Thanksgiving is only a few days away in This video I will banish all the myths About turkey being too dry or too boring This recipe proves that turkey can be Exciting I have the secret spice for a Turkey that your guests will love they Will be talking about it for days this Recipe changed my mind about what Thanksgiving turkey could be and I can't Wait to share it with You today we're going to go through Three technique tests wet brining dry Brining and no brining of the birds is Trust and stuffed for classic one of Them is Spade where the legs are kind of Like carved so that they laid down and Then one of them is just literally Portioned the second round of tests will Focus on Flavor eight portions of turkey Breast that we are going to season in Different ways and then we're going to Have our own nyt cooking cast of Characters come and help me taste this Is Young Gun everyone [Music] This is our Edna Lewis roast turkey she Is one of the most important American Food writers this one is our control Bird I just loved how easy this one was Quick melted butter application and then Salted second bird is the Nigella bird Sped to get the bird to kind of cook More evenly wet brind for about 24 hours There's salt and sugar and water but
There's also a lot of spices and some Citrus and herbs third turkey is haml wh He likes to portion his bird and kind of Cook the pieces separately the purpose Of this was to just cook the turkey Perfectly to the temperature it's meant To be let's taste have a little piece of The leg Meat very dry it's not Edna's fault it Was a helpful test so Nigella Bird M it's definitely more seasoned Than uh than this one oh do you see that Juice I do think this bird cooked a Little more evenly than this this is Arguably the crispiest skin of the bunch You know it's a dry brine Turkey I think we cooked this one really Well I don't think I can stand here and Be like definitely do this or definitely Do this or definitely do this it makes Me wonder if the easiest technique is The best one in this case and it's the Flavor where we're going to shine now That the technique tests are out of the Way we can think about Flavor I found Eight ideas that I really wanted to try Myself a couple of them come from you Know established food writers a lot of Them are just from breeders I did a Little call out and got some family Recipes what I'm going to do is build Each marinade based dry rub have them in These containers and then we're going to Roast them off and then do a little
Taste test with a couple of friends Flavor test number one there's a food Blogger named Helen she does this Marinade of soy sauce and tenang which Is the fan fermented soybean paste she Sort of talks about how it really Penetrates and flavors it well it kind Of removes some of the gaminess too Flavor test number one done number two This test is from a food writer named Caroline Cho she uses sparkling apple cider Whiskey there's a little Coke in there Maple I already love this I I'm like Obsessed with this one I think what's Fun is having like apple slices it has An enzyme that tenderizes meat keep Breath To oh my God our editorinchief Emily Weinstein and I went on NPR last Thanksgiving someone told us that they Like to flavor their turkey with Sangria I want you to try that yes test Number three number four canned Pineapple juice I think it does Tenderize it there sweetness I love the Idea of marinating your turkey and Pineapple turkey breast number four Number five is cool this reader likes to Incorporate South Asian spices in that Dry brand which I thought was brilliant Also just to be clear a loose Interpretation of like the one sentence I got from this reader this called for a
Little fresh mint bird's eye Chili's From Young gun's own collection so this Is like a Chili minty Cumin experience Pepper oh my God this smells amazing wow I'm just I just want like even coating Oh my God this is going to be so good I Was lying before about all the others This is the only one I'm excited about I'm just kidding that's going to be so Good I'm so excited number six six this Flavor test comes from a reader and the Reader said red currant and Brandy glaze This idea comes from the cook Bill Clark That smells delicious for cooking as I Roast it in the oven I'm going to apply The glaze turkey number six test number Seven this family likes to use lemon Rosemary and lavender so why not do a Dry Brine I'm just going to bring to a boil My basting liquid some Chardonay I love butter there's like Some richness basting liquid test number Seven test number eight the mystery test My little experiment my heart is telling Me to go with bay leaf so one thing About bay leaves is they really need to Be ground Up wow gorgeous so that's the bay leaf And black pepper dry brine I'm going to Create a simple baste the high temp of Coconut oil we'll make for a great base Miso it can be sweet it smells like cran
Barbecue actually aican turkey number One [Music] [Music] Thanksgiving is about being together so This is like one of the rare Opportunities we get to like actually Like be together so thank you for coming I love it we have eight tests and we're Going to be judging these eight turkey Breasts on appearance Aroma flavor and Texture okay you know I had High Hopes From this one from the Beginning doesn't smell off to you it Already smells a little Tastes a little off tast off oh I think It's because of the ingredient but I Think I know why you think that I miss Something funky ingredient oh really Okay but maybe the funky ingredient We're just not used to with turkey I'm Fine scared the out of me okay tell me What you think of this next one let's Compare and contrast this one looks like Has like a peeking duck exterior Interior situation hey number two is Good I like number two oh is that Pleasant little sweet taste in there I'm So delighted I like it this is good this Tastes very turkeyy tastes very like Classic to me is it like soy braised or Something oo no but no I feel like I'm Expecting turkey to have the texture of Bone in chicken thighs and it's just
It's not going to happen I'm looking to Camera deep fry your turkey deep fryer Turkey don't listen to this man it's Hard to be fry a turkey you're going to It's hard all right number four now oo Oh wa look at that holy crap it's Leaking I'm getting like w this look Cool Cherry dried fruit know what this Might be my favorite texture it's quite Moist sorry for using that word and you Can kind of tell what it is it's so Cottony oh you said it's cottony like The texture to me I like a turkey with Stuff appearance I'm going to give you Um that's a good that's a nice four nice Pretty picture I'm on the fence because I feel like the appearance is it's like We put glitter on it oh this is a good Texture oh pepper I like it I like how Spicy it is I'm giving it a lower rating On appearance and also like because I Feel like I wonder if the spices might Be hiding Quality lipstick on a turkey I didn't Get my slice yet oh my go you're being So polite I think this texture is Fantastic yeah this is the best texture The appearance is unfortunately in the Basement that's I kind of like it I Wrote bad fruit cake meets turkey oh This one changed colors it's cutting Kind of weird it's got some Rosemary Maybe this is a French turkey yeah no The French would not put lavender on
Their turkey yeah no lavender does not Belong on Turkey this one looks Promising it kind of reminds me of like Porchetta yeah it does it does have Porchetta Vibes yeah it's salty that's Nice what do you guys think of this one Flavor-wise I like the pesto Vibe I feel Like the dream was there but the Execution was not yeah what was Everyone's favorite five yeah five five Four or five number five what do you Think that was human oregano Crush red Pepper definitely Chili's in there it Was bold and had something to say when You know so much of what we've had was Um very mild subtle they were meeting The mark on other things like that the Texture and like the juiciness but I Like really like that this was like I Can taste something here like that isn't Just Turkey would you be okay with this Alongside a really flavorful creamy Casserole sweet casserole I think that's A really good question is like is this The seasoning you want on your Thanksgiving Bird right cuz it is I mean We love it but it may not be right for The mix of I don't know what do you Think I feel like can we like change the Paradigm if people love this flavor can We make turkey the thing that you want To eat as much as you want to eat the Side I feel like Thanksgiving is so Bland and like if we can make any part
Of it a little bit more flavorful they Described it as a Judy bird so it's a Dry brine but with South Asian kind of Flavors so there was whole cumin seeds There was these amazing dried chilies That red chilies that young gun brought Fresh mint it's kind of cool this spice Blend was fragrant it didn't but it Didn't read it didn't read as South Asian to me when I tasted it it readed More like almost Italian like red Read I swear I write for a living this Was a fun thing to kind of just make Sure we are trying something new and Fresh now I have to go home and roast Some Turkey I learned that you can dry brine A turkey while it's still thighing after Doing a one-day Brine and then a two-day Brine the three-day brine turkey was the Most delicious a reader named Nia wrote In this idea which was like a South Asian Spice brined turkey it was the Unanimous favorite of our flavor test Took a few tries to really nail down That spice blend cumin adds savoriness Dried bir eye chilies are explosive in Flavors another major thing is I went From fresh mint to dry mint in the dry Rub cuz I realized that the fresh mint Was making the skin a little too wet and When it went in the oven it didn't turn Out as crispy I started with a mortar And pestle cuz I really enjoy that
Sensory experience ultimately I actually Really prefer a blender I knew I wanted A vegetable side dish to go with the Turkey at first it was some scallions And ginger and garlic but then switch Over to the pepper family because fresh Pepper against the dry chili rub was a Nice combination I really love the Turkey roasted on the sheet pan cuz all The Browning you get however when I Switch to a roasting pan that's when the Vegetables really con feed and the Turkey fat and became this amazing side Dish on it on Happy Thanksgiving this Bird has been sitting in the fridge for A couple days and I can already tell It's a little Frozen on the inside but What great about this recipe is start Dry bring it when it's already a little Frozen on the inside just like unwrap it Unravel it my bird has been thought Enough for the wings to like come out if It's more Frozen than this dunk this in A pot of cold water no longer than like 30 minutes again food safety few minutes That I dunk the turkey in cold water was Enough to loosen the driblets they're Going to be really good in the gravy We're going to do something to this bird Called dry brining what this dry brining Method does what's so genius about it is The salt will draw out moisture from the Turkey and that moisture will dissolve The salt on the outside and suck it back
Into the turkey account for about a Scant half teaspoon per pound of turkey You really need specifically kosher salt Make sure you get a lot of coverage Especially in the center of the breast Which is the thickest the thighs are Also really thick you just like tuck it In don't be afraid you really want to Salt the inside a little messy but we Did it you don't need to put a whole Sheet pan in the in the fridge you can Place this on a plate if you want but This is way easier than having a huge Bucket of water this just goes in the Fridge for 24 to 72 hours the longer the Better now it's Wednesday the Wednesday Before Thanksgiving you want to wake up In the morning and make the spice rub a Tablespoon of black peppercorns Tablespoon of human seeds tablespoon of Dried Bird's eyed chilies over medium Heat you'll notice the cumin seeds They're kind of the indicator they'll Start to Brown but it's really the scent That tells you these are done okay we're Done those are lovely so we're going to Go Quick you guys see oh my God don't get Too close Uh finishing it off with some dried mint Mint has a cooling effect and I'm just Going to fortify that chili flavor with A more mild Chili this is an Aleppo pepper it's a
Beautiful addition and last is Salt spice rub is made we're going to Get the turkey Now see how the bag is still a little Moist after 3 days it'll be a little Less moist cuz all that moisture will Have gone back into the turkey Pat it Dry so that the spice blend will stick Taking like a nice fat pinch really like Getting in there Just oh my God and make sure you get the Thigh like this part it's my favorite Part of the turkey personally if there's Any like stubborn parts that are really Slippery and not sticking a little oil Helps I can like loosen this a little Bit and like apply the the rub onto the The breast me a little Bit here's the turkey freaking Beautiful it's been drying out in the Fridge that's going to result in the Crispiest skin the juiciest flesh we Have like sanos we have really hot Peppers in here jalapenos yellow Jalapenos banana peppers whole Panos red Habanero the one thing is you really Need to warn your guest it's kind of a Fire and Ice Bird having all these Chilies but you also have coolness from Mint you just kind of like stick it in There's no reason for that other than The perfume I kind of like created a Little nest in the here roasted in a Smaller dish like this is the turkey
Kind of elevated the heat works really Nicely around the bird in the oven the Onion adds savoriness of course I like Adding like one or two Tomatoes just to Kind of season the gravy in the end Brush some butter over the turkey pretty Liberally while that butter ends up in The gravy too almost like coneing the Vegetables that are under there they get Really just cooked down and beautiful You want like a/4 cup as this roasts Some of the wing fat is going to kind of Like drip over because of that I'm going To put this on a shoe pen I think this Bird is good if if you trust the legs But you don't have to do much it's just Like tying shoelaces I've done the math For you it's 12 minutes per pound as it Roasts we're going to base it a little Bit but you only really need to do that Once or twice I'm going to pray that it Cooks beautifully cuz this is the bird This is my life's work freaking Beautiful so delicious [Music] Let's say you pulled your bird out a Little too early and it's like maybe too Pink for your liking like right when Your guests arrive you can put that Turkey pan into the oven just to warm it Through again it will finish cooking in That time while this sits I'm going to Plate the peppers it's kind of worth it To get all different types and now for
The gravy that's how much fat there is 4 Tblsp of the fat from the top I made This turkey turkey stock a few weeks ago We're going to use it there's 4 tbsp of Fat in here and I'm going to add enough To make two cups of liquid I'm going to Make a r this part's really quick equal Parts fat and flour it's going to turn Into like a paste and then start to Bubble cook it for like about a minute Or two in the best way it smells like a Jalapeno flavored chip I'm going to add The the stock and the drippings so now What I'm going to do is round it out With savoriness and this is all to tast I love nutritional yeast in my gravy a Little fish sauce to The Taste a little milk sounds weird but you Need a little bit of cooling the milk Tones it down kind of like helps the Gravy become something that you want to Eat lots and lots of okay that's perfect Gravy's done I like to do this just like Douse it you know I'm not going to add The mint yet the mint is garnished for Later so my guests are arriving in 10 Minutes I'm going to cover it with foil And then I'll pop it into a low oven And now I'm a free Agent thank you thank you for coming Them I love turkey specifically I really Like the turkey white meat I know it's It's kind of boring but it's delicious Neutral flavor-wise so you can season it
Up however you want I'd go turkey breast Over chicken breast it's my hot [Music] Take I love a turkey Club ground turkey Sliced turkey not in a club Thanksgiving Turkey kind of where it's at it's a lean Mean protein Machine I absolutely love turkey you Know Turkey protein you see this body Right uh-huh protein Pat so makes a Turkey I want the bottom por as what all The liquid is all that flavor is get Into it [Music] Mhm thanks babe come on gentlemen well Thank You yeah very good Form thank you so much for coming me for Being my friend I love you guys so much So love you let's eat oh and she's Tender oh the breast is so tender and Really moist it's it's really really Good heat to me is a neutral flavor it Taps into other flavor profiles very Seamlessly even with the mint sometimes You just need something herbaceous and Bright and it is a great counterbalance Of the spiciness of all the peppers I Don't think any of the peppers are Overpowering either you don't get tired Of anything because you always get a Little like buzz a little burn that that Just resets you every time so you're Just like oh I want more I want more
This notion of being able to eat the Turkey and gravy and vegetables it's a Roast dinner I hope that this shows People that you can have turkey Beyond Thanksgiving it's a nice way to like Celebrate an American bird thank you Guys Happy Thanksgiving you can find all These recipes and more at nyt Cooking.com cheers Happy Thanksgiving Every thaning Thanksgiving thank you for Being here and now we can cut the camera So I can do what I need to I know you Want to get into that bone so badly Camera [Music]
Have you ever wondered why most of the Vinaigrettes in the grocery store are made with 10, 20, sometimes even almost 30 ingredients? I remember growing up in Provence watching my mother whipping vinaigrettes before every single dinner. She would mix in a giant bowl, delicious extra virgin olive oil, a robust aged vinegar (the flavor would depend on the main dish), sea salt and pepper and voila! I decided to do the same thing for my family and friends more than 20 years ago here in this beautiful country. And Provence Kitchen® was born. Stay tune for more articles and wonderful family recipes..
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