11月底是感恩节。很懒，决定一家人窝在家里， 吃了睡睡了吃， 简简单单最好。 吃什么呢? 火锅吧。花样丰富， 却相对简单。 孩子总嚷着让烤个火鸡。要不要烤火鸡呢? 不会做， 不想做， 从来没做过， 凭以前外吃的经验， 也没什么特别。 那么大一个，不如烤鸭。

周三晚去店里买新鲜的羊肉， 看见火鸡卖得很火， 小火鸡， 最小12磅， 0。59/磅，真便宜啊， 不过是半只土鸡的价格。犹豫了一下， 就拎了一只回家。 就算跟孩子过节折腾着玩玩吧。

先把杂碎内脏脖子等通通丢掉， 看着鸡皮不顺眼， 也去掉。 这么大， 肯定吃不完啊， 把两个鸡翅切下， 可以跟猪骨头一起炖汤做火锅； 鸡胸那么厚， 也切下大半来， 绞成肉馅，正好可以留着包饺子。

按照菜谱指示， 先准备大锅泡料 Brine，没有香料 thyme 和 rosemary ， 用葱姜代替。 浸泡， 冰箱放不下， 就放到了外面阳台过夜。周四睡个大懒觉起来， 吃点早餐后，先将骨头汤炖上， 开始准备烤制。 根据菜谱，身上涂洒些黄油， 少盐和胡椒粉。 在腹内塞上香料及配菜， 没有芹菜， 省略。 没有 bay leaf 和 thyme， 还是用葱姜替代呗。 身用棉线简单束紧一下， 玻璃大盘放得正好。 烤箱预热到 325度， 放入。 隔一个小时翻个身， 淋半杯骨头鸡汤， 如此两三次， 直烤了三个小时。

最后准备个简易火鸡浇汁。 一小勺热油， 小半碗面，油炒面，加入烤盘里的汤汁， 一点火鸡的碎肉，水， 慢炖个一小时成稠汁。

之间穿插着准备火锅， 蘸料，茼蒿大白菜菠菜， 豆腐粉丝乌东面， 海鲜， 羊肉等等。烤火鸡的时候， 顺便烤些红薯。

一个忙碌碌香喷喷的下午就过去了，转眼就到了晚饭时间。 匆匆忙忙照了两张照片， 切肉， 全家坐定， 开吃。

怎么样呢? 怎么样呢? 嗯。。。 味道很足， 胸脯肉略有点柴， 其它口感都尚可， 大大超过俺的预期值。 少爷们十分喜欢。 问: 好不好? 点头， 好好。 再问: 值得这么折腾一次。 点头， 值得值得。 明年还做吗? 做， 做。

其实， 最值得的是火鸡骨架汤，因为浸泡烤制时间长， 味道深入， 加点豆腐山药， 连炖了两天， 仍然浓白， 十分美味。火鸡胸脯肉包饺子也十分细嫩。

火鸡肉吃了两天就抢没了， 或许， 明年鼓鼓劲， 聚众来顿火鸡大宴吧。

悦版家常做法：

Ingredients:

• (Source:
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/brined-and-roasted-turkey-recipe/index.html?rsrc=search)
• 1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey
• Brine, recipe follows
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into 8ths
• 1 large orange, cut into 8ths
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or turkey stock, for basting
• Turkey Broth:
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Reserved turkey neck and giblets
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 1 small bay leaf
• 3 cups turkey stock, chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• Gravy:
• 4 cups turkey broth
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Brine:
• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 oranges, quartered
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary.
• Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.

Directions:

• Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.
• Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place breast side down in a large, heavy roasting pan, and rub on all sides with the butter. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and thyme. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.
• ********************************
• For the turkey broth:
• Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
• Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.
• Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.
• Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
• *******************************
• For the pan gravy:
• Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat. Place the roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 3 cup of broth and bring to a simmer, then transfer to a measuring cup.
• In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.