Turkey Galantine - aka A Boneless Whole Bird with Stuffing

Every so often, I like to do a more complicated food project, just for fun.  This Easter, I wasn't hosting the actual event...just contributing a main dish, so it seemed like an opportune time to tackle such a project.  So I decided to debone a whole turkey, pack it full of stuffing, then roll and tie it back up into a bird-like shape.

Sound crazy?  Maybe.  But let's take a step back for a moment...

I first saw this technique about a year ago on an old PBS Special, Cooking in Concert, with Jacques Pepin and Julia Child.  If you've never seen the two of them cook together, it's a real treat.  They had a great friendly relationship kind of like an old married couple and they liked to jab at one another and crack jokes.

"Are you going to put garlic in that?" Julia would quip, disapprovingly.
"Yes, of course.  I'm going to put garlic in it," Jacques would retort, as he chopped 3-4 cloves and dumped it in.

Jacques is, of course, a bonafide trained French Chef (he once served as private Chef to Charles De Gaulle) and Julia is...well...Julia.  But nobody can beat Jacques' knife skills (except maybe Martin Yan, but I digress).  So in this particular episode, they decided to have him demonstrate how to debone (or as he calls it, "bone-out") an entire chicken in under 3 minutes using nothing but a paring knife.  Julia timed him with her watch--all the while, taunting him.  Once he'd finished, she walked to the back of the set, pulled something out, then unceremoneously plopped a 15-pound turkey on the board and asked him to debone it.  The audience laughed.

Here's a YouTube video of Jacques expertly deboning a bird:

Anyway, I found that episode so inspiring because he made it seem so easy to take the entire carcass out of a bird, fill it with something tasty, then roll it back up jelly roll-style and roast it.  Of course, it takes a lot of practice to be able to do it as cleanly and easily (and fast) as he can, but it was fun to try.

Fast-forward to this Easter.  I decided I needed a challenge and I'd just finished reading Jacques' auto-biography and I was reminded of that Chicken Galantine.  I knew just what I was making.

First, I purchased a 15-pound bird.  You don't really want to go any bigger than that or it'll take forever to bone-out and cook.  In fact, I'd go smaller like a 12-pound.  Watch Jacques do it a few times and then get out your sharpest paring and boning knives, roll-up your sleeves, and get to work.

Above is a turkey minus its bones with the exception of the drumsticks, more or less done with Jacques' technique (I didn't re-watch it beforehand, so it was a bit harder than it maybe would have otherwise been, but I succeeded.).  For flavor, I generously coated the meat with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic.

The filling I chose is made of 50/50 farro and short-grain brown rice, chopped drained spinach, finely chopped preserved lemon, chopped fresh tomato, and cubes of feta cheese.  If I had to do it again, I'd add an egg to bind it a bit and allow the bird to stay together in nicer slices.

 

Fill it up, though not too thick or it'll just push out.  Roll it, then tie it like a roast.

 

Coat generously with butter, salt, and pepper and roast it at 425 degrees until it reaches 160 degrees in the center.  Remove it from the oven and let rest, tented with foil for 15-20 minutes (the temp should coast to 165).  Remove the legs and string and slice as best as you can for serving.  If all goes well, it'll look like slices of jelly roll.

Overall, this was a delicious experiment.  Chickens are definitely easier to do and hold-together better, but the turkey was quite impressive coming out of the oven, so there's a trade-off.  And this stuffing was absolutely delicious.  I'll probably be using variations of it in the future for other purposes.

Easter Dinner: The Menu

Just in case you were wondering what the menu is for Easter Dinner...

Cheese & Cracker Platter
Tossed Salad
Dinner Rolls

Honey-Glazed Roasted Pork Loin (from Cook's Country)
Red Bliss Mashed Potatoes
Classic Green Bean Casserole
Mashed Butternut Squash
Candied Sweet Potatoes

Classic Pistachio Cake
Chocolate Trifle (Layered pudding, cake, and Cool Whip)
Chiffon-Style Banana Cream Pie

This year, I'm doing a partial pot-luck. I'll be preparing the pork loin and potatoes and my guests will be bringing the rest.

Easter Dinner: The Little Extras

I've been hosting Easter dinner for both my wife's family and my family for the last few years. It's really the only time I get to pull out all the stops on a real "dinner party" and I really enjoy it.

Even if you're not into the dinner party thing, if you find yourself having to host one for a group of friends or family members, there are some little things that you can do to put an "extra touch" on the event without a whole lot of work. Pardon me for having a "Martha moment" as you read-on.

Whipped Compound Butter - This is a fancy name for "butter mixed with 'other stuff'." If you have an electric mixer, it's easy to do. Leave a stick or two of butter out for an hour or so to soften it. Put it into your mixing bowl, add your extra finely chopped ingredients (herbs, garlic, etc.) and mix till thoroughly combined. Scoop it out with a small ice scream scoop or a spoon and put it in a custard dish on the table. If you're handy with a pastry bag (I am not), you can even pipe it out into a nifty design. This can be made a day or two ahead and stored, covered with plastic in the fridge. My favorite additive? Honey. Nothing tastes better than honey butter on warm crusty bread or biscuits. For breakfast or brunch, try adding a chunky jam.

Linen Napkins - Something that really makes an elegant table is to use cloth napkins--even if you don't have fine china. Not only do they make the table look great, but guests love to have something substantial to keep themselves clean while eating. However, don't go out and spend $3-$5 per napkin at the home goods store. Instead, check-out your local wholesale club (Sam's, BJ's, Costco, etc.). Sometimes, you can get a package of six restaurant grade plain white napkins for about a dollar per napkin. White goes with just about anything and, if you find that you can't get one clean, you can always bleach it.

Offer an Interesting Beverage - Get yourself an inexpensive glass or clear plastic pitcher (try discount "box" stores like Target or Walmart) and fill it with a colorful home-made beverage like freshly brewed iced tea, fruit punch, or "virgin" margarita mix and float some ice and fresh citris slices in it. If it's something that can be spiked, put out the bottle of alcohol with a small jigger or shot glass for measuring and let your guests help themselves. If there are kids around, let them use sturdy inexpensive wine glasses--they'll get a real kick out of it.

Carve The Roast Beast - If you're serving a large piece of meat such as a beef or pork roast or a whole turkey, carve it in the kitchen and arrange it on a platter for serving. Pour a small amount of thin gravy or jus over it to keep it moist and hot and cover with foil if you're not going to serve it right away. While a crispy brown roast turkey on an oak board looks impressive, it's really difficult to try to carve it at a cluttered table. And, if you have a lot of guests, they're going to end-up with cold food from the wait while you carve. This way, the platter can be passed around quickly and nobody has to pick through bones (unless they choose a leg).

Fancy-up Your Mashed Potatoes - Everyone loves mashed potatoes, but they can be made even more impressive for a special occasion with very little work. Try using red bliss potatoes and cooking and mashing them with the skins on for a chunkier texture. Or, try using half sweet potatoes or half carrots mixed with your mashed white potatoes. Instead of milk, try buttermilk (which is low fat), sour cream, or cream cheese for a tangy twist. Roasted garlic is always a hit too.

Vary The Veggies - Try roasting your veggies instead of steaming them for a delicious change (asparagus, carrots, and sweet potato cubes work very well). Just place them on a sheet pan and coat them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 350 degrees, turning every so often till they're tender and slightly caramelized. If you're using frozen veggies like corn, green beans, or peas, try sweating some onions in a large skillet. Add a lot of butter (1/3 to 1/2 a stick) and melt. Then, add the veggies and cook, stirring till warm and coated. This easy "sauce" tastes great.

That's probably enough tips for now. Have a great holiday everyone!