Braised Turkey

Quick Look_______________

This post comes from Jim Kwak. Braised Turkey based on Mark Bittman's NY Times recipe published: November 12, 2008. In order to soak the turkey, it's cut into pieces. Braising is a good way to cook evenly and get juicy meat.

• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Cook time: 3 hrs
• Difficulty: Easy
• Labor Intensity: Could do by yourself
• 10 servings, adjust by 1.5x if your group tends to eat multiple servings.

Ingredients_______________

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice [optional]
• 4 turkey thighs
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 turkey breast, boned to yield 2 halves
• 1 ounce (more or less) dried mushrooms [porcini or shiitake work best]
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/2 pound celery, trimmed and diced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• Several sage leaves and/or rosemary
• Stock or water as needed [2 cans of stock recommended]
  
  reference:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/dining/12mini.html?_r=1&ref=dining
  video:http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008/11/12/dining/1194832745140/braised-turkey.html?scp=3&sq=turkey&st=cse
  

Directions_______________

• Rub salt and pepper into turkey.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil.
• Add sausage, bacon and as many thighs as will fit comfortably, skin side down
• Brown all well, removing bacon first(it will brown first), then sausage; set aside.
• Turn thighs when they are well browned and cook a minute on skinless side. Remove them, too, and repeat with remaining thighs if necessary. Add breast to pan and brown it well, skin side down, then flip and cook for just a minute and remove. Set pan aside.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Soak mushroom in hot water and cover.
• In pan used for turkey, cook carrots, celery, onions, sage and rosemary in leftover fat.
• When all vegetables are tender and beginningto brown, add drained mushroom, reserving liquid. Return bacon and sausage to pan. Cook another minute and turn off heat.
• In a large roasting pan, place turkey, browned side up
• Fill space between turkey with vegetables. Add mushroom soaking liquid, leaving any sand and grit behind.
• Add stock or water as needed to come about 3/4 the way up sides of thighs and breasts, or just under the browned skin.
• Put in oven and roast, uncovered, for 3 hours, checking occasionally to make sure liquid level remains sufficiently high and stirring vegetables if they threaten to brown too much.
• To serve, put vegetables on a platter; slice turkey and lay them on top.