Brined Thanksgiving turkey

We used a 10.8 pound fresh turkey from our local butcher.  It was the moistest turkey we ever made.

Ingredients:

• turkey
• kosher salt
• honey
• sugar 
• spices (optional - use anything you like)
• water
• 2 2.5 gallon zip lock bags for an 11 pound turkey

Wednesday

5:00 p.m.     Prepare the brine.

11:30 p.m.   Put turkey in brine – refrigerate.

Thursday

8:30 a.m.     Remove turkey from brine.  Dry, place uncovered in refrigerator.

1:00 p.m.     Cook turkey.

                           

1. We prepared the brine using a cold water method, placing the salt and sugar in the water a few hours prior to putting the turkey in the brine.  The salt dissolved.  We used:  
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 - 1/3  cup mix honey and sugar
• 1 gallon water.
2. Right before we put the turkey in the brine, we added a few spices (we couldn’t really taste these in the cooked turkey):  bay leaves, a few cloves, about a teaspoon each of rosemary, sage, and thyme. 
3. We removed the organs from the turkey cavities and washed and patted dry the turkey.
4. We placed the turkey in double 2.5 gallon zip-lock bags.
5. We poured the brine into the bags and sealed them so that as much of the bird as possible was covered by the brine. We put the bird/brine into a big pot (in case the bags leaked) and put it in the refrigerator.
6. The bird remained in the brine in the fridge overnight for about 9 hours.
7. In the morning, we took the turkey out of the brine, rinsed and dried it, and threw away the brine mixture.
8. We put the turkey, uncovered, into the refrigerator to sit for 4 hours.  It was recommended that it sit uncovered for 8 hours to produce a more crispy brown skin.  (I’m not sure if this has anything to do with brining.)
9. We put the turkey in the oven (upside down – again, not sure this has anything to do with brining) at 325 degrees.  It took 3 hours plus to reach 165 degrees.  It got very brown and crispy, so we put a loose foil tent over it the last 45 minutes to an hour.  Next time we may try to turn it the last hour to brown the breast side.
10. We let it rest 20 minutes before carving.

It was fantastic!  Three sites we reviewed when trying to figure out how to do this:

• http://www.slashfood.com/2007/11/09/some-turkey-brining-dos-and-donts/ 
• http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/11/turkey-brining-101-how-to-brine-that-bird/
• http://southerncuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_brine_a_turkey_recipe_and_directions 

(Just) Chicken Pie

Chicken Pie

This is off the charts mouth watering good!  There is nothing in it but chicken - no peas or carrots.  - Carol

From  Cooking Down East by Marjorie Standish, given to me by my good friend from Maine, Callie

9” round	9X13	Ingredients
4 lbs.	6 lbs.	Chicken, cup up
2 ½ cups	1 pint	Water
1	1+	Carrot
1	1+	Onion
1	1+	Celery
3-4 TBSP	6 TBSP	Flour Salt and pepper Pie crust*

*You need a doube pie crust.  If making the 9X13 recipe, 3 single crusts should work.

1.  Cook the chicken

     Rinse chicken and put in pot with water, carrot, onion, celery, salt, and pepper.

     Cook (simmer) until chicken practically falls off bone.

     Remove from water (save the broth!), let cool and remove meat from bone.

2.  Make the broth/gravy

     Strain the broth and cool.

     Mix part of cool broth with flour.  

     Heat and add rest of broth, stirring until thickened*.

         *There is an ideal thickness, close to the thickness of gravy.

3.  Make double pie crust

4.  Assemble pie

     Place large pieces of chicken into bottom pie crust.

     Cover with thickened broth.

     Add top piecrust and vent well.

Bake at 425° for 35 minutes.

Serve hot.

Oven Been Stew a la Miss Morrow

Oven beef stew

This was one of Mom's recipes.  It's simple but delicious.  Takes 1/2 hour of chopping and 5 hours to cook.  Serves four hungry eaters.

Original recipe	What I use	Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds	2 pounds	Stewing beef cubed
1 cup	1 1/2 cup	Onions chopped
1 cup	1 1/4 cup	Carrots sliced
8 oz.	16 oz.	Tomato sauce

2 cups                                    2 1/2 cups                             Potatoes - raw and cubed

Place the beef, onions, carrots, and tomato sauce into a Dutch oven or large covered casserole.

Salt and pepper lightly.

Cover and cook at 250F for 3 1/2 hours.

After 3 1/2 hours, add 2 cups raw cubed (very small) potatoes.

Continue cooking for 1 1/2 hours.

Great with homemade cheesy biscuits.