By Dan Olson, chef/owner, Railtown Catering We use a tenderizing brine of honey, lemon, herbs, garlic, salt and spices for maximum moisture retention and flavour. INGREDIENTS Organic Tom Turkey (15-lb) Kosher salt (4 cups, plus more to taste) Honey (1 cup) Whole black peppercorn (¼ cup) Lemons (5, halved) Bay leaves (2) Garlic (2 heads, halved and smashed) Parsley (1 bunch) Sage (1 bunch) Thyme (1 bunch) Clarified butter for brushing (¼ cup) Carrots (2, quartered) Small leek (1, halved) Small yellow onion (1, halved) Turkey stock (8 cups) Flour (1 cup) DIRECTIONS For the brine: 1. In a large stockpot, boil salt, honey, lemons, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic heads, parsley, thyme in 8 liters of water. 2. Reserve the neck bones and giblets from the turkey. Let brine cool, add the turkey, then cover and refrigerate overnight. To roast the turkey: 1. Heat the oven to 425°F. 2. Remove…
Photos by Michele Mateus Words by Alexis Baran Go to Part 1: Breakfast at Milsean After a morning spent checking out Langley along the Circle Farm Tour or perhaps following a round of golf, the stomach starts to call for lunch, and we’ve got the answer. JD Farms raises specialty turkey, and from their farm comes everything from full roast-ready turkeys to sausages, broth, ready-made entrees, salami and pepperoni (even raw pet foods for your furry family) – and of course, there’s a bistro for when you’re hungry right now. The JD Farms Bistro serves up turkey in nearly endless forms. But their most popular item is their smoked turkey legs. These have become so well-known that busses full of people from around the world have been known to make a dedicated stop, just to give the handheld specialty a try. Also popular is their hot and fresh turkey pot pies,…
By Dan Olson, chef/owner, Railtown Catering INGREDIENTS Brioche bread (2 loaves, diced into cubes) Celery (4 stalks, diced) Small yellow onion (1, diced) Garlic (4 cloves, chopped) Fresh sage (½ bunch, chopped) Fresh thyme (¼ bunch, chopped) Dried apricots (1 small handful, diced) Roasted chestnuts (1 cup, chopped) Toasted pine nuts (¼ cup) Butter (½ pound) Reserved turkey fat/drippings Turkey stock (3 cups) Whole eggs (4 , whisked together) Old bay seasoning spice (1 tbsp) Juice from one orange Salt and cracked black pepper to taste INSTRUCTIONS 1. In an oven preheated to 350°F, toast the brioche cubes into golden brown croutons with garlic oil and salt. Set aside. 2. Sauté the onion, celery, garlic, thyme, sage and seasonings together in the reserved turkey dripping and butter. 3. In a large mixing bowl, add the croutons, chestnuts, pine nuts, sautéed vegetables, orange juice, turkey stock and eggs. Season with salt…