10 Days of Thanksgiving: Let's Talk Turkey

This Thanksgiving, Bird is the Word.
Photo: LA Times

No matter how much menu planning you do, a successful Thanksgiving meal really comes down to one thing: The Turkey. No, I'm not talking about the uncle who drinks too much Wild Turkey and acts like one. I'm talking about the pièce de résistance, the show-stopper, the whole enchilada: The BIRD. 

Whether your turkey is fresh, free-range, frozen, brined, smoked, grilled, fried or roasted, here are five ways to make sure your bird gets your guests' ultimate seal of approval: an empty plate.

DAY #1 OF THANKSGIVING RECIPES: LETS TALK TURKEY

1. SMOKE AND BRINED (pictured above, right)
Los Angeles Chef Quinn Hatfield told the Los Angeles Times he brines his turkey for 36 hours in a mixture of water, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, crushed garlic cloves, rosemary and thyme. After the allotted 36 hours, the turkey air dries for at least an hour before being smoked in Hatfield's Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. Smoke the turkey at 300-325 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (about one hour for every four pounds of turkey).

Grilled Turkey with Toasted Fennel and Coriander
Photo: BonAppetit.com

2. GRILLED TURKEY WITH TOASTED FENNEL AND CORIANDER (pictured, left)
This bird gets rubbed down in a mixture of toasted fennel seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns and coarse salt before being grilled on a bed of carrots, celery, parsnips, onion and thyme.

3. CITRUS-MARINATED TURKEY
Jose Garces contributed this turkey recipe to Food and Wine, preparing it in the same style as a traditional Yucatán dish called cochinita pibil, a slow-roasted pork marinated in citrus and annatto paste (made from achiote seeds, the condiment adds an orange hue to foods). Brining and marinating the bird make it especially succulent.

4. TUSCAN-STYLE TURKEY ALLA PORCHETTA

Turkey Alla Porchetta
Photo: MarthaStewart.com

This Italian-style turkey (pictured, right) gets its inspiration from Porchetta, a tightly-rolled deboned pork roast and stuffed with garlic, rosemary, fennel and other wild herbs. This turkey version is rolled in paper-thin slices of prosciutto, giving it extra moisture and decadence.

5. TOM COLICCHIO'S HERB BUTTER TURKEY
The Top Chef host's extra-moist turkey gets a flavor boost from herbed butter applied in copious amounts under the turkey's skin. While the turkey oven roasts and the butter melts, your house will be filled with the amazing aroma of thyme, tarragon, rosemary and sage.