Thanksgiving Turkey Tactics
01.01.70
The Thanksgiving countdown has begun. Time to tackle the turkey.
It’s a task many avoid, since the thought of preparing a whole turkey seems to be an unattainable culinary feat. However, cooking turkey isn’t difficult, it just takes a little planning. Begin by deciding on the cooking style: traditionally roasted, brined or fried. For those looking to save time, consider fried turkey. Frying takes about 60–90 minutes as compared to the hours it takes to roast a stuffed whole turkey.
If you’ve never deep-fried a turkey, here are the basic rules. Follow the operation directions on the fryer/cooker and check with your local fire department for safety tips. While electric turkey fryers are available and are safer, most gobblers are still fried in propane-fueled cookers.
When using propane cookers, it’s vital to always fry outside away from all buildings, large trees and shrubs, since boil-overs are extremely dangerous.
Countless house fires happen each year because people place turkey fryers too close to the house.
Source: Patch.com
Recipes: Brenda Costigan on cooking the perfect steak
01.01.70
Screaming hot is the perfect description for the required temperature of the pan when frying steaks. Barra Hurley, head chef in Shanahan's on the Green in Dublin, a restaurant famous for its steaks, told me that the restaurant has a special gas broiler which cooks the steaks, top and bottom at the same time, at a temperature of 1,600 F!
At home he fries the steak rather than grilling it, using a very heavy, cast-iron pan that holds the heat. The aim is to seal the outside of the steak on either side as quickly as possible. Naturally, the steak should be at room temperature, not cold from the fridge. In the restaurant they use a dry rub which includes onion, garlic, oregano, marjoram, salt, freshly ground black pepper and some cayenne. This is rubbed into the surface of the raw steak before it is fried. Once cooked, the steaks are allowed to rest for 5-6 minutes before being served. Barra says an accompaniment of caramelised onions is much favoured by clients. He loves to add a knob of butter and a dash of sherry to the onions before serving.
Source: Irish Independent