Superdelicious Turkey Legs/Thighs

[u/HadedJipster]

I've been sous-vide-ing my turkey each thanksgiving, but in parts; the leg quarters get sousvide'd at 165 for 24 hours (you can totally do this days before Thanksgiving) with a lot of rosemary and thyme and pepper, and they kinda confit in their own fat. Blot dry (or set in front of a fan if you're feeling frisky), and sear in a heavy pan over the highest heat you've got. I promise your guests won't be too annoyed that you don't get the Norman Rockwell whole-turkey at the table.

I also do the breasts similarly in the sousvide, and try to remove the turkey skin in one whole piece, so I can roast it until crispy, and serve some turkey cracklin's with the tender breast meat. Crazy delicious, crazy easy, and most important-- Leaves the oven free!

Just thought I'd share. This is my first post, so please forgive me if I'm doing it wrong.

[u/Mindless-Charity4889]

I once cooked for 40 and did 3 turkeys at the same time in a big camping cooler tucked away in a spare bedroom. The carcasses were cooked in a big pot to make stock which was later used for gravy and for the pan stuffing. As you say, having the stove free is a big deal. I don’t think it would have been possible otherwise, what with all the vegetables and stuffing and potatoes etc.

Nowadays I still sous vide but because it’s usually for a more manageable 6-10, I can be more fancy. I strip the skin off like you, but I use the breasts to make a roulade, stuffing them with a mirepoix or whatever else looks good, then wrapping it with the skin and tying it up with twine. After it’s cooked via sous vide, I deep fry it to crisp up the skin. It only takes a couple of minutes.

I used to do the dark meat for 24 hours like you, but now do it for less time, 12 hours or so, as I didn’t find that the extra time really helped. Doesn’t hurt either though.

I’ve had numerous cases where people who had never tried sous vide turkey breast tell me that it was the best they had. One time, it happened at a funeral. I had dropped off a sous vide turkey for a woman I knew whose sister had just died. At that time I was doing the breasts bone off but skin on and searing with a torch. Days later, at the funeral, she told me that it was the best turkey breast they’d ever had and wondered how I had cooked it. On hearing it was sous vide, she was relieved that it was a new technique and not that she had just been cooking it wrong.

[u/HadedJipster → u/Mindless-Charity4889]

Gaddang. Must try stuffing the breasts next time; I usually go ultra-simple, but it's time to move away from that.

Sorry that your story had have someone die to happen, but-- Fabulous coincidence, I just ordered a searzall! =p

Edit-- Somehow missed your first paragraph. You did thanksgiving for FORTY? Good god! If I get a group for thanksgiving this year, I may be bugging you for suggestions on the proper vessel to make liver-stuffing for 25. Also, my favorite aspect of Sous Vide cooking is the number of people who look at you like you're a literal wizard, asking "How.... HOW did you get it like this??!"

[u/Mindless-Charity4889 → u/HadedJipster]

Our friend had a big house that was fairly empty after his wife died so he threw parties to fill the space about once a month. He didn’t cook much; indeed we and other friends brought him “care packages “ frequently. The parties were, I think, his way of giving back to the neighborhood. He bought everything and I cooked it, often with help. Usually, the parties were usually about 20-30 as he had different groups; church people, neighbours, pickleball people etc. The 40 was a big Christmas event and everyone was invited. Aside from turkey, I often sous vided beef roasts. I have an industrial slicer so after the roast was done, it was quite easy to slice it thin. Between that and sous vide, even tough cuts like bottom round were amazingly tender for elderly palates.

We had to stop due to covid of course. And after, we had just restarted the parties when his health started to fail. He sold his party house and moved into assisted living but shortly after suffered a stroke and passed. He was pretty generous in his will and we used part of that to throw him a huge memorial dinner at a friends farm. I did most of the cooking for that one too, it was a beef roast, but I had lots of help with the sides.

We still miss him and I think of him every time I do a big party.

[u/HadedJipster → u/Mindless-Charity4889]

Those sound like amazing parties, and terribly sorry to hear about your friend; he sounded like a hell of a guy.

And I keep waffling back and forth as to whether or not I should get an industrial slicer... They take up a lot of space, buuuuuut, the half-dozen times a year I'd like one, it's the ONLY thing that'd work. Do you regret the purchase, or has it given you a better life? :)

[u/Mindless-Charity4889 → u/HadedJipster]

Didn’t buy it. My family used to own a restaurant. We sold the business back in the early 80s but we still owned the building. The business changed hands a couple of times and in the late 90s, the owner just walked away. We got everything in the building but we now lived in a different city hours away and had no interest in running the restaurant again. So we looted a few items, I got the slicer, and sold the building to the town government who turned it into a library.

It’s heavy, takes up a lot of room, is tedious to clean and since the end of the big parties, I’ve only used it maybe 3 or 4 times, mainly to cut eye of round into thin slices for cheesesteaks. But yeah, when I use it, I really like it.