The tradition of roasting a turkey for Christmas has been quite popular in the western world. This age-old tradition is mentioned in classic novels like Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol and several other movies. However, making roasted turkey isn't all that simple. It requires some culinary knowledge and patience; otherwise, one might end up with a disaster like Mr Bean!
To help you cook the big bird with precision, My Kolkata knocked the doors of Kolkata’s expert cold cut connoisseur, Prithvish Chakravarti of Calcutta Deli. After his detailed guide for the lost recipe of Salt Beef last year, here's the man himself taking us through buying and roasting a whole turkey.
Sourcing the right turkey
The first step is to buy the right turkey of the correct weight and from a reliable place. Chakravarti says, “I buy turkey from Haringhata Meat. They are also available in Hogg Market, but are exorbitantly priced around this time, and in Spencer’s.”
Here are some tips for buying the right bird:
- Always buy female turkeys as male turkeys have a bad odour of urine that is difficult to get rid of
- The size of the turkey should fit your oven or the pot if you are planning to pot roast
- Always buy a dressed turkey to save time and effort
Turkey shops in New Market
Plucking and prepping
According to Chakravarti, brining the turkey helps in making the meat tender. “For brining, add salt to boiled and cooled water till it tastes as salty as seawater. We've all tasted the sea (laughs). If you've brined it, marinating for a couple of hours is okay.”
Important points while preparing the turkey:
- Clean the bird and remove the giblets
- Wash thoroughly under running water
- Brine for at least 10-12 hours
- You can stuff the inside with veggies, fruits, eggs and other goodies of your choice and sew the end
“I put in seasonal citrus fruits like oranges or batabi lebu (pomelo). I also add celery, onions and pork sausages,” said the foodie.
Mastering the roast
While turkey can be pot-roasted, Chakravarti says, “It is difficult to get a crispy skin in a pot roast. I always roast it in the oven for 4-5 hours.”
Additionally, things to keep in mind while roasting a turkey are:
- It takes 4-5 hours typically for the turkey to roast. Prick the skin; if the juice runs clear, it is ready
- If the turkey doesn't fit in the oven, you can break it or spatchcock it and use a rimmed baking sheet
- To retain the moisture of the meat, put chicken or beef stock in the pan for the first couple of hours
- Baste it with bacon lard and the juice that comes out during roasting alternatively. This, too, helps to retain the moisture while making the skin crisp
- Only roasting juice or butter can be used too
Memories and recipes
The late chef Francis Thomas with a turkey roast
“Turkey roasts always bring back memories of the late chef Francis Thomas. He would take a lot of pride in his work and he is mostly responsible for making Calcutta Stories what it is now. He was grumpy when he joined me, but we became the best of friends later on. He passed away in March 2020,” Chakravarti shared, showing a picture of chef Francis with a giant turkey roast.
When asked if he will be making turkey roasts for his regular customers, the owner of Calcutta Stories Cafe and Deli said, “I prefer doing duck. But yes, given a few days’ advance notice, I do turkey. I'm not fond of it. It's lost its charm because it is expensive for a family. The idea of cooking a large bird at a go was to feed a large family. Families have become nucleated. So families prefer ducks. Duck meat is tastier by far.”
Prithvish Chakravarti
However, for anyone wishing to try making a roast turkey home this Christmas, here's a recipe to follow.
Ingredients:
- Whole dressed turkey
- Garlic powder: 2-3 tbsp
- Pepper powder: 2 tbsp
- Salt: For brine
- Honey mustard sauce: 3-4 tbsp
- Kashmiri red chilli powder: 2 tbsp
- Stuffings of your choice
- Bacon lard or butter
Method:
- Thaw the turkey if frozen, remove the giblets and wash under running water
- Pat it dry with a paper towel
- Now brine the turkey well for 10-12 hours
- Drain out the brine and marinate with garlic powder and pepper powder
- Lift the skin gently from the side of tummy and using your fingers, make a cavity between the skin and meat
- In between, rub the butter or bacon lard. This is called basting. Be careful, don't tear the skin apart
- Stuff the cavity with your choice of vegetables, fruits or meat
- Sew the cavity and legs together with a strong cotton thread
- Preheat the oven to 345F and put in the turkey
- In about an hour, baste it alternatively with the lard or butter and the roasting liquid
- After 4 hours, when the skin is crispy, prick it. If the juice runs clear, it is ready
- Glaze it with honey mustard sauce and some Kashmiri chilli powder for colour
- Let it rest in the oven for some time
- Serve with bread of your choice