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Tackling the turkey with Chef Chris Troiano

Roast root vegetables, a Thanksgiving staple. Tribune Media

By Catherine Engstrom-Hadley
Staff Writer

The turkey is a traditional Thanksgiving staple in many homes across the country. Whether this is your first time preparing a Thanksgiving dinner or your 30th, Chef Troiano, culinary arts lab instructor, has some tips for you to have a tasty, table ready bird on the big day.

1. Avoid stuffing – “By the time the bird is up to temp, the stuffing will be dried out,” said Chef Troiano. Make the stuffing on the side. Use a French or Italian loaf. “You want a tight crumb and a firm crust”.

2. Let the bird rest – Let your bird sit after cooking for at least thirty minutes and up to one hour before carving. “Resting lets the juices get reabsorbed after cooking, leaving you with a more tender meat,” said Chef Troiano.

3. Brine your bird – Find a recipe you like for brining; Chef Troiano recommends the brine recipe from “Good Eats Turkey” by Alton Brown.

4. For the novice – Invest in a good instant read thermometer. You can know exactly where your turkey is at in the cooking process this way, without losing heat by waiting for a read.

5. Small crowd? Go with a duck instead – A much faster cook time and just as delicious. “The trick to good duck is to prick the skin, but not into the meat. Then steam the duck for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking. This renders the fat away from the duck.” Chef Troiano also recommends using an orange in the cavity of the bird to add extra flavor.

Chef Troiano recommended some additional easy recipes to bring to the table.

Compound Butter

1 cup butter
1 glove garlic, minced extra fine
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon sage
A pinch of salt and pepper

Let butter sit until room temperature and malleable, then add in all the herbs and mix together. Store in a Tupperware or add mixture to parchment paper and roll into a tube, twisting both ends so it closes on the sides. Add this butter to the turkey, use on rolls, add to any recipe that calls for butter for a wonderful Thanksgiving taste.

Roast Root Vegetables

2 Carrots
2 Sweet Potatoes
1 Rutabaga
2 Parsnips
2 Turnips
1 tablespoon compound butter
A pinch of salt and pepper

Chop all vegetables to a uniform size. Put in a baking pan with butter and salt. Bake at 400℉ for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender. Leaving for another location? Bake the vegetables till they are 95 percent done, then take out and let the travel time do the work for you. The vegetables will stay firm but cooked this way.

Cranberry Sauce

1-pound cranberries
½ cup sugar
1 cup orange juice

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan. Cook down till the cranberries start to burst, around 20 to 30 minutes. If your sauce is too thick, add more orange juice. If it’s too thin, cook longer.

Having a hard time telling if your sauce is done? “Take a small plate and scoop a spoon full of sauce on to the plate. Let the plate sit or toss it in the fridge. In a few minutes you will see the true consistency and determine if the sauce is at the right consistency,” said Chef Troiano.