Turkey for you and Turkey for ME!

I’ll let you in on a little secret. My family LOVES turkey. Loves it more than any other dinner I make. My son is such a turkey fiend that he likes to weigh himself before and then after Thanksgiving dinner, just to see how much food he stuffed down his gullet. Last year was something like 4.5 lbs.

Both of my kids claim that I make the best turkey in the world. They think I’m a turkey genius. But I’m not. I make turkey in the most simple way possible. I combine fresh herbs and olive oil and rub it all under the skin of the turkey. Then I bake it 350 degrees until it’s done.

So what’s my secret? I ONLY use one brand of turkey. Empire Kosher turkey hens. They come in smaller sizes, which I like a lot. And they are pre-brined because all Kosher meat is salted to prepare it. That makes it extremely juicy without basting.

You don’t need to salt this turkey either before you cook it, or after it’s cooked. Because it is Kosher, it’s already got quite a bit of salt contained in the meat. A 4 ounce serving (yeah right, who the heck eats 4 ounces of turkey on Thanksgiving?) has 220 grams of sodium, so you can see that added salt really isn’t necessary. The breasts are large and very flavorful, and the dark meat is so good you just cannot stop picking at the carcass.

Empire also makes frozen turkey breasts that are perfect for a family meal. You can purchase turkey parts, and even ground turkey from Empire or at your local Kosher market. Oh, you think you can’t get Empire? Unless you live really far from any other Jewish people, you can easily find Empire products in your supermarket. Trader Joes carries much of the Empire line, including turkeys, chicken, and hot dogs. So look carefully amongst the big frozen lumps of turkey at your market. Chances are you’ll find a smallish, ~12 lb turkey from Empire waiting for you to take it home. It will be the best turkey you’ve ever made, and your family will think you’re a culinary genius!