Executive Chef Steve Chiappetti
The Albert Chicago, at 228 E. Ontario St.; thealbertchicago.com
“This recipe is a great way to give your turkey amazing Italian flair, yielding a main dish that is both juicy and easy to prepare. It is designed so that if you wish, you can get the majority of the work done one or even few days ahead so you can just quickly re-roast the turkey and serve on Thanksgiving Day.
“My mother, who was from Alsace, France, was in love with fresh herbs and she used them in every recipe. When she roasted a turkey, she told me that both flavor and a juicy center were key. Her approach inspired me to come up with the idea of doing an olive oil-poached turkey breast and thighs for Thanksgiving. It celebrates my mom’s passion for freshness, but captures my Calabrian dad’s Italian heritage. The result is an unforgettable star of the table that is both easy to make and jam-packed with flavor.” — Chef Steve Chiappetti
Olive Oil-Poached Turkey
Serves: 6-8
INGREDIENTS:
- Whole 16-pound turkey (or buy it broken into breast airline and leg and thigh)
- ½ cup roughly chopped garlic cloves
- 4 ounces, or about 12 to 15 leaves fresh sage
- 3 hearty sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ cup Kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp ground pepper (for sprinkling all over the pieces)
- ½ gallon olive oil (or enough to cover the turkey breast and leg and thigh); do not use extra virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
Dry salt cure: Remove the turkey breast from the bone and then remove the leg and thigh from the carcass. Place the pieces onto a sheet pan and dust with kosher salt, pepper, herbs and garlic. Let sit overnight in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap.
Cooking the turkey: This is a process of letting turkey slowly cook in the olive oil.
1. Take the turkey breast and place in one baking dish.
2. Place the leg and thigh into another baking dish.
3. Cover the turkey entirely with olive oil.
4. You will place both dishes into the same pre-heated oven at 300 degrees.
4. Cook until the breast hits 165 degrees (use an instant-read meat thermometer) and then remove and let sit.
5. Cook the leg and thigh till they hit 180 degrees (use an instant read meat thermometer) and then remove and let sit.
6. If you are serving your turkey that same day: You can immediately place all the pieces back into a 450-degree oven until they brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Alternatively, you can refrigerate and finish roasting the next day (or even a few days later):
1. If you go this route, keep all the turkey pieces resting in the olive oil, covered and refrigerated, until you are ready for the day of your Thanksgiving feast.
2. On the big day, remove the pieces from the oil and roast at 450 degrees until golden brown and until all the pieces are at a 165-degree internal temperature (this will be about 30-45 minutes; use instant-read meat thermometer). The outcome? Turkey pieces that are golden brown on the outside, and tender and juicy on the inside.
Serve and enjoy!
Chef’s tip: If desired, you can place the turkey pieces on top of your stuffing or vegetables, allowing the flavors to penetrate those side dishes, too!
