A $180 TURKEY??

Spoiler Alert: The Best EVER!

Recall that we recently posted article about mail-order turkey, to wit-- "Want a GREAT turkey for Thanksgiving and maybe Christmas? You'll find much better turkeys online than in your local store. But which one to buy? The folks at SERIOUS EATS  have done the research so we don't have to. Simply click HERE for their in-depth analysis and reviews."

Well, one of those fancy turkey options jumped out at me way more than the others. I just HAD to try it. KellyBronze offers a unique bird-- a heritage breed turkey raised as wild, free-range and foraging for FOUR years; hand-plucked, processed without water, and dry-aged like great beef. The cooking directions were as simple as could be-- do NOT stuff, brine, baste, fry, or tent this bird... just roast it to 140ºF and then let it rest uncovered for half an hour. We customers are warned that this bird cooks much faster than others due to its higher fat content. A meat thermometer was provided with the purchase.

My bird arrived on the Thursday a week before Thanksgiving... perfect timing for such an experiment. I roasted it as instructed; cooking time was just under two hours. The internal temperature rose to 150ºF as it sat... still 15ºF cooler than the USDA-recommended minimum temperature, but those fuddy-duddy fun killers are probably unaccustomed to food with actual flavor. Yes, the meat was a tad pink on the bone... but by GOD was it the most tender, moist, and delicious turkey I've ever tasted.

The right wine? This bird cries out for a fruity and rich Pinot Noir like the one we recommended in THE PERFECT THANKSGIVING WINE.

And the right sauce? A fabulous gravy is optimal; however, for my turkey gravies I always use frozen stock that I've made from my previous bird. And so, while I have stock from previous turkeys in my freezer, I didn't want to compromise this special bird with stock from comparatively pedestrian fowl. So I'll make stock from THIS carcass and save it to make gravy for my next KellyBronze purchase. Meanwhile, we had on hand my experimental batch of Cranberry-Cumberland Sauce, a sweet & sour concoction of cranberries, red currant jelly, port, citrus rind, mustard, and ginger that elevates traditional cranberry sauce to a new level of sophistication and is especially complementary to cold meats, as in smoked pheasant or turkey leftovers.

Here is the recipe that more or less informed my experimental version:

Red Currant Jelly is hard to find in stores. I had to buy mine on AMAZON.

SO-- was this KellyBronze turkey worth $180? I'd say yes, if only once a year for the most fabulous Thanksgiving dinner imaginable. With all the money we save buy purchasing $50 wines for $10 and cooking at home instead of dining out, I figure we make ample room in our food budget for occasional treats like this.

NOTES:

Cumberland Sauce is a decidedly British thing. It is worth noting that the late comedian extraordinaire George Carlin once contrasted heaven & hell thusly--

"In Heaven, the French cook, the Italians run the hotels, the Germans repair cars, and the English are the police. In Hell, the English cook, the French run the hotels, the Italians repair cars, and the Germans are the police."

Say what one will about British cookery, but they have come up with a few culinary gems... most notably, perhaps, CUMBERLAND SAUCE. HERE is a classic version, without the cranberries.

After breaking down the remainder of the bird for stock and leftovers, I feel compelled to report that the thighs were quite rare on the bone. If you cannot bring yourself to eat turkey that might seem "undercooked" to many, you might want to avoid this product-- altering the recommended cooking method voids the warranty, so to speak.