# Turkey Galantine?



## Zwiefel (Nov 12, 2015)

As a rule I rather dislike turkey...when it's not drier than a <insert inappropriate metaphor here> it's flavorless. The two exceptions I recall are: deep-fried, which was good...but not great; and breast pieces grilled over charcoal. So...given how much I have enjoyed galantine of chicken on the kamado, I thought I'd give it a try with the bargain priced turkeys on sale right now.

I've been using Pepin's method, but I'm wondering if there's anything I need to know before I start trying to take a turkey apart. Anybody done it before?


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## knyfeknerd (Nov 12, 2015)

Remember: first pants, then shoes.


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## Zwiefel (Nov 12, 2015)

knyfeknerd said:


> Remember: first pants, then shoes.


 
that only works in one direction*.






*note the lack of capitalization.


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## buttermilk (Nov 12, 2015)

I did this last year for my staff at the restaurant. Boned out two turkeys, roasted bones, made a stock, turned stock into a highly flavored brine (miso, shoyu, koji-aji, mountains of thyme, buttermilk powder, can't remember what else). Cleaned and ground the meat from the second turkey along with pig fat, seasoned, tested, seasoned, emulsified. Laid the forcemeat carefully in the first turkey, rolled, salumi tied. Brined this frankenstein in the walk-in for fix days, then sealed in a bag with fresh turkey stock, and cooked in a bath for four days. Day of: rested outside of the bath for two hours, de-twined it, then crisped up the skin with two torches and rested it in the oven.

How was it, you ask? Not awesome. Despite being given every opportunity to redeem it itself, the turkey still tasted like turkey and, though it never saw temps above ~145*, it was not magically succulent. It was a pain in the ass all the way through. Boning out a turkey is not in any way as clean/nice/fun as boning out a chicken. Their bone structure is clearly not evolved for efficiency; it's just a mess in there. Trying to tightly roll fat-slicked skin to the size of a fat American bulldog was not pleasant. Finally, slicing this monster into attractive and cohesive slices? Nope. I would rather do 1000 quail galantine than do this again. 3/10 - would not recommend.


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## buttermilk (Nov 12, 2015)

I should add that this was neither a straight galantine nor ballotine, I know.


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## Zwiefel (Nov 12, 2015)

buttermilk said:


> I did this last year for my staff at the restaurant. Boned out two turkeys, roasted bones, made a stock, turned stock into a highly flavored brine (miso, shoyu, koji-aji, mountains of thyme, buttermilk powder, can't remember what else). Cleaned and ground the meat from the second turkey along with pig fat, seasoned, tested, seasoned, emulsified. Laid the forcemeat carefully in the first turkey, rolled, salumi tied. Brined this frankenstein in the walk-in for fix days, then sealed in a bag with fresh turkey stock, and cooked in a bath for four days. Day of: rested outside of the bath for two hours, de-twined it, then crisped up the skin with two torches and rested it in the oven.
> 
> How was it, you ask? Not awesome. Despite being given every opportunity to redeem it itself, the turkey still tasted like turkey and, though it never saw temps above ~145*, it was not magically succulent. It was a pain in the ass all the way through. Boning out a turkey is not in any way as clean/nice/fun as boning out a chicken. Their bone structure is clearly not evolved for efficiency; it's just a mess in there. Trying to tightly roll fat-slicked skin to the size of a fat American bulldog was not pleasant. Finally, slicing this monster into attractive and cohesive slices? Nope. I would rather do 1000 quail galantine than do this again. 3/10 - would not recommend.



Hmmmm...now you're giving me second thoughts! Thanks for the insight.


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## Bill13 (Nov 13, 2015)

I have done whole smoked turkey that turns out well, the recipe was from Smoking Slow and Low. Injected with 1/2C garlic oil, 4oz beer, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Rub the paste (4 garlic cloves (I do more), pepper, salt, cayenne, garlic oil as needed) in the cavity, under and on the skin; refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge a few hours before cooking. Dampen with water enough cheese cloth to cover the bird. I have not done this recipe in a while I think I may of used melted butter. Smoke breast side down at 200-220 for 1.25 to 1.5 HPP until 180 is reached. The cheese cloth is removed 6 hours in. 

Optional: Baste the turkey every 30 minutes or so. This is not a big deal esp. once the cheese cloth is off, and I don't baste for the last few hours so the skin will crisp up. I have also blasted it with a torch or in a 500 degree oven if it needed help. The baste is 2cups chicken stock, 1 cup water, 8oz beer 1/4 cup canola oil. 

I usually cover the legs with foil for the first few hours to even out the temps.

The Cookshack forums have a few good recipes.


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## G-rat (Nov 13, 2015)

I do this every year it seems. The stuffing changes every year. Sometimes I'll make country pate and stuff with that. Sometimes I'll do guanciale, parsnips and a blanched leafy green. I debone, brine, stuff roll and roast and it always turns out great. It's a little hard to get the stuffing even because the animal is so much longer than a chicken. I would recommend but just keep it simple. It's enough work as it is to debone stuff and salumi tie.


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## JLaz (Dec 9, 2015)

The Pepin method works like a charm for Balotine.

The only way to have a bird that is not dry is to cook to temperature (around 65C for turkey). I usually do this Sous Vide but I have done it a couple times in a normal home oven. Then finish in a pre-heated max temp oven until golden brown.

A good way of introducing flavor into the meat is by injection brining (5% salt solution, 150g solution per 2kg bird). You can boil a brine with aromatics you'd want then chill before injecting. Leave the injected bird chilled for atleast a day for the brine to take action. In the case of a Balotine, I havent tried brining the balotine as the stuffing usually has enough flavor for it to get going.

I would recommend doing a plain deboned balotine with stuffing served on the side. That way, you can practice your deboning skills, use the knives you love, carve with less fuss.


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## Zwiefel (Dec 9, 2015)

JLaz said:


> The Pepin method works like a charm for Balotine.
> 
> The only way to have a bird that is not dry is to cook to temperature (around 65C for turkey). I usually do this Sous Vide but I have done it a couple times in a normal home oven. Then finish in a pre-heated max temp oven until golden brown.
> 
> ...



I guess I forgot to update this thread! yes, the Pepin method worked great, the brine was good....and the overnight drying in the fridge resulted in very good color on the skin. I've got an idea for a turducken based on this method, some meat glue, and chicken biriyani for the stuffing.


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## JLaz (Dec 11, 2015)

Glad it turned out well for you! The overnight drying helps so much in developing nice crispy golden brown skin later on.

I'm planning to make something like this but with duck. Although, I am still unsure as to what temp to cook the duck to. I'm making a dedicated thread about it.

Turducken sounds like a badass idea! Let me know how that goes!


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