock is the Iowa City Press-Citizen food columnist.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Food column: Turkey, the centerpiece of Thanksgiving