Ok so the biggest deal with Turkey day is the damn turkey. Yet, we all aim for the ham because 9 times out of 10 that turkey is one dry bird. And I'm not talking about Bee Arthur. So let's start out with a brine recipe. This will work on most birds around 15# or so. Don't get too worried if your bird is a little less or more.
- One cooler that will fit the bird and liquid
- 2-7# bag of ice
- 1 gallon water boiling
- 3 lemons halved
- 3 bay leafs
- 2 cups kosher salt
- 1 cup honey (optional if you're on a 30 day challenge)
- 2 T black peppercorn
- 4 cloves crushed garlic
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- On Wednesday, Boil all ingredients together in water for 15 minutes, pour boiling water into cooler with one bag ice already in cooler. This should cool the brine down quickly. Add bird to mixture, add extra ice and water as needed to cover bird and keep cool. It will be fine over night.
- Take out Thursday morning, pat bird dry with paper towels and cook as usual. What won't be usual is how damn juicy that bird will be. Enjoy!
Next after the bird is the ever important stuffing. Well, we can't use bread so here is a paleo version.
- one heart celery
- 1/2 lb of Pete's Paleo bacon cut into lardons (matchsticks)
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 # fuji apples
- 1 # parsnips
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium sized rutabaga
- 2 T fresh sage chopped
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 2 T olive oil
- S&P to taste
- Dice celery, apples, parsnips and onion into small dice. (1/4"x1/4"). Add lardons to a large sauté pan and cook until almost crispy. Add in celery, apple and parsnips all small diced (1/4”) and cook through, adding a pinch of salt, then finish with garlic. Cook till tender in bacon and bacon fat. Set aside. Saute all veg until tender
- Peel rutabaga into chunks and boil in salted water until fork tender. Mash with whisk, then add to sauteed veggies into bowl. Toss veg, mashed rutabaga, lemon juice and sage in bowl. Add pepper and salt to taste.
- Add to casserole dish, roast at 325f for 20 minutes and boom goes the stuffing.
