Turkey Dinner Tuesday, Not Really Easter

Happy Easter and Passover to those who celebrate!

My family and I don't really celebrate either one, but for the sake of freeing up some freezer space in the chest freezer, we decided that I'd make a turkey dinner. The bird had been sitting frozen since Thanksgiving! I reluctantly agreed, 'cause no one else would and it was delicious.

This was my 11 some-odd pound bird. I roasted it at 450F on convection, then at 425F and it was the most ridiculously juicy turkey. I also injected it with two cups of chicken stock, so if the dammed thing came out dry, it would have been a mystery. I left the bird un-stuffed and simply put half an onion, herbs, salt and pepper in it. Right before roasting, it got a generous slathering of oil, a liberal rubdown with sea salt and a tiny bit of black pepper.

Last minute dinner menus mean we don't always have the ingredients we want. No fresh cranberries for sauce? No problem. Apple & wild blueberry compote! Fresh apple, peeled, chopped. Add water and sugar, simmer until soft then mash. Add frozen blueberries, a pinch of salt, a touch of lemon juice and if needed thicken with starch slurry.

I sliced my thumb prepping salad. Womp, womp.
Dismantling a turkey while your throbbing, bleeding thumb is wrapped up in gauze, tape and a circulation strangling finger condom, plus a latex glove is hard. It also kind of hurts and the bird is hot. Food safety, #1! I managed. Sure it's kind of ugly and the skin is all over the place, but mehhhhhhhhhhh. (I'm talking about the turkey here, but yeah, my thumb was pretty ugly too and uh, the skin was not where it was supposed to be.)
Bon Appetite!!

Sides included...

Simple mirepoix dressing, made with cubed Wonderbread, sauteed veggies and herbs from a jar, plus canned chicken stock, a few eggs and seasonings. I covered everything in foil, 'cause it's Tuesday night and no one wants to scrub dishes.

Scalloped potatoes, made with simple whole milk béchamel sauce, garlic and sliced potatoes. The mandolin slicer was great for this; made it too easy. This was before the gutting of thy thumb. This got baked in the oven with the turkey during the last hour.

There was salad on the side and that was that. Leftovers for a couples days, maybe a turkey pot pie, some turkey salad, turkey sandwiches and a soup made out of the bones. Not bad for a $25 meal for 4.