I Am Pleading Temporary Insanity....Oh, And Happy Thanksgiving!

I love how there are some things that I think are a fantastic idea until I am smack in the middle of them.  Like that time I did the 'world's toughest half marathon' without training (great idea in theory...only have to do the exercising on the one day).  Not so great about halfway up the peak trying to bribe the water station people to drive me and my sister up the rest of the mountain so we could collect our T-Shirts *we did it without the help of the water people, I earned that shirt. Only because, apparently, water people can't be bought.*), or kayaking in the ocean with a guide, who told us that we should go out to the very last bouy before it is just ocean and a very far away shore, to get a look at the seals (which smell horrible, in case you were wondering).  I asked, "Aren't seals shark food...?" The guide, "There are no sharks out here." Me, "Don't sharks live in the ocean?" Guide, "They don't come over here in Santa Barbara." Me, "Hmmmm....."  In the news later that week, there was a dead whale near Santa Barbara and there was a shark feeding frenzy. I forwarded the email to our "guide".  Anyway, you get the idea...

So, on Thanksgiving, it is like conducting an orchestra.  Many, many moving parts that crescendo and then finish with a finesse all at the same time...at least that's how it is supposed to go, or what happens when my mom and people on TV make their Thanksgiving dinners... Why, oh why would I attempt a magazine recipe that 1) I don't know if it's going to be good or not 2) was going to be so time consuming because of all the pictures and not having done it before.  And 3) is the star performer of this particular day's show.  I have lost my mind.  But, I was already committed to doing the bird this way.  I bought all the gadgets and supplies for this magazine turkey.  I was knee deep in Thanksgiving before I realized, this was not my best idea...

I could sense the natives feeling a little concerned when I pulled out the cheese cloth (which is found on the baking needs aisle or near the grocery store pots and pans aisle....I also googled where to find it, and they sell cheese cloth in fabric stores).  It was all over once I started the soy sauce reduction to make a paste to rub on a turkey and then stick the soy sauce pasted turkey in a turkey bag.  I believe I heard someone say, "you know, that is a Butterball turkey....they practically cook themselves."  I can only assume they were all feeling my anxiety.  Come on, Cook's Country!....please do not be another Beef and Broccoli.

Paging Dr. Mark....

I was also hesitant about putting the neck and giblets of the bird in the bottom of the pan to make a gravy.  The recipe said to put it all in bottom of the pan, except for the liver.  I pulled the neck (that one was easy to identify) and the bag of giblets (which I, in every other recipe I have done, throw promptly away, and wonder why they ever even bother to include those things in the bird because who in the world uses it? Well, except for me, today....) out and opened the bag.  I had what I thought was some kind of something that didn't look like a liver and then two  somethings that did.  Do turkey's have two livers?  I had to go wake up Dr. Mark to help me make a judgement call and identify this turkey's insides.  (He thought the same thing I did....)

I have to say, even as stressful and crazy as it all was....I was told it was the best turkey yet.  The gravy was to die for.  It was fantastic.  I am not joking.  Turkey in a bag beats brined turkey any day!  There were a few extra little costs....I had to buy a fat separator ($10), I broke down and got a V-rack ($12), the cheese cloth ($3.50), the turkey bags ($3).....I pretty much already owned the rest.  I have to say...It was a darn good turkey. The soy sauce turkey in a bag, may be our new go to bird. :)

The crazy factor (bag, cheesecloth, and soy sauce reduction)

The ingredients 

What I had in the bottom of the pan, before I add the turkey parts

Uncooked turkey with soy sauce paste

Bird after 3 hours

Bird after I browned it out of the bag

Dr. Mark carving the bird...I figured he was probably the most trained at this particular step. :)

Fantastic recipe from Cook's Country Oct/Nov 2010