Ever cooked a Kosher turkey for T-giving?

[Kingwell]

After doing some reading on turkeys (including a good article in this month's Gourmet), I've been thinking a kosher turkey might be a good match. It might not require brining, it might not be as tough or gamey as an organic turkey, and it might be easier to find as well (we'll be traveling to Indianapolis for T-giving, and I think we might be able to find one more easily there).

The only drawback I've seen so far is that Gourmet mentioned that the minimal processing used in kosher processing leaves too many quills and feathers behind. How many are we talking here? A few, or two-hours' worth of picking?

Kristin

[veschke]

Somewhere in the middle. :-) I've been using kosher turkeys for the past few years, and I love 'em, but I always forget about the quills. I'd budget a half hour to clean the bird up. Makes me think about how much work it must have been back before there was any processing at all!

[momqat]

Somewhere in the middle. :-)
What she said :p . Time spent will be dependent on how freaked out you are by the pinfeathers and how many of those little, annoying ones you are willing to let alone. I have a tweezer in my kitchen that I use just for that purpose.

It might not require brining
No "might"'s about it! You do NOT want to brine a kosher bird. They have plenty of salt in them already. In fact, I do NOT use ANY salt when I season them.

[HRJ]

I always make a kosher turkey for Thanksgiving. Delicious!!! I've always wondered why anyone would go through all the trouble of brining their own turkey, if you live anywhere where kosher turkeys are available.

I usually get an Empire turkey, and have never spent more than 15 minutes cleaning it up. A cheap pair of tweezers will help you do the job in a jiffy.

Helene

[breadmama]

This is interesting! I brined a turkey a la Alton's method and my family loved it. The next year, did the same thing, and rinsed it off before cooking, as directed, and my DS said I shouldn't have - not salty enough for him!

So, if dietary/kosher concerns aren't an issue, which is a better taste - traditional turkey brined before roasting, or kosher turkey roasted without brining?

Just curious about opinions out there...

Thanks!

[syzygy]

My daughter and son-in-law usually brine their turkeys and I usually make a kosher one. I find the kosher turkeys saltier, but that may be due to the brining solution they (my kids) use (they tend to keep it a little lighter on the salt and add a little more "sweet stuff"). I think you have more leeway when you brine yourself because you can adjust what you add to the brine, so it's hard to compare. Both types of birds come out tender and moist and flavorful, which is the ultimate goal. Just different...

[Kingwell]

Thanks to everyone for the input.

Against my mother's advice and preference, we roasted a kosher turkey in the oven (she wanted to put it in the microwave, which has worked well in the past).

She loved it! I loved it. Everyone at dinner gave it high praise. The turkey turned out great. Apparently we got a good one too, because it didn't require any feather/quill removal. BTW, I used Gourmet mag's Simple Roasted Turkey recipe.

Only thing that leaves--gravy. I read in Gourmet that you're not supposed to make gravy from kosher turkey drippings b/c they are too salty. Any advice?

[veschke]

Only thing that leaves--gravy. I read in Gourmet that you're not supposed to make gravy from kosher turkey drippings b/c they are too salty. Any advice?

I've read that, too, and in previous years I've used canned stock for fear of just that. This year I was so busy with other last minute things that I forgot to worry about it; the gravy tasted pretty darn good to me.

[gperls]

Only thing that leaves--gravy. I read in Gourmet that you're not supposed to make gravy from kosher turkey drippings b/c they are too salty. Any advice?

I was assigned gravy duty this year for a kosher turkey. The drippings were very salty, so I used turkey broth and added defatted drippings to taste. It ended up with equal parts of each for a well-balanced flavor. It would be a shame to waste them.