Turkey Day Redux

Today being the last day of Thanksgiving break, I thought I'd finish up the holiday cooking by roasting the turkey I didn't get to last Thursday. I decided to try a couple new recipes that really looked great. I used the cajun injector on the turkey. Half was done with the cajun butter, the other half with garlic & herb. I rubbed the bird down with salt, stuffed butter underneath the skin, and covered the skin with cajun spice.

I don't usually stuff my turkeys, but this year I made an exception. I went with a recipe for jalapeno andouille cornbread stuffing. The stuff was so good, I saved some of the andouille, veggies, and spice and threw it into an omelet. Insane flavor. I became an instant fan.

I've included the recipes below for anyone who's interested. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves turkey that really lights up your taste buds.

Cajun-Injected Spicy Turkey
Ingredients
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon concentrated liquid crab and shrimp boil (recommended: Zatarian's)
1/4 cup apple cider
3/4 cup honey
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1/2 cup Creole seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup finely minced garlic
1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey, rinsed well inside and out, patted dry
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 cups chicken broth, as needed for bottom of roasting pan

Directions
Make the marinade by combining the Worcestershire sauce, crab boil, apple cider, honey, beer, salt, allspice, Creole seasoning, cayenne, olive oil, and minced garlic in a blender and process until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Fill a large syringe* and inject turkey in the breast and thigh area, as well as the back, wings, and legs, with at least 2/3 of the marinade. You will have to fill the syringe numerous times.

Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F and line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil.

Season the injected turkey well both inside and out with the kosher salt and black pepper. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan lined with aluminum foil and pour the remaining marinade all over the turkey. Bake the turkey uncovered for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the roasting pan, and continue to bake the turkey until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part between the thigh and the leg registers 165 degrees F. (If the turkey begins to brown too much, tent loosely with aluminum foil until it is done. Also, add more broth as necessary to keep the bottom of the roasting pan from burning.)

When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and set aside to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

* Large syringes designed especially for injecting turkeys may be purchased at many grocery stores in the spice / marinade / seasoning sections; many folks inject turkeys before frying them.

Andouille Corn Bread Stuffing
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onions
4 ounces (1/2 cup) chopped andouille sausage
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped green bell peppers
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Emeril's Creole Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 turns freshly ground black pepper
1 cup coarsely crumbled Jalapeno Corn Muffins
1/2 cup Basic Chicken Stock
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onions and andouille and sautÈ for 1 minute. Add the green onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Stir in the Creole Seasoning, salt, pepper, corn muffins, and stock and cook, stirring and shaking the skillet, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Use immediately.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups