The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 112

H16 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1998 LOS ANGELES TIMES Classic Birds mm A i i Kafka-esque Bird Ifr Over the years we have accumulated countless turkey recipes. Some of them we like to make again and again. This year we've chosen six favorites, the four given below and two that will run in Sunday's special food section. Some show off cooking methods that are different from the standard roast; others are just great-tasting birds. If you feel like going beyond the basic turkey in our Thanksgiving Survival Guide, be daring and choose one of these classics.

They're all good eating. Turkey Express ii -A 3 Yucatan Turkey Pibil, a spice-coated, banana The Salt Solution Staff writer Russ Parsons worked out the brining solution for this turkey in 1996 after talking to several chefs and cooks and experimenting with different proportions of salt and water. Brining the soaking of meat or poultry in a liquid solution, most Roast Brined Turkey Total Preparation Time: 2 hours 35 minutes, plus 12 minutes. 23 cup salt 1 gallon water 1 (16-pound) turkey Combine salt and water and stir until salt dissolves to make brine. Pour brine over turkey in pot just large enough to hold both.

If turkey is completely covered, don't worry about using all of brine. Cover with foil and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight, turning 2 or 3 times to make sure turkey is totally submerged. Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Refrigerate, unwrapped, 6 hours or overnight. Garlic Haze Another of the reader-submitted recipes from 1995 is this turkey that gets its flavor from roasted garlic and Maui onions.

Think of the famous French dish of chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, then make it turkey-sized. Jan Ricca of Los Angeles came up with the recipe when she was having friends to dinner and decided to defrost a turkey she had in the freezer. It jf St iff jt I i lit vv I -JaafA "5 Roast Turkey With Garlic, Maui Onions and Lemons Total Preparation Time: 4 hours 25 minutes Active Work Time: 20 minutes Cookbook author Barbara Kafka's method for roasting turkey is considered radical by some and gospel by others. She preaches fire and brimstone. Specifically, she turns her oven into an inferno, cooking her bird for a short time at 500 degrees.

Ovens in professional kitchens are typically set at 500, she reasons, and chets turn out pretty good tood. We tested the hot, hot, hot roasting method and found that a couple of modifications of her recipe were necessary; once those were made, we had a very nice, moist turkey that cooked in less than an hour. The first set of changes had to do with the size of our oven. Kafka's must be a monster. She says to put the bird into the oven legs first.

Our wall-mounted ovens are not deep enough to do this. She also says to put the rack on the second level from the bottom. When we did this, the top of the turkey was so close to the top of the oven that the skin burned. So we improvised. First, we tried making our perennial "Ultimate Turkey" recipe which calls for putting a layer of stuffing between the skin and the breast but baking it at 500 degrees.

The meat stayed moist, but the stuffing turned into a rock-hard mass, resembling a football shoulder pad. Good meat, but really bad appearance and inedible stuffing. Next we tried putting an herb butter under the skin, and a pound of sliced bacon over the top. The bacon burned and stuck to the skin. The turkey tasted great, but with the tattered skin it looked a little scruffy.

With the temperature this high, we discovered that nothing should go under the skin you need the skin intact to protect the meat. Still, we liked the smoky flavor from the bacon. Finally we came up with the perfect combination of our own ideas and the Kafka method. Here it is: Use a shallow roasting pan, about 2 inches deep. Ours is 6 inches deep, so we used the top of the roaster, and it worked fine.

To cook at 500 degrees, be sure the bird is thoroughly thawed and at room temperature before putting it into the oven. Also, wash the turkey inside and out, and dry the skin with a clean towel. Cut off the last joint of the wing or it will burn. Fill the cavity of the turkey with herbs such as rosemary, sage, garlic, thyme and chives. Cover the top of the turkey with bacon, layering the strips over the breast and legs.

Cover the tips of the drumsticks with aluminum foil. Roast at 500 degrees on the bottom rack of the oven. Remove the bacon from the top of the turkey after 25 minutes and put the bacon into the drippings and the cavity. At this time, generously baste the turkey with melted butter. Put the turkey back in the oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 in the thickest part of the thigh.

Be sure the thermometer is not touching bone when you take the temperature. Our turkey weighed about 12 pounds and took 50 minutes total. A larger bird will take longer, but we do not recommend this recipe for a turkey larger than 15 pounds. Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before carving. ANDYBRODER WHS iSt- 1 MANll ICiPTllBCD'C milDOM CYPIDCC SAVE50t OFF ANY VARIETY OF Mrs Smith's Pies TO THE GROCER: MRS.

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Smith's Bakeries, Inc. 11. The Times Test Kitchen developed this Ultimate Turkey recipe in 1992. We were tired of eating dried-out turkey every Thanksgiving and found that this method, in which the stuffing is placed under the skin instead of inside the cavity, protected the breast meat during cooking and added Ultimate Turkey Total Preparation Time: 2 hours 30 minutes Active 1 (12- to 13-pound) turkey Salt, pepper 4 cups stuffing, about 1 stalk celery, cut Into thirds 1 carrot, cut Into thirds 1 small onion Melted butter Thaw turkey thoroughly. Even fresh turkeys normally have icy sections and must be thawed.

Rinse turkey inside and out. Pat dry. Season whole bird to taste inside and out with salt and pepper. Run fingers carefully between skin and flesh of turkey, loosening skin. Working slowly, push stuffing in thin layer under The Banana Wrap In the turkey is as common as chicken, and one of the most delicious ways of cooking it there is in a backyard pib or pit, smeared with seasoning paste and wrapped in banana leaves.

This version, submitted by cookbook author Nancy Zaslavsky, who lives in Venice, does not require a pit; an oven will do just fine. Zaslavsky adapted the recipe from one made Yucatan Turkey Pibil Total Preparation Time: 3 hours 15 minutes Active 1 cup achiote paste 1 tablespoon salt 12 cup lime Juice (about 6 limes) 12 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons oil 1 (10-pound) turkey, giblets removed, thawed if frozen 2 large or 3 small banana leaves, center ribs torn away Salt, pepper 3 large white onions, sliced 4 large tomatoes, sliced 3 sprigs fresh epazote or 6 sprigs cllantro 1 fresh habanero chile or 6 serrano chiles Combine achiote paste, salt, lime juice, orange juice and oil in small bowl. Spread mixture over entire turkey. Line Dutch oven or roasting pan with banana leaves LAHDQ 3t LAHDQ vm I "www i SI. MAUI ICAOTI inCQ'C PAL 1DHNI CVDIOPC 1Q1QQ SAVE304 ON ANY ONE PACKAGE OF Land Lakes DUtier ix Consumer: Limit one coupon per purchase as specified on tne tace of this coupon.

No other coupon may be used in conjunction with this coupon. Retailer: You as our authorized agent will be reimbursed for the face value plus 8 cents handling, in accordance with our redemption policy (copy available upon request). Coupon void if transferred, assigned, copied or where value 1100 cent, Good only in U.S.A. Mail coupons to: Land O'Lakes, Inc. PO.

Box 870091, El Paso, TX 88587-0091. 1998 Land O'Lakes, Inc. rJ r. 1 li Ta SSI flavor to the meat (especially if you use a flavorful sausage stuffing). We were happy to discover that the method also reduced the time needed to roast the bird.

This method works best with smaller to average-sized turkeys, 10- to 14-pounders. Also, don't truss the bird or tuck under the wings. Work Time: 15 minutes skin on breast and thighs. (Excess stuffing can be baked in lightly greased casserole until heated through, 45 minutes to 1 hour.) Put celery, carrot and onion into body cavity of turkey. Put turkey in large roasting pan, breast-side up.

Do not truss bird and do not tuck wings under bird. Brush turkey with melted butter. Roast at 350 degrees until turkey registers 165 degrees when thermometer is placed deep into both breast and thigh, nearest bone, 7 to 10 minutes per pound. Remove from oven. Let stand 20 minutes before carving.

12 to 13 servings. Each of 12 servings: 416 calories; 223 mg sodium; 189 mg cholesterol; 21 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 52 grams protein; 0.13 gram fiber. by her friend Rosario Chavez, who is originally from Espita, Yucatan. We love the red tinge of the bird from the achiote paste and the tender meat that results from the banana-leaf wrap. Banana leaves, the herb epazote and achiote paste (made of annat-to seeds and often sold in small blocks) are available in most Southern California Latino markets.

Work Time: 15 minutes (leaves can hang over side), reserving enough to cover top. Place turkey, breast-side up, over leaves. Spread sliced onions and tomatoes over top of turkey. Scatter epazote over top. Nestle chile on top of turkey.

Cover turkey with more banana leaves, tucking them in to seal. Cover pan tightly with lid or foil. Roast at 325 degrees, basting often, until nicely browned and thermometer inserted into deepest part of thigh reads 175 degrees, about 15 minutes per pound. Remove turkey from oven and let rest, uncovered, 15 to 30 minutes. Remove and discard banana leaves and chiles.

Place turkey on platter. Puree cooked onions and tomatoes with hand blender in cooking juices to thicken sauce. 10 servings. Each serving: 521 calories; 913 mg sodium; 171 mg cholesterol; 28 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 56 grams protein; 0.86 gram fiber. LAKES LAKES vt mwmmm fr m.

gUI MM Hfc i SAVE55t ON ANY TWO PACKAGES OF 1 a FT JBHSSSSSS Lake to Lake tLr Consumer: Limit one coupon per purchase as specified on the face of this coupon. No other coupon may be usea in conjunction wnn this coupon. Retailer: You as our authorized agent will be reimbursed tor the face value plus 8 cents handling, in accordance with our redemption policy (copy available upon request) Coupon void if transferred, assigned, copied or where value 1100 cent. Good only in U.S.A. Mail coupons to: Land O'Lakes, Inc.

P.O. Box 870091 El Paso, TX 88587-0091 1998 Land O'Lakes, Inc. 704464 biwmi i i' 1 (14- to 15-pound) turkey Salt, pepper 5 to 6 Maui onions, cut In large chunks 6 heads garlic, separated Into cloves but not peeled 2 large bunches fresh rosemary 5 to 6 lemons, cut In half 14 cup butter, softened 14 cup olive oil Wash turkey well, then pat dry and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Put 4 onions, 5 heads garlic, 1 12 bunches rosemary and 4 lemons and salt and pepper to taste into body cavity. LAWRENCE K.

HO Los Angeles Times wrapped, orange- and lime-infused bird. often salt and cold water has long been used for smoking and more recently for roasting meat. Brining proponents say the technique leads to increased juiciness and improved tenderness. The technique requires no special equipment. hours soaking and drying Active Work Time: 15 Pat turkey with paper towel so it's free of moisture, then place on its side on rack in shallow roasting pan.

Roast at 450 degrees 15 minutes. Turn turkey to other side and roast another 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and roast until meat thermometer inserted in center of thickest part of thigh registers 165 degrees, about 2 hours. Remove from oven and set aside 20 minutes before carving. 10 to 12 servings.

Each of 12 servings: 394 calories; 792 mg sodium; 236 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 65 grams protein; 0 fiber. wasn't Thanksgiving and she didn't feel like making the usual sort of turkey anyway. Instead, she gave her big bird the chicken treatment. As Ricca told us (and as we found out ourselves in The Times Test Kitchen), "The results were fabulous. The skin was nice and dark and was eaten before the bird even made it to the table." Place turkey in roasting pan, truss legs and surround with remaining onions, garlic, rosemary and lemons.

Rub turkey with butter and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables in pan and season with salt and pepper. Roast turkey at 325 degrees, basting often until nicely browned and thermometer inserted into deepest part of thigh reads 165 degrees, about 15 minutes per pound. 14 to 16 servings. Each of 14 servings: 514 calories; 243 mg sodium; 202 mg.

cholesterol; 28 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 56 grams protein. A maui icArn iqpq'Q rntipnw pvpidfc 100100 ii SAVE50t On 46oz 64oz All Natural CONSUMER: Limtt one coupon per purchase. Coupon is not transferable. RETAILER: Hansen's will reimburse you for the tace value plus 8c handling. Proof of purchase of sufficient product may be required.

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