Help from our Chefs

Help from our Chefs
During the holidays, we know
In this section:
many of you are getting to work
• Turkey carving and roasting techniques
in your kitchen. That’s why we
put together this special section.
• Answers to your questions—from our chefs
• Our “Chefs Unplugged” feature menu
• Mushroom basics
Our goal here is to bring together
a variety of info to help you
Visit wegmans.com to learn more
be successful—from roasting and
Making a roast or serving ham this season?
We’ll show you how to get perfect results—
with step-by-step videos to help you along the
way. It’s all here to help you make great
meals easy!
carving basics to more challenging
recipes for food enthusiasts.
Help from our chefs 101
How to Roast Turkey
Choose our Food You Feel Good About Free Range Grand Champion Turkey or Wegmans
Premium Holiday Turkey, and just follow the directions below. Directions for roasting other turkeys
are on the package labels or at wegmans.com.
For our Thanksgiving feast recipe
using the Wegmans Honey-Brined
Turkey Breasts, turn to page 18.
Food You Feel Good About
Free Range Grand Champion
Turkey or Wegmans Premium
Holiday Turkey
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
1.Release turkey legs from clamp;
remove neck and giblets from
body and neck cavities.
2. Rinse turkey inside and out;
drain well. Pat dry. Season cavity
with spices (salt, pepper, etc).
Re-clamp legs.
Turkey Weight
8-12 lbs
12-16 lbs
16-20 lbs
20-24 lbs
24-28 lbs
3. Place turkey, breast-side up,
on rack in shallow roasting pan.
Tuck wings under turkey’s back.
Cooking time
21/2 to 33/4 hours
33/4 to 5 hours
5 to 6 hours
6 to 71/4 hours
71/4 to 81/2 hours
Allow an extra 20 minutes “resting time”
before carving for better slicing.
If you choose a frozen turkey, here
are three common (and safe) ways
to thaw it:
• Cold Water—Thaw 30 minutes/pound
of turkey. Completely submerge
wrapped turkey, breast side down, in
a large container filled with cold water.
Replace water every 30 minutes. Wash
container thoroughly with hot, soapy
water after thawing.
• Cooler Method—Thaw approximately
1 hour/pound of turkey. Place
wrapped turkey in a large cooler.
Close cover during thawing time. Wash
cooler thoroughly with hot, soapy
water after thawing.
• Refrigerator—Thaw 24 hours for every
5 pounds of turkey. Keep refrigerated
after thawing.
4. Cover loosely with “tent” of
aluminum foil to reduce basting
and prevent excess browning.
Oven temperatures may vary. Use a
thermometer to ensure that turkey is fully
cooked to 165 degrees. Insert thermometer
into thickest part of the inner thigh, at
junction where the leg connects to the body
of the bird (but not touching the bone).
Increase cooking time by 15-20 minutes
if cooking turkey stuffed. Be sure stuffing
temp also reaches 165 degrees.
Frozen Turkey Thawing Tips
5. Roast (consult chart for times)
until turkey internal temp is
165 degrees. We recommend using
a digital thermometer for best
results even though turkeys come
with pop-up timer.
6. About 45 min before end of
suggested roasting time, remove
foil tent, baste with drippings.
Roast until done. Stuffed turkeys:
Increase cook time by 15-20 min;
stuffing must reach 165 degrees, too.
Wegmans 18/10 StainlessSteel Roasters
Available in small and large sizes.
Tri-ply base for even heat distribution.
Can be used on the stovetop. Oversized
handles to accommodate oven mitts.
Large open roaster is oversized to fit up
to a 30 lb. turkey. Small roaster is ideal
for small roasts or “mile-high” lasagna.
Watch our easy roasting technique videos at wegmans.com
102 Help from our chefs
How to Carve Turkey
Carving a whole turkey is easy—just follow our four-step technique.
If you’re serving our honey-brined turkey breast (recipe on page 18), refer to step 4.
1Mise en place
Set up carving station in kitchen (not at
the table) to keep the mess contained.
Place a damp kitchen towel under your
clean, sturdy carving board to help keep it
from sliding around.
Make sure your knife is very sharp and
long enough to slice across the full width
of the meat to be carved.
Have ready a long-pronged fork to steady
meat as you carve, and a clean platter to
receive slices.
3Segment
2Rest
Breast meat: Steady bird with long,
2-pronged fork. Make 2 long cuts on either
side of breastbone; let knife follow curve
of ribcage. Separate meat from bones. Use
fluid motions, let knife do the work.
Transfer turkey
to clean cutting
board, breast side
closest to you.
Drumsticks and wings: Release drumsticks
from restraints. Making long smooth
cuts, slide knife along close to the bone,
following ribcage and wishbone curves.
Let rest 20 min.
Angle knife down along wishbone sides,
cutting through cartilage to separate wings
and legs from body.
Equipment
• Clean, sturdy carving board
• Very sharp knife long enough to slice
across full width of meat to be carved
• Two-pronged carving fork
• Kitchen towel
• Serving platter
Separate drumstick from thigh: You’ll see
a natural “seam.” Make a straight cut,
parallel to the drumstick bone.
4Slice & serve
Transfer thighs to platter, work knife along
bone to separate meat.
Slice breast meat:
Place skin side up, lengthwise. Starting at
widest part of segment, slice, holding knife
at slight angle and securing meat with fork
as you slice. Slide knife blade along the
fork’s tines for even slices.
Watch our easy carving technique videos at wegmans.com
Help from our chefs 103
Ask a chef
Have a culinary question? Let our chefs help! This season’s answers come from Executive Chefs Fred Torrell
(Wegmans Sheridan Drive, Buffalo, NY), John Steinhoff (Wegmans Meal Development Team), and
Mark Makovec (Wegmans Cooking School, Pittsford, NY).
Best fondue cheeses
With all the great cheeses in your Cheese
Shop, how do I choose the correct ones for a
fondue? Is there a cheddar that would work?
CS, Jamestown, NY
Chef Fred:
Traditionally,
I have used
Shredded
Gruyere (or
Jarlsberg) and
Emmentaler
cheeses. A great
cheddar to also
incorporate is
Chef Fred Torrell
Adams Reserve
New York Cheddar. The key is not to add
either too dry or too oily of a cheese because
it will affect its smooth consistency. Visit
wegmans.com for our Gruyere fondue recipe,
and just omit 1/2 cup each of the Gruyere and
Emmentaler cheeses and add in one cup of
the Adams Reserve Cheddar. Enjoy!
Long-stem artichokes
You have beautiful long-stem artichokes.
How do you cook them? What to do with
those stems? They must be good to eat or
why would you sell them that way?
KC, Boonsboro, MD
Chef Fred:
You’re right. The stem is an extension of the
prized artichoke “heart,” so it is edible, but
first wash the artichoke with cold water. Then
cut to your desired length, depending on how
you’re preparing it—usually between one and
two inches below the stem. Next, cut off the
top 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the “choke” and discard.
Trim off those thorny petals with scissors.
Rub a light coating of lemon juice on the cut
surface to help prevent oxidation. You can
do everything from boiling to steaming and
grilling (visit wegmans.com). You can cook
them the night before and microwave to heat
through. Long-stemmed artichokes also add
a unique element in floral arrangements for
your dinner table.
Secrets to great mushrooms
Could you clarify the proper way to
clean mushrooms?
AE, Coppersburg, PA
See our mushroom overview on page 110.
104 Help from our chefs
Truffle oil tips
Can Wegmans Truffle Extra Virgin Olive Oil
be used for frying and cooking? Also, I’d
like to try a real truffle even though they are
expensive. Any advice?
FK, Buffalo, NY
Turkey brining
I would like to brine a turkey because I’ve
heard brined turkey produces wonderfully
moist, flavorful meat. Got a brine recipe
and instructions?
VM, Plainsboro, NJ
Chef John:
I would not recommend using the truffle
oil to cook with because it’s specifically
designed to use as a finishing oil. High heat
could bring out an unwelcome bitter flavor
rather than enhancing its cherished earthy
aromatics. Simply drizzle it on cooked food
and enjoy the incredible aromatic flavors.
Real truffles are amazing! The key to
successful use is: Less is more. A truffle slicer
produces shavings that go nicely over simple
fresh made pasta with butter and ParmigianoReggiano cheese; or try stuffing those
slices under the skin of a beautiful Food You
Feel Good About chicken and roasting it to
perfection. Figuring cost/serving, the price
becomes a bit more reasonable.
Here are two easy options: Check out our
Honey-Brined Turkey Breast recipe on page 18.
You’ll love the results! Or visit wegmans.com
for our whole Honey-Brined Turkey recipe.
Butter: Finishing, drawn, brown, and clarified
What is finishing butter? How does it differ
from regular butter or Oleo?
SS, Horseheads, NY
Chef John:
Finishing butter
is the Wegmans
name for our
flavored
butters, so
called because
we recommend
you “finish” a
dish with them.
Chef John Steinhoff
Drawn butter: Butter is melted and skimmed;
the butter fat is poured (drawn) off; the milk
solids settle to the bottom.
Clarified butter: Drawn butter is continued
to be cooked, rendering (evaporating) any
additional waters or impurities out of the
butter so you are left with the purest of
butter fat (careful not to cook too long or too
fast, turning it into brown/burnt butter).
Brown butter: Whole butter carefully
melted at a higher heat, then the milk
solids are toasted in the butter, producing
a hazelnut flavor.
From our Cooking School in Pittsford, NY:
I always find
it difficult to
manage the
timing of my
sides and my
protein to be
done at the
same time
during the
holidays. Help!
Chef Mark Makovec
Chef Mark:
No need to panic. We’ve designed the menus
to keep most oven temps at 350 so sides can
be done at the same time as, say, a turkey.
Most sides can be done up to a day ahead.
Just remember to chill them quickly and
bring them to 165 degrees on your reheat for
food safety. Blanched veggies can be done
ahead, too, shocked, and kept chilled. Some
strategic planning allows for a successful and
well executed meal.
Write to win:
If we use your letter, we’ll send you a
$25 Wegmans Gift Card. We’ll also
randomly select one writer to receive
a Wegmans Small Open Roaster (value
$59.99). Send your culinary questions,
with your name and address, to:
Ask A Chef, Wegmans Menu Magazine
1500 Brooks Ave., PO Box 30844
Rochester, NY 14603-0844
ATTN: Editor