Thanksgiving In Hoss's Backyard

[MrHoss]

Started out with a 15 pound free run fresh turkey from the folks at Hayter's.  I made a brine with salt, turbinado sugar, molasses, garlic cloves, water, vegetable stock and poultry rub - the bird was brined in the fridge for 15 hours.  I then rinsed her well, padded dry with paper towels and onto a platter uncovered in the fridge for about 12 hours.  I then rubbed it well with grapeseed oil and lightly dusted with my poultry rub.  Onto the kettle:



The start of my dressing:



I cook the bacon off for about 4 minutes then add the onions and celery:



Then the mushrooms and a little Marsala to finish:



Make some browned butter, a vegatable stock/egg mix and cube up some chibata bread.  Pour enough of the egg/stock mix over the bread cubes to get them wet but not soaking then add the mushroom mix and stir.  Add in some of the poultry rub and thyme powder to season more and put in a dish.  Drizzle with the browned butter.....



My cookers for the day:



The stuffing was cooked on the blue and the turkey went on Aretha.  The turkey went in at about 475f for about a half hour then it went about 2 hours at 300f or so....done:





The breast section on cutting:



I used pecan, and a little bit of apple and white oak....however this baby smelled and tasted like nothing but pecan:



For the gravy I took off the wings before cooking, seasoned them and roasted them off in the oven.  I took the pieces and added them to some chicken stock, carrots, mushrooms and water to reduce all afternoon.  I strained this mix and made my gravy from it.  My plate:



This kettle was a gift from 604....he found it close to his house.  The handles he tossed in were a little beat so I refinished them:



I used gunstock stain and 4 coats of satin spar:

[1buckie]

Man-O-Man.....as good as that turkey looks, I'm really likin' that stuffing fixup !!!


Happy Canadian holiday !!!!


MacEggs should be showin' up here anytime with his deal.....
I've looked forward to the Northern Thanksgiving ever since I met him ..............

[einrej]

Thank you for letting me see your cook. WOW

[LightningBoldtz]

Looks awesome, happy thanksgiving even though it is 6 week early....... 

[MrHoss]

Man-O-Man.....as good as that turkey looks, I'm really likin' that stuffing fixup !!!


Happy Canadian holiday !!!!


MacEggs should be showin' up here anytime with his deal.....
I've looked forward to the Northern Thanksgiving ever since I met him ..............

That stuffing is a takeoff on Emeril Lagasse's recipie:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Recipes/recipe?id=12206765

I do mine a little different, (mainly not soaking the hell out of the bread), but he is the man.  Here is mine finished:



I have been wanting to do a smoked turkey for some time now but we always travel.  This year I got the gift of the rotisserie find on kijiji from MacEggs.  Having the rotisserie MADE me do the turkey...no way I was not going to do this.

[Taz]

My plate:

My plate?  As in you only had one?  Just one?!?  That cook warrants seconds or thirds.  Looks delicious!  Happy Thanksgiving!

[mirkwood]

I'm not really a turkey guy but, dayam that looks flippin awesome. Excellent cook up and pics .. 

[glrasmussen]

Looks Great! Stuffing, wow! Luv the shrooms, family would be a know go. Did you dry your Ciabatta bread first?

[SixZeroFour]

Impressive cook as always Hoss, and I can't believe those are even the same handles! They look great!

Hope and your loved ones had a great Thanksgiving.

[MrHoss]

Did you dry your Ciabatta bread first?

No.  This is probably the 15-20th time I have made this.  Tried dried bread and I like the taste of fresh better.  I am after a crunchy product as oppossed to mushy and find the fresher the bread the better.  That said stores are all closed here today so I bought this yesterday.  So it was actually a little hard and subsequently it turned out a little mushy for my liking.

One cooking note.  I foil the pan and cook around 375f for 40 minutes then unfoil and crank up the heat to 425f for 10 minutes or so till crispy enough for you liking.  I drizzle with more browned butter when  unfoiling.  On making brown butter....do not make it black.  Soon as it turns brown pull it....and stir often on the way to brown.

[1911Ron]

Wow i would hit that hard, pass me a plate or two!

[Nate]

My-oh-my MrHoss, that looks perfect.   You just convinced me to get a rotisserie.

[MacEggs]

Everything looks awesome, Mike!  Nice to see a turkey on the roti.  I just knew you'd try it.

We were at my folks place for the weekend. Mom did the 14 lb turkey in the oven, and I smoked a ham on the ECB. Good stuff. 

The fall colours look amazing up in Grey-Bruce county.   

[GregS]

holy crap that looks good!  everything even the handle! 

[MrHoss]

Everything looks awesome, Mike!  Nice to see a turkey on the roti.  I just knew you'd try it.

I had to try it.  After you gifting me the find it was written in stone.  Thanks so much for letting me get the rotisserie - should you have asked me to pick it up for you I surely would have.  And not thought twice about it.  For those reading this and wondering, the roti was NIB and cheap, cheap, cheap.  With 2.5 months left this is my find of the year hands down....so far.