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Wild Game Masterclass with Mike Robinson

Episodes

Season 1 Episode 10

Thanksgiving Turkey Part 2

Season 1 Episode 10

Thanksgiving Turkey Part 2

A turkey is a very versatile bird that can be elevated using this technique. An amazing result every time.

Thanksgiving Turkey Part 2

Ingredients

1 Turkey crown, 1 turkey leg
100 grams of smoked bacon
500 grams of sausage meat
2 onions
Brussel Sprouts
2 kilograms medium potatoes
Large eggs
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of rosemary
Dried chestnuts
Dried cranberries
Caul Fat
Goose Fat
White bread

Directions

Start by preparing the turkey. To debone - using the tip of a small knife, cut down into the breast plate of the turkey, keeping as much skin as you can cut down to the wish bone and pull the meat away as you cut, be careful not to cut the skin.
Cut a little and push the meat away until you can feel the breast plate and remove the plate. Wrap the deboned turkey in caul fat, to keep all the juices inside the meat.
For the leg - using the tip of a paring knife, cut along the bone and remove. Find the joint with the tip of the knife and pop it through the joint, cut the tendons and then twist out the joint. To remove the drumstick, tease the skin down as far as you can, without cutting it, then carefully remove the cartilage. Hold the bone and tap it once with the back of a knife. Check the meat for any splinters.
Butterfly the meat open and leave the skin attached you that it can be pulled back up.
To prepare the stuffing, add sausage meat to a large mixing bowl. Sweat down some chopped onions and blend with some Port and chopped thyme and add to the sausage meat and combine.
Next, add chunks or smoked bacon, dried cranberries and chestnuts. Tear some white bread and rip it apart as you add to the bowl. Add some finely chopped parsley, a generous amount of salt and 4 eggs. Combine well for 5 minutes.
Batch taste - using a small pan, fry a small amount of the stuffing and taste. Adjust the seasoning accordingly.
To stuff the turkey, place the stuffing underneath the wing fillets and a good amount in the neck.
To keep the stuffing in place, place the stuffed meat on the crépinette/caul fat. Bring the crépinette together and pull it in tightly around the meat.
Using some Butchers Twine, make a Butchers Running knot over the crépinette to ensure the parcel maintains it shape and cooks evenly. Repeat this process for both the leg and the breast.
Place butter underneath the skin. Soften some butter in a bowl and mix in some herbs. Then work your hand underneath the skin to create a cavity for which the butter can be piped in to. Smooth out any lumps of butter with your hands.
Heat the Traeger to 160 degrees celsius/320 degrees fahrenheit
Add the leg and the breast to the Traeger and give them a final baste and season.
Leave to roast for a couple of hours. Bast with butter at regular intervals.
After around 135 minutes, check the tempt of the meat by placing a temperature probe into the thick part of the meat. The temperature needs to be over 65 degrees celsius/150 degrees fahrenheit.
Leave the meat to rest for 30 minutes. Carve.
Par boil potatoes for around 25 minutes. Tip: to add texture to the potatoes, shake them in the pan until the edges are rough, cover in fat and place back into the oven.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly and become dry.
In a pan on the stove, add some goose fat and some oil. Add in around 5 cloves of garlic, with the skin on - this will stop them burning. Add two sprigs of rosemary and then add in the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes, making sure they are coated in all of the fat and oil.
Halve some spouts, remove the core and add to a pan of salted boiling water for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, add them to a pan with bacon, chestnuts and shallots.
For the gravy, use some of the pie mix, add some chicken and beef stock and add some thyme.