Cookbook review: Aroma by Mandy Aftel and Daniel Patterson

The sense of smell is one of the most powerful senses, as well as one of the easiest to overlook.  Chef Daniel Patterson and perfumer Mandy Aftel teamed up to compile a facinating book.  They discuss the importance of considering the aromas emanating from your food and their effects.  Some aromas work together in harmony while others compete for attention, and you need to realize how to use each smell to its greatest effect and to achieve the desired response from your guest.

The recipes here are unique and use thought provoking flavour combinations.  Beyond that, you will find instruction on creating your own flavoured oils and essences, invaluable if you want to develop an original arsenal in your pantry.  You can even go beyond the kitchen and throw together some aromatic bath salts, body oils and perfumes.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Recipe: Preserved egg yolks

Looking for an unusual garnish?  How about grating an egg yolk on a microplane?  Preserved egg yolks are very tasty and can add a great colour to a plate.  What do they go with?  For starters, things that already go with eggs - charcuterie, salads, beef tartare, and more.  Once you taste them, see where your inspiration takes you.  Some people like to stop the process short after the salt curing, at which point, the yolk isn't firm enough for grating, but has it's own semi-firm and creamy quality.  By all means, give one a sample at this stage, but we're going to take it all the way through the hanging process as well.  If you want to mix things up a bit, add a few spices to the salt mix to infuse into the yolks.  This is very easy to do, just give yourself a few weeks to let things happen at their own speed.

You will need:

2 parts                   kosher salt

1 part                     sugar

as needed              eggs

Method:

 - mix the sugar and salt together 

 - put the mix in a non-reactive container

 - make a divot for each egg yolk you will cure

 - separate the whites from the yolk without breaking them

 - gently lay the yolks into the divots and cover with the salt mixture

 - store the container in the fridge and let cure for about two days

 - remove the firm yolks from the cure and brush off any extra salt

 - wrap the yolks individually in cheesecloth and hang in a cool and dry place (the fridge if you must)

 - after about two weeks, the yolks should be hard enough to grate

 - unwrap and use as needed

Recipe: Mayonnaise

Let's take a moment to cover one of the most essential basic recipes.  Yes it's basic, but like I said, it's also essential.  If you can't make mayonnaise, you won't be able to make a Caesar dressing or any other of a wide variety of emulsified egg dressings.  Even Hollandaise works in almost the same way - the idea that egg yolks have the ability to hold a certain amount of fat in an emulsion (actually, a large egg yolk can hold 200ml / 7oz of oil).  Once you get a feel for how much fat a yolk can handle, you can just about throw the recipe out the window and get crazy.  For precisely that reason, this recipe is intentionally as plain Jane, basic and no monkey business as I can make it - no garlic, no strange oils, fancy vinegars, herbs or seasonings - all that you can do yourself once you start to have fun with it.  This recipe is scaled down to one yolk for simplicity and you will have to whisk it by hand at this size - scale it up a few times and you can use a blender or mixer to make things easier.  Once you've got this down, the substitutions are endless (see my recipes for brown butter mayonnaise and pancetta mayonnaise) - learn to handle the emulsion first, then go nuts.

Some tips:

 - have all your ingredients a room temperature - it makes for easier emulsion

 - add the majority of your seasoning to the beaten yolks, then they disperse easier as the oil is added

 - gradually adding the oil is very important - just do it

 - watch the mayonnaise as you make it - if the fat starts to separate, it's split and you need to stop

 - if the emulsion gets too thick, it will split, add a bit of the vinegar or even a tiny bit of water to loosen it

 - if it splits, whisk up a new egg yolk and add the split mayonnaise the same as you added the oil the first time

You will need:

1                                 egg yolk

1.25ml /  1/4tsp          dry mustard

10ml / 2tsp                 white wine vinegar

200ml / 7oz                vegetable oil

to taste                        lemon juice

to taste                        kosher salt

to taste                        white pepper

as needed                   water (room temperature)

Method:

 - have all ingredients at room temperaure

 - separate the egg and whisk the yolk until light and pale

 - add the mustard, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper and whisk

 - add a little of the vinegar and whisk

 - very slowly, start adding the oil, making sure the emulsion holds continuously

 - continue adding the oil, occasionally alternating with more of the vinegar

 - once all the oil and vinegar are added, season with lemon juice, salt and pepper

 - adjust the consistency with more liquid if needed

 - store in the fridge until use

 -

Recipe: Pumpkin spice

Pumpkin spice is one of those things that may show up on a recipe as an ingredient, but then you go to the store and it's hit or miss whether they will stock it.  No worry, it's an easy mix of things you either already have on hand or can easily get a hold of.  You don't have to just use it with pumpkin either, it's a nice blend of earthiness, coziness and aromatics that use can use in a lot of recipes.  The ratios are not set in stone either, but this is the blend that I use.  It's a small recipe - this way I tend to mix it each time I need it with little left over - this way the individual spices keep to their own until the mix, making for a more vibrant character when mixed.  By the same token, the more you can grind the spices yourself from whole, the bigger the flavour.

You will need:

1tsp                       ground cinnamon

1/2tsp                    ground nutmeg

1/4tsp                    ground ginger

1/4tsp                    ground clove

1/4tsp                    ground allspice

Method:

 - grind

 - mix 

 - use

Recipe: Tomato tartare

This recipe is not complicated, but can add a touch of elegance and freshness to a dish.  At first
glance, this may look like a salsa, but a little more care goes into preparing the tomatoes and there's less emphasis on "spiciness" - the goal here is to focus on the tomato, and the other ingredients are meant to compliment it and extend the flavour profile.  If you press the tartare I to. A ring mold, it makes a great landing pad for the focal item of a dish that may otherwise try to slide around on the plate.  Try it with a single lamb chop, or a nice little section of pork belly.  Have a look at my post for peeled tomatoes if you want a little more insight into the best way to blanch tomatoes for peeling.

You will need:

10                   medium tomatoes (on the vine are great)

1                     shallot
2Tbs               chopped Italian parsley
2Tbs               olive oil
to taste           kosher salt

Method:

 - get a pot of water on to boil and an ice bath ready
 - score the bottoms of the tomatoes, blanch in the boiling water, then cool off in the ice bath
 - peel the tomatoes, then open them up and remove the seeds
 - pat the tomatoes dry with a paper towel
 - cut the tomatoes into small dice and put in a bowl
 - mince the shallot fine and add to the diced tomato
 - chop the parsley and add to the bowl
 - add the olive oil and mix well
 - season with kosher salt
 - use as needed

Recipe: Buttermilk doughnuts (orange)

mix the wet dough

I've heard that doughnuts are one of the Canadian stereotypes.  I like them, but again there's not that many people who don't at least occasionally indulge, so why are they trying to pin it on us?  No matter, might as well be known for things people like.  I live a short ferry ride away from the birthplace of Nanaimo bars - I'm going to be proud of that too, so there.

Back to doughnuts.  When I went about sourcing out a recipe, I wanted to find a really good base recipe that would act as a go-to and would adapt itself to whatever glazes or toppings you wanted to throw at it.  I definitely wanted a yeast dough.  Doughnut doughs made with only baking powder are not doughnuts at all, they are bannock.  Now bannock, the First Nations style, is definitely Canadian, and it's wonderfully delicious, but that's not what we're making today.  Set on a yeast dough then, I thought about what angle should be taken, and buttermilk came right to my mind - nothing too wacky, but certainly an upgrade from a plain white dough.

add flour and bring it together

I got my hands on a good recipe - actually, for those Vancouverites, after a dusting of cinnamon sugar, these are dead ringers for "those little doughnuts" you get at the PNE.  Now I considered if there was any way  it could be better.  There was shortening involved - I could switch in with butter.  Butter is almost always a better way to go, and it is a buttermilk dough, so what's a little more butter?  I then used warm milk insead of water to bloom the yeast - the logic?  Simple, milk tastes better than water.  Next, I stumbled upon the idea of adding a bit of orange zest to the dough.  The effect is superb.  The citrus helps cut through the fat of the buttermilk, butter and the frying process to lighten up the flavour.  It's not that the orange is overpowering either, it just rests quietly in the background.  I list the zest here as an optional ingredient, but I'll be including it whenever I make these.

roll

Since this is a proper dough, you can get away with a gentle re-roll of the scraps.  You should get about 22 to 24 medium sized doughnuts from this recipe.  I'm quite happy just dusting these with a bit of sugar after cooking, so as yet haven't played around with too many icing varieties.



You will need:


10g / 1Tbs                     active dry yeast
125ml / 1/2C                 milk
125ml / 1/2C                 buttermilk
43g / 45ml / 3Tbs          butter

cut

39g / 45ml / 3Tbs          sugar
310-375g / 2.5-3C         all purpose flour
12g / 15ml / 1Tbs          baking powder
5ml / 1tsp                      salt
2                                    orange zest (microplane) (optional)



Method:


 - gently warm the milk up to just above room temperature
 - add the yeast to the milk with a bit of the sugar and let it bloom for 5 to 10 minutes

proofed

 - if adding zest, zest the oranges and mix the zest with the sugar
 - melt the butter and set aside
 - put 375ml / 1.5C of the flour in a mixing bowl with the yeast and milk
 - add the buttermilk, butter, sugar (and zest) and salt and mix well with a dough hook
 - add just enough flour to make a soft dough
 - turn out onto a floured table and knead a few times
 - roll about 1.5cm / 1/2" thick
 - cut out the doughnuts, lay on floured paper, and cover with plastic to proof
 - re-roll the scraps, cut more doughnuts, and add to the others
 - once the doughnuts are well proofed (double the size), fry in oil at 375F / 191C
 - turn to colour evenly
 - drain on paper towel

fry

 - dust with sugar or coat with icing while still warm
 - pour yourself a coffee
 - have at 'er

turn

dust 'er up and dig in

Product review: The Polyscience Smoking Gun

If you've read a fair amount of my recipes, you'll know that I use my Smoking Gun quite a bit at home.  As with most people, there's nowhere to put a smoker in our apartment, so the Gun is a genius way to incorporate smoke into cooking without a huge stinky cabinet taking up space.  It comes in a tidy little box that works great for storage and even holds a few spots for wood chips.  In practice at home, you may need to smoke an item a few times to get the result you want, but it's a small sacrifice.

At work, tasks are usually much larger and I generally use a full size smoker, but even there, occasions arise that are impractical for the big beast.  The Smoking Gun is often used for delicate amuse bouche and appetizers that get the smoke treatment right at the point of service.  You can compose a carefully stacked little item on a plate, grab an overturned glass, fill it with smoke, and send it out.  Customers love the presentation as their dish gives off smoke signals and the food picks up just the right amount of smokiness during the transport to make a difference, yet without dominating the overall flavour profile.

Polyscience has their own line of very nice smoking chips, but the nice thing is you aren't limited to them.  I've used brands designed for the large smokers with great results - if you use one that comes in compressed disks, just break it up so it fits into the Smoking Gun.

Polyscience has long been at the head of the pack when it comes to specialty modern cooking equipment, and the Smoking Gun certainly won't let you down.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Recipe: Key lime pie

pack the crumb in the molds

This is a real southern classic, and considering how much I love tangy citrus desserts, immediately gained top shelf ranking in my books.  The custard is really easy to make (once you got all the limes squeezed), the only tricky part is the crust if you are going to go the traditional route and make it with graham crumbs.  Not that the crust is hard - it's graham crumbs and butter basically - but it takes a bit of time and patience to pack it in the mold.  If you need to pack the crumb mixture into a bunch of individual fluted molds as in the pictures, it takes a little more patience.  Top it with meringue or not?  That's your call - it almost seems a shame to hide that glossy custard.  With these ones, we actually made a marshmallow to serve with the pies and burned them as we went.  This recipe made 15 individual pies, and so should do for a couple larger pies.  I would divide the recipe down, but that would leave you with a half can of condensed milk lingering in the fridge - I would rather do the full recipe and make more later - it's that good.  The custard lasts well for a couple days in the fridge, just give it a good whisk before using as there may be some separation during storage.  Try to use molds with removable bottom plates - it makes unmolding a lot easier.

bake the crusts

You will need:

For the crust:

400g / 14oz (1 box)                    graham crumbs

283g / 10oz                                 melted butter

pinch                                           cinnamon

as needed                                    pan spray

whisk the yolks with the condensed milk

For the custard:

900ml / 30.4fl oz (3 cans)          condensed milk

8                                                 egg yolk

375ml / 1.5C                              key lime juice

Method:

 - set the oven to 350F / 177C

whisk in the lime juice

 - pan spray the molds really well and set on a sheet pan

 - mix the cinnamon and graham crumbs

 - melt the butter and mix with the crumbs well

 - bake 5 minutes at 350F / 177C

 - rotate the pan

 - bake another 5 minutes

 - let cool on the sheet pan

 - reset the oven to 300F / 149C

 - whisk the yolks with the condensed milk

 - whisk in the key lime juice

 - fill the pies

 - bake for 10 minutes at 300F / 149C

 - rotate 

 - bake another 5 minutes

 - remove from oven and cool completely

fill the pies

 - transfer to the fridge to chill down

 - to unmold, carefully torch the outside of the mold to loosen the butter in the crust

 - carefully push the bottom plate to free the pie from the sides of the mold

 - remove the bottom plate and serve

bake the pies

torch the mold to release

Recipe: Brown butter peach pie

blind bake the shells

By now, many of you have come to the conclusion that I like my brown butter.  Guilty!  I love how it adds a nuttiness to the mellow deliciousness of butter.  In this case it makes a nice complement to the fresh and crisp flavour of the peaches in the pie filling.  As far as the pictures go, I made 12 individual pies with this recipe (minus sampling), so you could get two regular pies or really load up a deep dish crust.  I didn't use my brown butter malted beer pie crust recipe in this case, but you certainly could, the flavour power of the peaches could handle the job.  It is important that you use a wide bottom pan and quite high heat when preparing the filling as you want the peach juices to reduce fast as they get released - this way you retain the firmness in the peach slices and avoid just making a cooked compote pie filling.

prepare the peaches

You will need:

2kg / 70.5oz                       peaches (peeled and pitted)
15ml / 1Tbs                        unsalted butter
60ml / 1/4C                        brown sugar
30ml / 2Tbs                        honey
150ml / 5.1oz                     brown butter (just melted)

Method:

 - prepare your pie crusts - dock and blind bake them and set aside
 - peel and pit the peaches, then cut them into wedge slices
 - get a wide bottom pan good and hot (a non-stick would work well here)
 - add the unsalted butter and follow in with the peaches
 - as the peaches start to release juice, keep the temperature high and toss lightly

fill the pies

 - once the juices start to reduce out, add the brown sugar and toss
 - add the honey and toss
 - when the juices are almost gone, add the brown butter
 - toss and let the brown butter emulsify the sauce
 - remove from the heat and let cool so the sauce thickens up
 - toss the cooled peaches so they are coated with the sauce
 - set the oven to 350F / 177C
 - scoop the peaches into the pie shells - let excess sauce fall away (it's great on ice cream!)
 - vent your pie tops and cover the pies
 - egg wash and dust the tops with sugar
 - bake for 15 - 20 minutes until top crusts are cooked and golden brown
 - cool on a rack
 - serve

add the top crust and bake

Recipe: Chocolate brownies

You may have read my recipe for the flourless chocolate cake/brownie, this is the no holds barred thick and rich one (ok, the other one really only held back on the flour).  The nice thing here is that you don't need any equipment, you can mix this by hand in a bowl and it turns out great.  In the industry, this recipe is intended for a 1/2 sheet pan - at home, it will be your large sheet pan (unless you have a huge home oven).

You will need:

680.4g / 24oz                        unsalted butter

1125g / 39.7oz (5C)              sugar

4                                            eggs

8                                            egg whites

453.6g / 16oz                        all purpose flour

315g / 11oz                           cocoa powder

5ml / 1tsp                              baking powder

20ml / 4tsp                            vanilla

2.5ml / 1/2tsp                        kosher salt

Method:

 - set the oven to 350F / 177C

 - line the sheet pan with parchment paper

 - sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder

 - put the eggs, egg whites and vanilla together and give them a quick whisk

 - melt the butter

 - add the sugar to the butter and whisk

 - add the egg mix and whisk smooth

 - add the flour mix and whisk smooth

 - spread evenly on the sheet pan

 - bake at 350F / 177C for 20 minutes

 - a skewer check can be a bit damp (it'll set up fine), but the surface should be dry and almost want to crack

 - remove from the oven and cool on a rack

 - dig in!

Recipe: Red pepper and chipotle aoli

This tasty aoli has a nice combination of sweetness, spice and smokiness to it, making it super versatile.  Use it with crab cakes, spread it on a sandwich, dip vegetables or chips, even use it as a dressing for a pasta salad.  For recipes like this I often use just the sauce from the chipotles - it has all the heat and flavour of the chiles, but it spares you the messy task of opening up the chiles to seed them and purée them.

You will need:

250ml                          roasted and  puréed red peppers

250ml                          mayonnaise

125ml                          sour cream

35ml                            adobo sauce from chipotles (see recipe for abuela's chipotle)

25ml                            honey

to taste                         coarse cracked black pepper

to taste                         kosher salt

Method:

- roast, peel and seed red peppers

- purée and measure out 250ml

- whisk in the mayo, sour cream, adobo sauce and honey

- season with cracked pepper and kosher salt

- use as needed

Recipe: Barbeque meat loaf

The last time I made this, a friend told me it was one of the tastiest and juiciest meat loaves they had ever tasted.  Even among career chefs, a good meat loaf is cherished and loved.  As far as the cooking goes, sometimes it's those things that have been done time and time again that give the greatest challenges to push it to the next level.  If you have the ability to wrap the loaf up in plastic and steam it for the initial cook, you will maintain the juiciness better than cooking in the oven (I cooked this last one in a combi oven - steam first, then dry heat).  You could sous vide it, but maybe that's going too far - or not.  I list both bread crumbs and croissants here - seriously consider the croissants, and get the ones made with butter.  Since I always use good quality ground beef, I never hesitate to taste the raw mix to check the spices and seasoning - when it tastes good, the cooked product will be incredible.  You will likely see some juices in the pan after cooking, but they are what keep the moisture in the loaf during the process - drain them off before glazing with the barbeque sauce (save them for something else).

You will need:

1.5kg / 3.3lbs                     lean ground beef

1                                         egg

1                                         onion

2 cloves                              garlic

250ml / 1C                         good quality beef stock

500ml / 2C                         chopped up croissants (or 250ml / 1C breadcrumbs)

seasoning to taste:             kosher salt

                                          ground black pepper

                                          cumin

                                          paprika

                                          Worcester sauce

as needed                          vegetable oil

as needed                          barbeque sauce (see previous post)

Method:

 - dice the onion and mince the garlic

 - sweat the onion and garlic well in a pan with a little vegetable oil, then cool

 - chop the croissants into small pieces

 - put the meat in a mixer with a paddle and start on slow speed

 - lightly whisk the egg and add it in 

 - add the onion and garlic

 - add the croissants

 - add the seasonings

 - slowly add the beef stock so it is absorbed into the meat

 - check the flavour

 - lightly oil a loaf pan and pack in the meat

 - wrap the pan tight with plastic wrap and steam for one hour

 - if you can't steam, set the oven to 325F / 163C
 - cover with paper and a layer of tin foil and bake for 1 hour
 - prepare your barbeque sauce
 - remove the pan from the oven / steamer
 - reset the oven to 350F / 175C
 - remove plastic wrap / foil from the pan
 - drain off any excess juice
 - glaze with the barbeque sauce
 - return to the oven and bake about 15 minutes until loaf is firm and the glaze is nicely coloured
 - eat!

Recipe: Barbeque sauce

To be honest, it was hard to come up with a recipe for barbeque sauce.  It's one of those things that after a while, you can just wing it - you have a few ingredients that are the major players (ketchup, molasses/brown sugar, Worcester sauce), then you have all the others which come into play depending on your available supplies, taste, and the end usage in mind.  To come up with this recipe, I actually had to document my actions while I threw it together.  I took care to make it somewhat of a "standard" recipe, so it is versatile to most situations, but tweak it as the event demands.  If you are cooking along an Asian barbeque theme, add some teriyaki, sriracha or any other condiment that appeals to you.  Some baby back ribs on a bit of a Hawaiian theme might want a little pineapple juice.  I purposely didn't use fresh garlic or onion because it's unlikely you will make exactly the amount you need, and this way any leftover sauce will keep very will in the fridge.  As well, I find that when a sauce has chunks of garlic in it, the chunks end up burning, so by using powder, the sauce will cook evenly.  Have fun with it.

You will need:

500ml / 2C                   ketchup

125ml / 1/2C                molasses 

60ml / 1/4C                  brown sugar

15ml / 1Tbs                  Worcester sauce

15ml / 1Tbs                  soy sauce

10ml / 2tsp                   smoked paprika

7.5ml / 1.5tsp               ground black pepper

7.5ml / 1.5tsp               ground cumin

7.5ml / 1.5tsp               garlic powder

7.5ml / 1.5tsp               onion powder

pinch                            cayenne

to taste                         kosher salt

Method:

 - whisk all ingredients together well (except salt)

 - check taste and make any adjustments

 - season with salt

 - use

Recipe: Champagne and truffle vinaigrette

This will probably list among one of the more luxurious salad dressings you could make, but sometimes a special occasion calls for something a little extra.  Your budget may affect the extent you utilize the grated truffle - the dressing is very nice even without it due to the truffle oil and salt.  If you are feeling extra lush, you can use grated truffle beyond its "to taste" capacity here, but then you may want to substitute a bit more grapeseed oil for a bit of the truffle oil just to keep the flavours in balance - you still want to taste the champagne.

You will need:

300ml / 10oz                 champagne

250ml / 8.5oz (1C)        grapeseed oil

150ml / 5oz                   olive oil

150ml / 5oz                   truffle oil

88ml / 3oz                     honey

30ml / 2Tbs                   lemon juice

15ml / 1Tbs                   truffle salt

to taste                           fresh grated truffle

Method:

 - mix the oils

 - whisk in the honey

 - whisk in the champagne and lemon juice

 - whisk in the truffle salt

 - grate fresh truffle with a microplane to taste

Cookbook review: Les Diners de Gala by Salvador Dali

When I first saw this book in a used bookstore, I almost flipped.  One of my all time favorite artists wrote a cookbook?  I picked it up almost on the novelty of it all, but after getting into it fell in love with the personality of it.  This is Salvador Dali, the master of taking things too far, and this book goes way beyond extravagant - but these are all things that were served at dinner parties hosted by himself and his love Gala.  Originally published in 1973, it may be dated a bit for today's taste, but is a fantastic look back to some of the classic styles of food enjoyed by the ultra rich.  Photos of tables sprawling with lobsters, chaud-froid glazed meats, caviar and even a tower of crayfish.  Sketches and paintings by the master round out the visual feast between the photos.  

The recipes - I love them - it's where the book finds its personality.  It's like you are having a conversation with the chef.  Minimal measurements if any at all, rather a casual discussion about how to make the dish, first a little this, then a little that, add some butter, yada yada ya.  Now imagine the categories of recipes.  There's an entire chapter on snails.  Before getting to the desserts, you pass through the aphrodisiac chapter, a while before that, you are grilling a lamb's head.  Love it! 

This is something of an obscure edition, but a must have for Dali fans and those who like to represent a bit of history on their bookshelf.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Recipe: Brown butter butterscotch sauce

Maybe butterscotch doesn't need to be any richer than it already is, but this version lends a nuttiness to the flavour that makes it worth trying.  Between the caramel and the brown butter, this sauce will really harden up if cold, so use it at room temperature or gently microwave it to soften it up.  You could loosen it with water or more cream, but that would also dilute the taste.

You will need:

125ml / 1/2C             sugar

125ml / 1/2C             cream

60ml / 1/4C               brown butter

30ml / 2Tbs               unsalted butter

pinch                         kosher salt

dash                           lemon juice

Method:

 - melt the brown butter, measure it out and set it aside

 - caramelize the sugar in a small saucepan

 - add the cream and turn down the heat

 - once the seized caramel has remelted into the sauce, turn off the heat and cool slightly

 - add the brown butter and stir to emulsify 

 - add the unsalted butter and emulsify

 - season with salt and lemon juice

 - cool to room temperature and use as needed

 

Recipe: Roast turkey - brined and sous vide

We cooked a turkey the other day and turned it into a little experiment.  I was really busy and since I am never comfortable leaving the house with something in the oven, needed a different approach to avoid eating at midnight.  Why not sous vide?  I have no problem being somewhere else if dinner is just hanging out in the hot tub.  The only issue is that any time I've sous vide turkey before has been at work where the birds are taken apart and the white and dark meat are prepared and sous vide separately - I still wanted a good old fashioned bird to carve.

So, to proceed, it seemed logical to follow and merge the same principles it takes to both roast a whole turkey and to sous vide as I have done before, albeit in smaller pieces.  The first step was to brine it, and. I followed the same procedure as in my brined turkey breast recipe.  After brining, I rinsed the bird, patted it dry, and gave it a little coat of olive oil, followed by a seasoning mix (in the cavity too) of  smoked paprika, black pepper and powdered garlic - no salt of course since the brine gives enough.  You can season it your way, that's just what I was feeling at the time.

The next challenge was the "vacuum seal".  If you have bags big enough for your turkey, great, but I didn't, so I would have to improvise.  With the cavity, air tight wasn't going to happen anyway, so I focused on ensuring my package was watertight and as air minimal as possible.  I did happen to have a bunch of large ziplock bags that would just fit the turkey inside with a little sticking out the end, so I alternated "head" and "tail" bagging the bird until I was confident no water was getting in.

To really cowboy the operation up, the only vessel appropriate to sous vide the turkey was a large stockpot.  I used my probe thermometer to monitor the temperature - easy - but very important to note that I also put a rack in the pot to both let the water circulate all around and keep the turkey off the bottom.  Remember that even with a pot of water, the very bottom of the pot is in contact with the stove and if the product touches it, you will lose the even temperature of the sous vide and possibly melt through the bag, losing your seal and botching the whole operation - so make sure you get a rack under the bird.

the turkey is the one on the right

Confident that the mechanics were going to work, I just needed to figure out the execution.  I wasn't even sure of the weight of our turkey - it tilted my kitchen scale, so it was over 5 lbs, but by how much?  Well Isabella is almost 10 lbs, so with baby in one arm and turkey in the other, I guesstimated the turkey at about 8 lbs.  This was mostly for future reference, because the nice thing with sous vide is that you have a wide window of time to work with.  As well, since I intended to finish the bird in the oven, it was ok if  it was cooked a bit under and the oven could just finish the job.  Generally speaking, 165F is the recommended cooked temperature for poultry.  The food safe "danger zone" is cleared at 160F, so I went with 163F to make sure I was cooking the turkey, yet leaving some room for the final roast.  I figured that 3 hours should be enough to cook it, so into the hot tub it went and out I went to run errands  (remember this was all about actually freeing up my time while still producing a turkey dinner).

3 hours later, beer in hand, I turned the oven on to 450F.  I pulled the turkey out of the water - the seal worked great, no water invaded the product.  The last ziplock bag did have a nice amount of turkey stock which immediately went on the stove to reduce to a jus.  I patted the bird dry to ensure a good roast and noticed something - since the sous vide package was so tight and the turkey was essentially cooked, there was no need for trussing for the roasting stage - sweet.  Just remember that this emphasizes the importance that the bird gets sealed up "pretty" because the sous vide process will set it up the way you left it.  From here, I just put some bacon strips over the top for tradition and fired it in the oven.  I was simply cooking for skin colour now, and just watched it and rotated it now and then.  After a little over 45 minutes, she looked great.  I let it rest, then checked the temperature next to the bone on the leg and it was bang on 165F.

If you were to compare this turkey with another brined and roasted one, it would be hard to tell the difference - it was golden brown, juicy, and full of flavour.  To compare the effort, even considering the fact that this was a first off experiment, no contest - this is an absolute cinch to pull off.  Of course, in the future, I can plan a bit better and get a proper sized vacuum bag and a vessel big enough for both a turkey and a circulator, but if this crazy cowboy effort can work this way, I know I will always be able to make it happen.  Circulators aren't always around, but you can always find a thermometer and create a watertight package - just remember your food safe and make sure your turkey is sous vide above 160F and the final roast adds a few degrees on top of that.

Happy cooking!