By Jamie Geller
Joy of Kosher

What makes this the ultimate turkey? Two words: garlic schmaltz. We start with lots of roasted garlic then add chicken or turkey schmaltz and fresh herbs. It makes a flavorful basting liquid to create the ultimate Thanksgiving turkey. If you’re short on chicken or turkey fat, use a little extra-virgin olive oil to make up the difference.

Use veggies as a roasting pan “rack” to help your turkey get a crisp, golden skin. Scatter celery, carrots, and onions on the bottom of the pan to keep the bird from sitting in its own juices and getting soggy.

To make this turkey truly the ultimate, serve it with rich porcini mushroom gravy.

Note: If using an heirloom turkey, like one from Grow & Behold, they are lean and cook quickly. Budget 12 minutes per pound at 325°F for best results.

 

How To Cut Duck
Or Chicken

Start with a whole chicken or duck. The challenge with kosher duck is that it is often found frozen and whole. This requires a bit of planning ahead and a fearless plan of attack. Cutting duck or chicken is not hard, but like many kitchen skills it has been replaced with purchasing cut-up pieces. I love cutting duck and chicken and want you to as well–so grab your sharpest knife, thaw your birds, and steel yourself.

Place the duck or chicken breast-side up on a cutting board with the legs facing you. (The breast side is plumper than the backside.)

Locate the breastbone that runs down the center of the bird.

Cut a line as close to the breastbone as possible down the entire length of the bird.

Gently scrape your knife along the body; this loosens the meat without cutting into it.

Follow downward with your knife until the entire breast is cut away from the bone.

Repeat with the other breast.

To remove the legs and thighs, cut the piece of skin that attaches the leg to the bones.

Bend the leg slightly to loosen it from the joint.

Cut the skin on the back and remove the leg and thigh.

Trim any pieces of fat and loose skin from the chicken or duck.

I wrap my poultry pieces individually and then freeze them. I save the carcasses for stock and the fat for rendering.

 

To Render The Fat

Place the fat in a saucepan. Add about ⅓ cup water for 1 pound of fat/skin. Place the pan on very low heat and let the fat melt very gently. You can do this in an oven at 275°F.

The water will evaporate and pieces of skin will start to turn golden-brown. This process can take several hours.

When the skin turns golden-brown, pour the fat and skin through a strainer. Press on the skin to get every last drop of fat.

Cool the fat before storing.

To Make Gribenes/Cracklings: Return the skin to the pan and turn the heat to medium. Add one medium white onion that has been diced. Continue cooking, occasionally pouring off the fat and saving it, until the skin turns a deep brown and is very crispy.

 

Turkey With
Garlic Schmaltz

Duration: 415 minutes

Cook Time: 255 minutes

Prep Time: 160 minutes

Servings: 8—10

Ingredients:

Garlic Schmaltz:

  • 3 heads of garlic
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, such as Colavita
  • kosher salt
  • 2 cups rendered chicken or turkey fat
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, needles stripped and chopped
  • 12 sage leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 bunch thyme sprigs, leaves stripped and chopped

Veggies for bottom of pan:

  • 2 cups chopped celery
  • 2 cups chopped carrots,
  • 1 onion cut in eighths

Turkey:

  • 16-lb. turkey, thawed and at room temperature
  • kosher salt
  • freshly cracked pepper
  • 1 orange, cut into quarters
  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped
  • several rosemary sprigs
  • 1 bunch of thyme sprigs
  • 2 heads of garlic
  • garlic schmaltz
  • Special equipment: large roasting pan (with or without a rack) and butcher’s twine.

Preparation:

Garlic Schmaltz:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Slice ¼ inch off the top of a head of garlic, exposing the tops of the cloves inside. Drizzle cut garlic with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and wrap in foil. Roast at 375°F for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the garlic is lightly browned, soft, and very fragrant.

Squeeze garlic from the bulbs and mash it with a fork. Stir poultry fat (see: how to render poultry fat) into mashed garlic, then add herbs.

Chill mixture for 2 hours or overnight. Garlic schmaltz can be frozen for up to two months.

Turkey:

Preheat oven to 375°F. (If using an heirloom turkey, like one from Grow & Behold, preheat oven to 325°F.)

Place celery, carrots, and onion in the bottom of a large roasting pan.

Pull out neck and giblets. Reserve. Place turkey in a roasting pan (on top of rack, or, if no rack, on top of vegetables). Rub turkey with salt and pepper on the outside and in the cavity. Tuck wings underneath the turkey.

Stuff cavity with orange, onion, rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Tie legs together with butcher’s twine.

Generously rub garlic schmaltz all over turkey. Save some for basting during cooking.

Roast turkey and neck at 375°F, basting occasionally with garlic schmaltz, for 3½ hours, or when a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 170°F. Start checking the temperature at 3 hours.

Remove from oven, and tent turkey loosely with foil. Rest for 20 minutes.

Remove string, herbs, and vegetables from the cavity and discard. Pour pan drippings into a saucepan and skim fat from the surface. Reduce pan drippings until they coat the back of a spoon for a natural pan jus. Carve turkey and serve with pan jus or rich porcini mushroom gravy.

 

Porcini Mushroom Gravy

Typically, a roasted turkey will give you two cups of turkey drippings. To make up the full 4½—5 cups needed for this gravy, just add an extra 2 to 3 cups of chicken or turkey broth. Roast the turkey neck alongside your turkey to save time.

Duration: 53 minutes

Cook Time: 48 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 3 cups

Ingredients:

  • 4 Tbsp. turkey, chicken fat, or extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 shallots, roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 4 Tbsp. flour
  • 4½—5 cups turkey drippings, plus chicken or turkey broth
  • 1 roasted turkey neck
  • Giblets, browned and cut up (optional)
  • 1 celery stalk tied in cheesecloth with 3 sage leaves, 1 bay leaf, several rosemary sprigs, and several thyme sprigs
  • 1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
  • kosher salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, sauté shallots and garlic in poultry fat or olive oil for 8 minutes, until translucent and very limp. Add wine and reduce until it creates a glaze.

Add flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, to get rid of raw flour taste. Add turkey drippings and broth, turkey neck, celery with herbs, and porcini mushrooms. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.

Remove neck and celery with herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. For a chunkier gravy, pull neck meat from the bones and add to the gravy along with chopped giblets. Serve immediately alongside your roasted turkey.

Jamie Geller is the only bestselling cookbook author who wants to get you out of the kitchen–not because she doesn’t love food but because she has tons to do. As “The Bride Who Knew Nothing” Jamie found her niche specializing in fast, fresh, family recipes. Now the “Queen of Kosher” (CBS) and the “Jewish Rachael Ray” (New York Times), she’s the creative force behind JOYofKOSHER.com and JOY of KOSHER with Jamie Geller magazine. Jamie and her hubby live in Israel with their six super kids who give her plenty of reasons to get out of the kitchen– quickly. Check out her new book, JOY of KOSHER Fast, Fresh Family Recipes.

 

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