There are some simple things you can do to tick up your turkey talk and the man with the plan, Eric Watson from Rustica, shares his favorite bird tips.
(Chef Eric Watson in the KFGO sutdio)
Let’s start with some Turkey 101 basics.
1. These things take a while to thaw. Buy your bird in advance and plan for at least 48 hours to thaw the turkey in your refridgerator.
2. You can brine your turkey to add additional flavors and help it retain moisture. Chef Eric Watson includes a simple brine recipe for you to use – but suggests that you spice things up with whatever flavors you like. Plan to brine your turkey a minimum of 8 hours, max of 24. NOTE – Brine in the fridge. Do NOT brine at room temperature.
SIMPLE BRINE RECIPE
1 Gallon of Water
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Kosher Salt
Duplicate recipe so you have enough to cover your bird while brining. Boil water and add salt/sugar until they are dissolved. Remove from brine and pat dry (including the hollow cavity) before cooking)
3. Don’t forget to remove the giblets bag before cooking. You can cook the neck, heart and liver – but it’s best to get them out from the plastic bag.
4. Wash your hands EVERY time you interact with the raw turkey. Stop the spread of salmonella by wiping down surfaces with bleach, washing your hands and avoiding letting things touch the “turkey juice”
Intermediate Turkey Tips – for the slightly more advanced.
If you are cooking on the grill, why not try spatchcocking the turkey. Check out the video and see if this method gets your mind wandering.
Dr. Fowl – Turkey PhD level stuff
Want to really kick things up a notch? Cook your turkey on a bed of onions, carrots and potatoes. It’s called “mirepoix” and the drippings you will get are not only delicious from the turkey, but have also been simmering in these holiday veggie favorites. Your guests will ask for seconds on gravy – guaranteed!
If all else fails…this is the phone number to the Butterball Hotline and you can get one-on-one turkey counseling.
1-800-BUTTERBALL
Foodie Friday is brought to you by Prime Cut Meats in Fargo, ND. Stop in and check out their daily specials, grab something for the grill or pick up some of the gourmet salmon dip! Tell them It Takes 2 sent you.
PRIME CUT MEATS
Address: 2434 S University Dr, Fargo, ND 58103
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Foodie Friday with Eric Watson “Seafood Skewer Marinade”
KFGO Podcast –
Foodie Friday with Scott Thomasson from Pig Tamer BBQ
(Amy Iler & JJ Gordon are talk-show hosts at 790 AM KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. “It Takes 2 with Amy & JJ” can be heard weekdays 11am-2pm. Check out the show page on
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