Dave and Emily of Kendal Hills Farm have shared some great cooking suggestions on how to enjoy a heritage turkey.
About the Artisan Gold turkeys
Dave and Emily raise Artisan Gold turkeys, a rare breed that is small in size and slow growing. The Artisan Gold turkeys thrive in a free-range or alternative environment where they are able to express natural behaviours while maintaining a high health status. This turkey offers a robust, hearty taste that is unique in the traditional turkey market.
Artisan Gold turkeys have heritage tracing back to the Landes, Aquitaine region of France, and continues to reflect this region's dedication to taste and uncompromising quality.
The turkeys at Kendal Hills Farm enjoy certified organic grains. The processor does a great job cleaning the birds, however, because of the breed sometimes there are pin feathers that will need to be removed from the skin. This can be done with a set of tweezers, and some people choose to ignore removing them since roasting the bird can also take care of these feathers.
Heritage turkeys are more evenly proportioned compared to a conventional turkey, meaning that their breasts are smaller and most cooking instructions and times won't be accurate. Here are some suggestions to guide you in your enjoyment of these turkeys!
Dave and Emily recommend brining the birds, and believe that it is an important step to achieve the delicious, tender, and juicy meat that everyone loves. Truthfully, they never really measure these, so quantities are ball park estimates...however, you can't really make a mistake here.
Combine these ingredients with water in a container that is large enough for your bird, so that the salt and sugar dissolve. Dave and Emily usually use a large cooler! Place the bird in the container and cover with water. Cover it, and keep in a cool place, like a garage.
Leave your bird to brine for 12 to 24 hours, then remove from the brine and rinse with cold water inside and out. Pat the bird dry with a clean dish towel, including the cavity. Place the bird on a rack in the fridge for at least four hours to dry out, because a wet bird won't get nice crispy skin so you'll want to be sure it's completely dry before placing in the oven.
Rub the bird inside and out with a mixture of butter, salt, pepper, and seasoning. You can use poultry seasoning here, or a mix of sage, rosemary, and thyme. Dave and Emily sometimes use Herbes de Provence and add some lemon zest. Again, you really can't go wrong, just mash up butter with your favourite seasonings and give the bird a nice massage all over.
Stuff the cavity full with a mix of coarsely chopped onions, celery, and carrots; some fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme; and maybe some lemon or orange slices. Cross the legs and tie securely with twine or tuck the skin in at the base of the tail to hold everything in. Allow the bird to come to room temperature before going into the oven.
Preheat your oven to 475 degrees.
Place your bird, breast side up, in a roasting pan with a rack underneath. If you don't have a pan with a rack, use carrots or celery stalks to improvise a rack and keep the bird from sticking to the pan. Pour about 1/4 of an inch of water into the bottom of the pan.
Place your bird, breast side up, in a roasting pan with a rack underneath. If you don't have a pan with a rack, use carrots or celery stalks to improvise a rack and keep the bird from sticking to the pan. Pour about 1/4 of an inch of water into the bottom of the pan.
Roast your bird, uncovered, for approximately 15 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature of the thigh meat reaches 160 degrees.
Take the bird out of the oven and tent with tinfoil for at least 30 minutes before carving. Strain the juices in the pan for gravy.
Before you go, you're invited to join our community newsletter
Receive a discount code for your first order, and then enjoy updates about our ever-changing deliciously diverse ingredients from farmers and producers.
