Turkey Brine

I am a fan of brined turkeys. It seems all frozen turkeys have some form of brining before they are frozen so if you are not getting a fresh turkey, it has not been very important to add the juice that keeps your bird juicy. For some, they just want a different flavor to their meat when they cook a turkey. I have put together an easy brine that I think anyone can put together in an hour if they want to soak their turkey for a day or so.

Brine
Ingredients:
5 small turnips
1 head of broccoli
2 large carrots
3 cups chicken broth (left over from last chicken OR store bought)
1/2 an onion
2 tbs Rosemary
2 tbs bay leaves
2 tbs fennel leaves
1 cup coarse sea salt
1/2 cup table salt

Chop all vegetables 1/8 inch thick and only use the stem of the broccoli. Fill your stock pot half with water and put all ingredients in. Crush the herbs and stir them in regularly, put bay leaves in whole. The stove should be on high. Once all ingredients are in, fill to 3 inches from the top of the pot. Lid on, let it boil for 5 minutes and then simmer for 3 hours. Make sure to check for boil over and stir the leaves in occasionally.

Once the brine is done, let it stand on a cool element until room temperature. Occassionally stir the pot while cooling but let it cool with the lid on. Do not put it in the refrigerator incase the fats and oils separate. If you want to cook with some of the vegetables, take them out with a strainer for cooking. I like to save the bay leaves to put under the skin of the turkey with more rosemary and course salt.

Stay tuned for an entry on cooking the turkey!

Cornish Game Hen with blue cheese mashed yams

Last week, Nicole and I were craving something savory and hearty but not a huge portion. I decided to make the cornish game hens I had bought and match them up with some mashed yams.

Ingredients:
2 Cornish Game hen
1 lb of dense yams or sweet potatoes
1/4 lb of fragrant blue cheese (Amish, smoked, or Maytag)
1 tbs Olive Oil
1/8 cup Cayenne Red Pepper

The hen is simple. The meat is flavorful on its own, obvious chicken notes with a hint of the fattiness of duck. After cleaning them off, I decided to just dress the hens with a little cayenne pepper and rubbed them down. I set a dry cast iron skillet in the oven and heated to 350°F and put the hens back down-breast up in, until they were 180°F internally for 10 minutes.

While preheating and cooking, I boiled some cubed yams with a a tablespoon of olive oil. Once soft (note that they will show some small transparency on the edges) I drained the water and turned the heat down so they could simmer while being mashed. I used a large wooden spoon and mashed them against the side of the pot. A potato masher works as well. I then sprinkled bits of blue cheese over the top until it was completely covered. I replaced the lid on the pot and let it heat on simmer until the cheese had melted across the top.

The hens do not need to be turned or flipped but they will likely lose the skin on their back but will be juicy and flavorful. I would recommend paring the meal with a greens salad like arugola or kale with tomato, some caramelized onions and garlic, and a light sprinkle of blue cheese if you can handle it.

Good Eats

What does Jay eat?

I have realized that there is a strong distaste for people who post what they eat and do in their day to day lives online. In passing, I have found that I post what I cook on occasion, less to let the halls of history see what man eats, more to inspire imagination in my friends and peers.

My door is always open to a person who wants a meal. I love to cook for anyone that will share conversation. At the same time, the art of cooking is something never mastered, but always dreamt of. Today I will start posting what I cook with some information on how it is I put the meal together. There will be a small summary on where I obtained the ingredients and if there are specific storage requirements, I will include those. The mission is to inspire creativity in others and myself.

Good Appetite!

Jay