Gilligan's Gourmet: How to deconstruct your Thanksgiving turkey - recipes

How professional chefs dissect and cook their turkeys

Remove the second leg in the same manner as that of the first leg.

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CHEF GILLIGAN'S DECONSTRUCTED THANKSGIVING ROAST TURKEY

Ingredients:

1 6 to 24-pound dressed turkey, fresh or frozen (allow one pound per serving)
Kosher salt and ground pepper
Chopped fresh herbs, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme [3 tablespoons each]
3 cups Chestnut Puree
Olive Oil
Fresh garlic bulbs
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch fresh parsley
3 cups white wine
turkey gravy

Method:

Remove the wings, legs and breasts. Use the carcass for turkey stock {put the carcass in a pot, add the parsley, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 hours}.
Remove the bone from the leg and season.

Apply one cup of chestnut puree to the center of the leg and liberally sprinkle with chopped herbals. Roll up and tie with butcher's twine. Rub seasoning and olive oil all over turkey.

Cut the garlic bulbs in half and lay in a shallow roasting tray with the bunch of thyme. Place the turkey legs and breast skin side up, on top of the garlic and thyme.

To roast the turkey:

Preheat the oven to 325° F.

Roast the turkey until the meat thermometer reaches 165° F and the juices run clear.
As we are taking the bird apart this should take roughly 2 hours, not 6!

The roasting time may vary up to 30 minutes, depending on the bird and the oven. Use the meat thermometer to check the temperature of the dressing. The center of the breast or leg must reach a temperature of 165° F for food safety.

CHESTNUT PUREE

Ingredients:

1/2 small onion, sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
10 oz. whore roasted chestnuts (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth

Method:

Cook onion in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add chestnuts and stock and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Puree mixture in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and transfer to a small saucepan. Heat puree over moderate heat, stirring, until hot and season with salt and pepper.

TURKEY GRAVY

Ingredients:
Poultry giblets (gizzard, heart, neck)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups turkey stock

Method:

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