Issues → November/December 2007 → Food →
Homegrown: Free-Range Turkey
Where to find and how to cook local turkeys
by Erin Byers Murray
Just in time for another jam-packed holiday season, supermarket shelves are lined with big, fat turkeys. You could grab one of these birds for only 99 cents a pound -- but that won't buy you much flavor. This year, we recommend tracking down a free-range turkey from a local farm.
Why, when price and convenience are unavoidable factors in the decisions we make about our food purchases? First and foremost, local birds taste phenomenal. "These turkeys have been allowed to walk around and work their muscles, eating real grubs, which essentially adds flavor to the meat," explains James Lionette, co-owner of Boston's Lionette Market, which sells free-range birds from a few local sources. Second, he says, you'll be promoting sustainability. Since small farms have a limited supply of land, they maintain it well and are committed to doing so for future generations.
Third, buying local cuts down on "food miles." Most turkeys in New England supermarkets have been trucked in from across the country, creating unnecessary pollution. Order a bird from a local farmer and you're putting less distance between yourself and the supplier -- and causing much less damage to the earth.
NOTE: Check our list of 9 local sources of free-range birds and then try our recipe that shows how easy-yet-delicious a great roast turkey can be. Something to be thankful for!
Roast Turkey
Poultry Recipes
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 2.25 hours
Yield: about 12 servings
Because free-range birds have a deeper flavor than most supermarket turkeys, we've found that there's no need to brine before cooking.
- 1 12-pound fresh turkey
- 2 onions, coarsely chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock, divided
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
- Kosher or sea salt and
- freshly ground black pepper
- Turkey Gravy (optional)
Adjust rack to lowest third of oven and heat to 350 degrees. Remove neck and giblets from turkey; pat bird dry. Tie legs together and tuck wings under. Chop neck and giblets into 1-inch pieces.
Place chopped onions, carrots, celery, thyme, neck, giblets, and 1/2 cup chicken stock into bottom of roasting pan. Mist roasting rack with cooking spray.
Brush half of melted butter over breast and season with salt and pepper. Lay turkey, breast side down, on rack and place in pan. Brush remaining butter over back of turkey and season with salt and pepper. Roast until skin is golden, about 1 hour.
Remove turkey from oven. Using two oven mitts, flip turkey over, breast side up. Add remaining chicken stock to pan. Cover turkey loosely with a foil tent and continue roasting, 45 minutes.
Remove foil and roast 15 to 20 minutes longer, until breast is golden brown and thigh temperature registers 175 degrees. Remove to a platter, reserving vegetables, neck and giblet meat, and juices for gravy if desired. Let turkey sit 30 minutes before carving. Serve with Turkey Gravy if desired.
Turkey Gravy
- Reserved roasted vegetables, meat from neck and giblets, and juices
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup flour
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher or sea salt and
- freshly ground black pepper
With a slotted spoon, remove roasted vegetables, neck, and giblets from roasting pan and set aside in a medium bowl. Pour juices from pan into a measuring cup, scraping up any brown bits. Skim fat from juices; then add chicken stock and set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and cook 15 minutes, stirring often, until mixture turns medium to dark brown. Slowly stir in white wine, stock mixture, roasted vegetables and meat mixture, thyme, and bay leaves. Simmer 25 minutes, until slightly thickened. Strain, pressing down on vegetable/meat mixture. Discard solids. Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 8 cups.
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