The Emporia Gazette

May 27, 2012

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From the earliest days of western settlement in North America, the turkey has been an easy target — for eating! The first groups probably roasted turkeys on a spit over an open fire, but we have many more options available to us today. Here’s three you might give a try.

Slow Roasted

Dennis Kasten

Dennis Kasten was shopping at a local store a few years ago and ran into two women discussing how they cook their turkey. They filled him in on the wonders of the “Oven Roaster Bag.”

Kasten washes the turkey and seasons it with salt and pepper. He puts it in the bag, and adds two tablespoons of flour. He seals the bag and pokes some small holes in it to ventilate.

Kasten places his turkey in a 250-degree oven around 10 p.m. the night before. The Thanksgiving Day turkey will be done about 11 a.m.

In fact, Dennis says, “When you go to carve it, it just falls away from the bone. The carcass looks like a skeleton that’s been there for years.”

Fried Turkey

Carey Ogleby

Carey Ogleby of Admire starts off with a thawed turkey about 10 to 12 pounds. He injects it with cajun spices the day before and lets it marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Ogleby rubs the turkey with a little oil, then with seasoning salt, garlic salt and lemon pepper, patting the spices in place. Following the manual for safe frying, he then slowly immerses the bird in peanut oil at 400 degrees. Ogleby wears heavy leather gloves for protection and sets the fryer out in the yard where an oil spill won’t cause any harm.

Ogleby fries the turkey for three minutes per pound of meat. The oil temperature will drop to 350 degrees and should be maintained at that level. He says to never leave the fryer unattended. The finished turkey appears burnt, but it’s not. Remove it from the oil, allow to drain and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Ogleby says the meat is very juicy, and even the crispy skin is a treat.

Smoked

Marlen Tyson

Marlen Tyson is known across the region for his smoked meats. He has a cooker that will “hold two people” with an indirect heat firebox. He builds a fire of fruit woods and hickory, if he can get it, and smokes just about anything you can eat, from brisket to hams to turkeys.

Tyson washes the turkey really well and places a stick of butter into the cavity. He doesn’t use any rubs or bastes because smoking seals the skin.

Depending on the size of the turkey, Tyson says it should be smoked five to eight hours, with low, indirect heat. Tyson keeps the meat at about 250 degrees. He says, “Never above 300, not below 225.”

The meat is moist and full of flavor, with a hint of whatever fruit wood is used.

Starting with a frozen bird

O. Peter Snyder, Jr., of the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management in St. Paul, Minn., has tested a new way to cook your Thanksgiving turkey — put it in the oven frozen solid. The FDA Food Code allows this, and turkey hotlines suggest it.

You’ll need to start cooking about five to six hours before you want to serve the cooked turkey. Cooking from a frozen state reduces the risk of food borne bacteria and, as the breast has greater mass, it will still be juicy and tender when the thinner legs and thighs are ready.

Hotlines

USDA: (888) 674-6854,

Butterball: (800) 288-8372

Honeysuckle: (800) 810-6325

Foster Farms: (800) 255-7227