Purdue chef knows how to talk turkey
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University chef Grace Brutsman says a few simple steps will shave hours from your Thanksgiving meal preparation time and make the inevitable leftovers much more attractive.
Brutsman says most people buy too big of a bird – a big time killer because each extra pound of meat means more time in the oven.
"No matter what size bird you get, dismember it before you stick it in the oven," Brutsman says. "The flesh will be more exposed to the heat and cook twice as fast."
Even if you don't tear your turkey apart in advance, Brutsman recommends not putting the stuffing inside the turkey. Instead, cook it separately in its own pan.
"It will cook quicker and be safer because it won't come in contact with uncooked poultry juices," says Brutsman, who also recommends off-the-shelf stuffing straight from the grocery store. "No one will know the difference, especially if you doctor it up. But, to be healthier, skip fattening additions like eggs and nuts."
Brutsman says to decrease preparation time no one person should be responsible for the entire meal. She also suggests looking for shortcuts when making most Thanksgiving staples. In her cooking seminars, "Let's Dish with Chef Grace," Brutsman shows cooks how to speed up the cranberry sauce with a food processor and how to prepare a "no-bake" pumpkin pie.
She says her biggest secret to a tasty Thanksgiving is to cook the turkey upside down.
"Almost everyone prefers the white meat, but it gets too dried out because it sits at the top of the oven where it is hottest," Brutsman says. "Turn the bird upside down and the juices from the dark meat on the bottom drip down and baste the white meat naturally. Your guests won't use as much gravy, which is healthier for them, and they are much more likely to grab for the leftovers, which is good for you."
Brutsman will present her Thanksgiving cooking tips to the public at noon on Wednesday (Nov. 15) in the Hillenbrand Dining Court Atrium. No reservations are required, and the demonstration is free with the purchase of an all-you-care-to-eat lunch for $8.02.
Brutsman is one of five Purdue Housing and Food Services chefs responsible for delivering award-winning, cook-to-order practices to the college dining experience. Before coming to Purdue, she ran the upscale Lafayette steakhouse "Sarge Oak on Main" for more than two decades.
Writer: Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu
Source: Grace Brutsman, (765) 494-7294, gabrutsman@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
To the News Service home page