Thread: Hips Turkey Bag Recipe

NOTE-this year Im not going to do the herb butter. Im still adding the herbs but wont be doing the butter as Im aiming for a slightly healthier bird. Plus with the bag there will be no shortage of broth to make gravy with. I'll let you know how it turns out. And if anyone wants any clarification feel free to ask.


Hips Turkey Bag Recipe

Make up an herb butter. I generally use 4 sticks and mix with fresh Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, and plenty of garlic and shallots. Make this a day or two before Thanksgiving and keep in the fridge. Use a food processor and make a MirePoix aka fine chopped Celery, Carrot, Onion, and Garlic. I plan on using about 20 or so cloves myself….use at least 10 though.
Process it fine…not to the point that’s it’s a mush-just a very fine dice/chop.

Take your Turkey and wash and prep according to directions. Gently use your hands to lift the skin around the breast area. Work slow and methodical because the skin can tear if your not careful. When your done the skin should act as a big pocket.

Next take your room temperature Herb Butter and smear a generous layer under the turkey skin and make sure it fully covers the entire breast. Take your Mirepoix mixture and stuff as much as possible under the skin.

Now its time to stuff the turkey….Use the remaining Mirepoix and ¾ of the remaining Herb Butter and place it into the cavity along with as many mushrooms as you can fit. You can leave the shrooms whole or cut in halves or even quarters. That’s up to you. I also like to put in the remaining fresh herbs from the Herb Butter. If I Can fit it in as well add some more garlic cloves…whole or halved.

Using the remaining herb butter-completely cover the outside of the turkey. Then use some kosher salt, fresh black pepper, and whatever seasoning you want to coat and season the outside of the bird. I generally go with Paul Prudhome’s Poultry Magic but Id imagine even Montreal Chicken Season of any poultry season will work.

After the bird is prepped, Stuffed, and Seasoned- Fill the cavity with some type of alcohol. Ive used dark beer, wine, crème sherry, etc etc in the past and theyre all good. I may go the sherry route again this year or maybe Port Wine. Not sure really. Ive always wanted to use Wild Turkey just out of general principal but never tried it. Its easy to do…make sure the flap of skin around the tail bone is sealed so as to not allow the booze to drain through and lift the cavity upward and pour the booze into it. Next simply use some toothpicks or string and truss the cavity closed.

Now its easy….Put the Turkey in the bag and cook according to the directions. When the bird has about 30 minutes left cut open the top of bag to let the bird brown. At this point you can baste from the juices if you like. Once the turkey has that golden brown color and is the right temp-youre done……almost.

Once the turkey has cooled a bit, remove the herbs and mushrooms from the cavity. You can sautee them for use as a side dish or use them in the gravy. The mushrooms sautéed in the remaining Herb Butter makes a great side but the gravy is good too.

I make the gravy by straining the broth from the bag through a cheese cloth once or twice and simmering it until its reduced by about ½. I then use heavy crème at room temperature and slowly pour it into the pan. If you want the sauce/gravy a bit thicker you can either use a slurry or for you real chefs out there use a brown roux. It’s a cant miss recipe and allows a lot of room for creativity. Have fun and let me know if you have any questions.

Always looks good. Might have to do this one, this year...

I did this one time.. Delicious! The herb butter freakin rules!

My ex used to make these yam balls made from corn flakes, maple syrup, sweet taters and marshmallows. They were the bomb, and I need to get the recipe so I can share.

Thanks Hip. My dad has always used (and given me) a standard recipe for cooking the bird on the bbq. I have used it in the past and it has turned out well. He was usually there to supervise but since we moved to Washington I am on my own this year. We are going to have a house full of people (~12 - 14) so I am going to try and keep things simple. For that reason I am going to soak my bird in brine in a bag over night. Has anyone ever brined a bird before? Wondering how it turns out. Does it make the bird too salty??

Then planning to put the bird in a standard baking tray, cover with heavy foil and put it on the bbq like usual. I am thinking about doing my standard stuffing but my wife's aunt is doing a mushroom stuffing off the stove top as well.

Thanks in advance for any info.

I was considering cutting off the drumsticks and the wings and BBQ them but Ill have to play that one by ear. I'm pretty sure this is the year Ill use some Wild Turkey in my Wild Turkey. Maybe just a couple of shots for good measure. And in lieu of the herb butter Ill probably just use a little olive oil.

Roody is right the herb butter is great though...Ive used it for Cheese Bread as well as sauteeing mushrooms. It pretty much goes great with everything. Almost as if putting it on the turkey is wasting it. I have also considered using the expensive Pflugra butter or the Irish butter as well since I generally like to go over the top on Thanksgiving.

Stuffing is EVIL!!!!

Originally Posted by roenick

For that reason I am going to soak my bird in brine in a bag over night. Has anyone ever brined a bird before? Wondering how it turns out. Does it make the bird too salty??

Brines are fantastic. I got this one from Melinda Lee's web site a couple years ago and have used it every Thanksgiving since. And no, it doesn't make the bird too salty, just flavorful and incredibly juicy. I combine this with the herb butter and the bag. Have fun with it.

ULTIMATE BRINE FOR TURKEY

1 1/2 cups, Kosher salt**
**See notes below regarding amount of salt
1 1/4 cups, brown sugar
10 whole cloves
3 teaspoons, black peppercorns
1 1/2 gallons (6 quarts) apple juice or cider (non-alcoholic)
the peel from one orange or one tangerine (colored part only - not white pith)
[optional: 3 teaspoons, dried thyme and/or 3 teaspoons, dried sage]

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot, bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (partly covered). Allow brine to cool completely.

Rinse turkey under cool running water, inside and out (remove giblets from body cavity). Pat turkey dry with paper towels, then immerse turkey in cooled brine.* Turkey should be completely submerged in liquid (place a plate on top of the bird if necessary to keep it covered with the liquid).

Cover the pot and refrigerate for 8-10 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove turkey, rinse, pat dry, and roast as usual. [See note under “basic technique” for extra step to get crispiest skin.]

*Be sure the container used for brining turkey is non-reactive: use enamel, glass or crockery or stainless steel - never cast iron or aluminum. The pot should be just large enough to contain the turkey (so the brine will be sufficient to cover the bird).


** NOTE REGARDING THE AMOUNT OF SALT IN BRINE: A milder brine may be made, which may have a less flavorful result – but if salt is a concern (the entire turkey will absorb only 10-15% of the brine) the amount of salt may be reduced. For the desired chemical effect to take place, however, the proportions cannot be less than 2/3 to 1 cup of salt per gallon (4 quarts) of water or other liquid.

**TYPES OF SALT: Kosher salt is the ONLY type of salt to be used in making brine (it is sweeter and more pure than ordinary table salt). Kosher salt is available in two varieties. The most common is flaked salt (example: Morton Kosher Salt) which has been pressed into flakes by rollers. The other type is a four-sided crystal (example: Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt). The crystal-shaped salt measures differently because of its shape. Use about 25% (one quarter) MORE crystal salt than flaked salt when measuring for brine or other recipes. The formula is: 1 tablespoon of regular table salt is equivalent to 1 ½ tablespoons flaked kosher salt, or 2 tablespoons, diamond crystal kosher salt.

***NOTE REGARDING BRINING TURKEYS TO BE “DEEP FRIED:”
When a turkey will be deep fried (Cajun style or otherwise), too much sugar will cause the bird to blacken on the outside. It is best, therefore, to use water, rather than apple juice or cider, and to greatly reduce the amount of sugar called for in the above listing of brine ingredients.

Originally Posted by roenick

Thanks Hip. My dad has always used (and given me) a standard recipe for cooking the bird on the bbq. I have used it in the past and it has turned out well. He was usually there to supervise but since we moved to Washington I am on my own this year. We are going to have a house full of people (~12 - 14) so I am going to try and keep things simple. For that reason I am going to soak my bird in brine in a bag over night. Has anyone ever brined a bird before? Wondering how it turns out. Does it make the bird too salty??

Then planning to put the bird in a standard baking tray, cover with heavy foil and put it on the bbq like usual. I am thinking about doing my standard stuffing but my wife's aunt is doing a mushroom stuffing off the stove top as well.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Alton Brown's Good Eats Roast Turkey

Actually, last time I did a turkey, I brined it AND used Hip's herb butter. I also used a bag, and the damn thing fell apart when it was done. Freakin' good and moist and tender.