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Turkey Parts in a Hurry

11/15/2017

43 Comments

 
This turkey recipe caters to the cook who doesn’t want the whole bird but only parts of it. If   all you want is a breast and some thighs and legs, this recipe is for you. I am writing this post for people who don’t have the time for an elaborate dinner but still want to have a tasty feast with about four hours of prep and cooking time. It does require a little planning. 
Turkey Parts in a HurryIn May I used a split breast and some thighs.

I came across this recipe last May when I wanted to make a traditional American feast for  my German relatives who came to visit. Whole Foods whole turkeys were very expensive, but they had turkey parts on sale. I always either dry rub or brine turkey meat for tenderness and flavor. In this recipe from epicurious.com the turkey parts are brined overnight in a salt and spice mixture. Put the parts in a sturdy large resealable zip lock plastic bag and add the ingredients. Voila, the next day you dry the turkey parts and roast them for about one and a half to two hours. Now it is up to you to make the side dishes of your choice or have Aunt Mary bring her jelly salad . 

 Brined and roasted turkey legs
Of course for me it is not turkey day until I have cranberry sauce,   chestnut stuffing, and a lot of gravy.
turkey gravy
Cranberry sauce
My husband and I spent a weekend in our little cabin in the Sierra Nevada. I love to cook in my tiny kitchen so I decided to make him and his oldest friend an early Thanksgiving dinner because I am leaving for Germany on Sunday.  On Thanksgiving I probably will  be eating duck instead of turkey. I was pressed for time and used a bread mix for the stuffing and bought peeled and roasted chestnuts. By not having to roast and peel chestnuts my stuffing was easier to make. 
chestnut mushroom stuffing
Even though I often use prepackaged broth for my turkey gravy and stuffing I prefer to make my own. This can be done weeks ahead and frozen. In my humble opinion a homemade broth  will make or break the gravy or stuffing. When I do a whole turkey I use the stomach and gizzard from the turkey for the  gravy. This time I  bought turkey wings. I always freeze all my leftover green veggies like the white leek ends, the tops of green onions, mushroom stems, and other greens to use in my stock. It’s great for any stock. I made the sauce while the turkey was cooking and added the pan juices later.  
Picture
Of course you can check out my whole turkey recipe which I have been making for years. If you have time try my cranberry ketchup, it is great on leftover turkey sandwiches. Oh, and don’t forget to freeze some extra packages of cranberries so you can have a feast in May.
I wish you all a relaxing and peaceful Thanksgiving with a lot of good food and company. 

​
preview recipe for roasted and brined turkey parts
for all the other recipes click here
43 Comments
lisaiscooking link
11/16/2017 06:35:06 am

The turkey parts look great with the sage! And, the cut pieces are much easier to brine and cook. Hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving!

Reply
Gerlinde
11/16/2017 08:05:27 am

Thank you Lisa for this comment . You are right, it is so much easier to brine and cook smaller pieces . I should have said that in my post. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving,

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Teagan Geneviene link
11/16/2017 12:52:11 pm

Oh my goodness... Now I'm starving, Gerlinde. :)
I've never had chestnut stuffing, but it sounds just as delicious as everything else here. What a lovely plate of food.
Safe journeys, my friend. I hope every minute of your visit (and travel) is wonderful. I look forward to a post about it. Since you'll be away, I wish you a happy Thanksgiving now. Hugs.

Reply
Gerlinde
11/16/2017 08:13:53 pm

Teagan, I really enjoyed my chestnut stuffing with gravy. I am very happy that I am able to visit my German family. I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving my friend.

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cheri link
11/16/2017 01:04:27 pm

Hi Gerlinde, oh your chestnut dressing sounds fabulous. Great ideas on how to cook a turkey in a hurry. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

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Gerlinde
11/16/2017 08:14:42 pm

And a happy Thanksgiving to you.

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Jo Nell Huff link
11/16/2017 01:36:04 pm

I may try the turkey parts in a hurry this year as it will only be Husband and me for Thanksgiving but I still want to have a small traditional dinner. With plenty of chicken quarters and breasts I already have, I may try that instead of turkey. Enjoy your trip to Europe!

Reply
Gerlinde
11/16/2017 08:21:48 pm

If you use chicken I don’t think you need to brine it Jo. I don’t know because I never brined a chicken. I am going to take a lot of train rides when I am in Germany. Now all I have to do is pack and get ready to go.

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Deb|EastofEdenCooking link
11/16/2017 02:21:31 pm

Your post arrived just in time! We'll be out visiting on Thanksgiving day and will return home without many leftovers. I've been thinking of making part of a turkey to carry us through the long holiday weekend. Homemade gravy and stuffing are a must! Happy Thanksgiving!

Reply
Gerlinde
11/16/2017 08:24:13 pm

Happy Thanksgiving to you Deb, I hope you have a great time with your family .

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Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert link
11/16/2017 02:24:58 pm

Wow these turkey pieces look fantastic. I will be on the lookout for these instead of turkey breasts next time. Have a fantastic trip home Gerlinde! Love your travel photos so take a bunch please :)

Reply
Gerlinde
11/16/2017 08:31:28 pm


Whole Foods often cuts a turkey and sells the parts separately. We had such a good meal in May and then again in July when I had visitors.

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Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen link
11/16/2017 03:21:05 pm

What a great idea for a post Gerlinde! I know so many people who hate cooking the whole bird! I'm doing a turkey roulade this year! Happy Thanksgiving my friend!

Reply
Gerlinde
11/16/2017 08:32:53 pm

Wow, a turkey roulade , that’s sounds fantastic. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Mary Ann.

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David link
11/17/2017 01:59:24 am

We always order just the turkey thighs - and I love your method! Happy Thanksgiving!

Reply
Gerlinde
11/17/2017 07:25:12 pm

Thighs are my favorite too. My husband brought home legs when he went shopping. Happy Thanksgiving to you David.

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The Kitchen Lioness link
11/19/2017 12:17:14 am

Dear Gerlinde, what a fabulous way to cook Turkey for the holidays (or any other special meal that is). Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving and have a safe and wonderful trip to Germany (enjoy that duck...).
Ganz liebe Grüße und eine gute Reise wünsch ich dir!!!
Andrea

Reply
Gerlinde
11/19/2017 06:52:18 am

Vielen Dank Andrea. Liebe Grüße Gerlinde

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Frank link
11/20/2017 05:02:15 am

These roasted turkey parts look just as good as they whole bird. Have a great trip!

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Gerlinde
11/20/2017 02:16:10 pm

Thanks for the kind comment Frank. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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Ulrike link
11/20/2017 11:51:34 pm

Truthahn bzw. Pute ist irgendwie so gar nicht unseres. Mein Mann hasst Geflügel, daher kommt das selten auf den Tisch.

Und gute Reise, mein Englisch ist zur Zeit ziemlich eingerostet.

Reply
Gerlinde
11/21/2017 04:13:54 am

Mein Mann ist auch kein großer Freund von Geflügel aber und zu schmeckt es ihm auch.

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Pamela link
11/27/2017 01:51:05 pm

Thanksgiving is over now and I finally have time to read your post. I know you are having a wonderful time in Germany. How smart of you to make a Thanksgiving dinner for your German friends a few months early. It looks delicious. But I have one question. Where are the turnips!? 🤣

Reply
Gerlinde
11/28/2017 05:17:17 am

Sorry Pam, no turnips. I think I will post a recipe with mashed turnips and carrots. I made it once and liked it a lot. Right now I am stuffing myself with German sweets and more.

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Pamela link
12/1/2017 03:31:01 am

Haha. To me, turnips are a winter 'sweet.' I know, I know, I'm weird. Hope you're having a great trip in the beautiful land of Germany.

John / Kitchen Riffs link
11/29/2017 08:26:42 am

We love turkey, and often roast parts during the year. And when we roast a whole one, we often spatch-cock it (remove the backbone and flatten it out) -- it cooks SO fast that way! Anyway, terrific post. And yes, homemade stock is unbeatable. :-)

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Gerlinde
11/30/2017 11:41:45 am

Thanks John, I have to spatch-cook my next turkey, maybe when when my brother visits me in January.

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sippity sup link
12/1/2017 01:00:40 pm

I took some of your advice and only made a breast and legs this year. There was so much less stress and just enough leftovers without being way too much. GREG

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Gerlinde
12/1/2017 03:26:42 pm

I’m glad you like it. It’s a fun way to make turkey.

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Abbe@This is How I Cook link
12/5/2017 07:01:52 pm

Looks like you had a luscious Thanksgiving! And I love the idea of just roasting turkey parts. This I can handle!

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Gerlinde
12/6/2017 01:42:08 am

I made them several times throughout the year. Most of my German visitors enjoy eating a traditional American meal.

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Christina link
12/7/2017 10:33:48 am

What a wonderful idea for cooks with limited time or for when you don't have big plans for Thanksgiving or Christmas so cooking an entire turkey is not worth the effort! I love it!!!

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Gerlinde
12/8/2017 05:48:51 am

It is a good idea and it took me many years to try it.

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Healthy World Cuisine link
12/12/2017 06:04:35 pm

How did I miss this delicious recipe Gerlinde?!? Love this idea for a full holiday ABBREVIATED meal. Fab idea and so much flavor.

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Gerlinde
12/13/2017 06:54:42 am

Thank you for your comment Bobbie. There times for a whole bird but not always and I like the idea of making this recipe throughout the year.

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Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness link
12/13/2017 05:45:03 am

Oh my goodness!! Where did you get those roasted and peeled chestnuts? Every year, I am tasked to peel the chestnuts for our stuffing, and I can seriously watch 2 movies doing it. It takes FOREVER!!

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Gerlinde
12/13/2017 06:59:35 am

My poor husband has peeled chestnuts for years . This year, when I cooked the turkey in May I found some vacuum packed peeled chestnuts in my local grocery store. I was so happy.

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Liz link
12/14/2017 06:41:47 pm

I need to remember to pick up turkey parts other times of the year! My family loves turkey but with only 3 of us at home full time, it's hard to justify buying a whole bird!!

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Gerlinde
12/14/2017 07:58:20 pm

Happy holidays to you Liz.

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Susan link
12/18/2017 07:46:59 am

I still have some turkey parts in the freezer and will try this method. They look so tasty!

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Gerlinde
12/18/2017 07:11:57 pm

That might be a nice dinner in February, just freeze some cranberries . Happy Holidays to you and your Family.

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Jean | DelightfulRepast.com link
4/19/2018 11:56:51 am

Gerlinde, that looks delicious! I'm usually just cooking for two, so parts is the way to go. I love doing the whole turkey, but unless I'm in the mood for having a gang over to eat it, just give me some parts!

Reply
Gerlinde
4/19/2018 04:05:08 pm

I cook the whole bird during the holidays but for the rest of the year I make this recipe, usually for my German visitors l

Reply



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