Thanksgiving is a time to spend time with our child(ren). Some of us may spend it before or during the weekend because of our custody arrangements or because we need to be at work. But regardless what day we choose to spend Thanksgiving, we want to make this holiday with our child(ren) memorable.
One of the ways to say; “I am thankful for you”, is to cook the turkey together. If you’ve never cooked turkey, I can reassure you, it’s not hard at all. And basting it creates the juiciest delicious bird- so please never skip basting, otherwise your turkey will be dry and hard to chew. I taught my pre-teen to baste. All it is, is dipping the baster in the oven juices and reapplying it on the bird. I’ve taught my middle child to wash the bird and my oldest child to rub and season the bird. One task per child! You’ll love the excitement in your child(ren)’s eyes when they feel a sense of accomplishment that they’ve helped you cooked the main course together!
Unlike dining out, cooking a turkey together creates memories. And because the bird will last for many days, our child(ren) will remember mom’s home-cooked turkey when they pack it for lunch.
The first time I had to cook a turkey was when I received one for free from my supermarket’s shopping points. I had no other choice but to learn to cook a turkey. Thankfully my supermarket gave us recipes. So check your supermarket to see if you’re qualified for earning a free turkey and all you need are some stuffing, veggies, pie and cranberry sauce. Some supermarkets have these prepared in cans, boxes or in their deli aisle if you don’t have time to make it. If you happen to shop last minute for your turkey and all are left as frozen birds, have no fear. What I did one year was leave the frozen bird in the kitchen filled with ice and the next day, it was thawed- thank goodness!
Last year I decided to splurge on a Kohser turkey. It was about $55- double in price than what I usually pay for. Honestly, I didn’t taste anything different. I think I will stick with a regular turkey, but a natural bird, just to save money.
If you have no time to cook a turkey because you’ll need to cook something else, I urge you to not pass up cooking the turkey. The turkey is the main course of thanksgiving and is mandatory for most people.
My favorite Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe is one that I’ve made for the past 2 years now and will make again this year. It’s also a different flavor than traditional turkey so you’ll be a hit with your relatives for a new spin on this recipe because they maybe tired of eating the same flavor turkey from everyone’s homes. It’s also the fastest cooking-a-turkey recipe I’ve ever tried! 2.5 hours versus 4 hours. Thank you Bobby Flay for allowing me to spend more time with my children during Thanksgiving! I’ve made traditional turkey and also had raw turkey (made with nuts), but nothing tastes better than
Bobby Flay’s Black Pepper-Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Turkey
Ingredients
Turkey Glaze:
1 1/2 cups pomegranate molasses
3/4 cup prepared horseradish, drained
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
Turkey:
1 (about 15 pounds) fresh turkey
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium canned broth
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Whisk together pomegranate molasses, horseradish, mustard, salt, and coarsely ground black pepper. Set aside and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before using to allow the flavors to meld.
Remove the neck, heart and gizzard from inside of the turkey. Rinse the bird inside and out with cold water and pat dry. Rub the entire surface of the bird with the butter and season well (including the cavity) with salt and pepper. Truss the turkey and place breast-up on a rack in a large roasting pan. Roast for about 45 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting, basting with some of the chicken stock every 15 minutes, for about 1 hour, 15 minutes longer. (An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh should register 160 degrees F.)
During the last 15 minutes of roasting, stop basting with the chicken stock and brush the entire turkey with 1 cup of the pomegranate glaze. Remove the turkey from the oven, brush with the remaining glaze, loosely tent and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay
If you can’t find pomegranate molasses, here’s a recipe I use. I recommend you make it at least a few days ahead of time:
Ingredients
4 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
For Syrup: Place the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 1/2 cups, approximately 50 minutes. It should be the consistency of syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the saucepan for 30 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
For Molasses: Place the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, approximately 70 minutes. It should be the consistency of thick syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the saucepan for 30 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2006
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pomegranate-syrup-or-molasses-recipe.html?oc=linkback
I hope you enjoy it. I also have a Pinterest Thanksgiving For Busy Moms board. Please follow 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving and please comment below to tell me how delicious it was!
~Charlene
Charlene lives in the Northeast with her 3 children ages 22, 19 and 13. The youngest born in 2001 is the biological daughter of the man she married in 1995, separated in 1999, divorced in 2001 and annulled in 2014.
Leave a Reply