Hello Recipe Club,

What Kind of Turkey Should I Buy?

There are basically two types of raw birds to choose from…a pre-basted bird (typical ingredients include vegetable oil, broth and spices) or an un-basted bird to which nothing has been added. Personal preference usually dictates this choice. USDA Grade A is the highest quality grade for poultry and the one commonly found in grocery stores.

Is a Tom Better than A Hen?

Age not gender, is the determining factor for tenderness. All turkeys in the market are young, usually 4 - 6 months old. A hen usually weighs less than 16 pounds and a tom is usually over 16 pounds.

A Chinese American Thanksgiving.

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Spicy Sweet Potato Wontons

Makes 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 serrano chile, seeded, veins removed and minced
salt to taste
32 round wonton wrappers
1 cup canola oil

Preparation:

Bake potatoes in a 375°F oven for 1 hour, or until very soft. Cut in half and scrape flesh into a bowl and mash. You should have about 2 cups.

Add ginger, cilantro, chile and salt, mix well. Place 1 tablespoon filling in a wonton wrapper. Brush a little water around rim of wrapper, fold in half (forming a half- moon). Press edges of wonton together to seal. 

Set aside on waxed paper and cover with a damp towel. Repeat until all the wontons are filled.

Pour oil into a wok. Place over medium-high heat until oil sizzles when a drop of water hits it. Reduce heat to medium and, using tongs, slip a few wontons at a time into the oil. Fry for 1 minute, or until wontons are golden and slightly puffed. 

Turn and fry 30 to 40 seconds more. Remove to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining wontons. Serve hot.

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Chinese American Thanksgiving Turkey

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

3 cups sweet rice (also known as glutinous)
1 cup dried black mushrooms
1 1/2 pound ground pork
3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
4 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry, divided
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
salt
freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger root
chopped turkey giblets, heart and gizzard only
1 pound Chinese pork sausage, chopped
1/2 pound fresh or canned water chestnuts, peeled, and coarsely chopped
3 cup chicken broth

Turkey:

12 to 14 pound turkey
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper

Sauce:

3 cups chicken broth
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Stuffing:

Put rice in large bowl, cover with cold water and soak overnight. Drain thoroughly. Soak mushrooms in warm water 20 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess liquid. Remove and discard stems. Coarsely chop caps. 

Combine ground pork with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, sesame oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside 20 minutes.

Heat wok or large skillet over high heat until hot. Swirl in peanut oil. When it is very hot and smoking slightly, add green onions and ginger and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add pork mixture and turkey giblets and stir-fry 3 minutes, breaking up pork. 

Add mushrooms, Chinese sausage, rice and water chestnuts and continue to stir-fry until thoroughly mixed, about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce and remaining 3 tablespoons rice wine and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool thoroughly.

Turkey:

Carefully separate skin of turkey breast from meat with hands. Rub skin with sesame oil. Mix salt and pepper and rub evenly over turkey. Set aside. (This may be done a day ahead. Cover turkey with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

Insert thin layer of stuffing between turkey breast and skin. Loosely fill turkey cavity with stuffing and close with skewer. Spoon any remaining stuffing into baking dish and steam 40 minutes before serving. 

Place turkey on deep heat-proof platter on rack in large roasting pan or turkey roaster. Add enough hot water to pan or roaster to come to 1 1/2 inches beneath rack. Cover pan tightly with lid or foil. 

Bring water to simmer, reduce heat to low and gently steam until an instant-read thermometer reads 150°F when inserted in the thickest part of the thigh, approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Replenish steaming water as needed.

Remove turkey from platter, reserving any juices that may have collected. Discard steaming water. Place steamed turkey on rack in roasting pan and roast at 350°F for 25 minutes. Increase temperature to 450°F and roast until turkey is golden brown and your instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F, about 15 minutes. 

Remove turkey from oven and let rest 20 minutes before carving. Serve carved turkey and stuffing with sauce.

Sauce:

While turkey is roasting, combine chicken stock and reserved turkey juices in saucepan. Bring mixture to boil and reduce by half. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note:
Chinese pork sausages look and feel like pepperoni, but they're much sweeter. Substitutes: chorizo, salami or diced ham

Recipe from "Easy Family Recipes From a Chinese-American Childhood" by Ken Hom

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Pearls and Rubies (Onions and Cranberries)

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds pearl onions
boiling water to cover
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup chicken broth

Preparation:

Drop the onions into a pot of boiling water for about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse the onions under cold water. When they are cool enough to handle, slice off the root ends of the onions, and slip off their outer skins.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Heat the butter in a large skillet, preferably one with a non-stick surface. Add the onions, and cook them in a single layer until they are lightly browned, turning them occasionally to prevent sticking and to brown them evenly.

Sprinkle in the sugar, salt (if desired) and pepper. Add the cranberries, tossing the ingredients to combine them. Add the broth.

Transfer the mixture to a glass or ceramic baking dish, place the dish in the hot oven and bake the onions and cranberries in the uncovered dish for about 30 minutes.

Preparation tips: The dish should be baked just before serving it. It will look and taste best if it is prepared for baking not more than 8 hours ahead of time. If you use an ovenproof skillet, it will save washing another pan.

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Cranberry Sorbet

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 pound cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon Chambord or other raspberry liqueur

Preparation:

Make a syrup by combining the water and sugar in a non-corrosive pot and bring to a boil. Add cranberries and orange juice and simmer until the berries burst from their skins. This should take about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and purée in a food processor or blender. Strain through a fine sieve to remove the skins. Let cool. Combine with the rest of the ingredients.

At this point, use one of two steps. Either use an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers instructions. Or, place in a tall canister and put in the freezer. Freeze for 1 1/2 hours. Remove, stir and beat briefly with a whisk. Return to the freezer and repeat the beating process after another 50 minutes. 

You may have to repeat this three or four times. The more you beat your sorbet, the more air is being incorporated and hence the lighter the finished product.

Source: Jim Tarantino