Those who know the man know Chef Rocco Basil seldom selects a shortcut when it comes to creating a special meal.
And, by the way, every single meal is special to Chef Rocco.
While some who work in the food industry refuse to continue cooking at home, Basil, the executive chef for the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, also cerates at his Brooke County farm and Thanksgiving is no exception. That is why he partakes in a painstaking process when it comes to his turkey, the stuffing, and the ever-popular side dishes.
His preparation methods, however, may add a few steps to what is most common when cooking the annual feast.
The Gobbler Goes Down Before It Goes In
The definition of “brine” as a noun is, “water strongly impregnated with salt.”
The definition of “brining” as a verb is, “soaking in salty water.”
And Chef Rocco believes it is the key.
“The first step to the perfect Thanksgiving Turkey is to brine it,” he insisted. “Find a bucket or a cooler that is big enough for the bird, and then get yourself some kosher salt because it comes in big flakes that dissolve very nicely in the cold water. And yes, make sure your water is cold because you don’t want that turkey to cook at all because you used hot water.
“You will need to put about a half a cup of the kosher salt per gallon of water, and you have to mix it up very well to spread that salt around,” he said. “In the brining water, you can add some herbs and other things because the salt is going to cause the turkey to pull in that water, and that will help with making it very moist because turkeys are a very lean bird anyway.”
The culinary genius also suggested adding to the water favorite herbs like bay leaves, garlic cloves, and thyme as well as either lemon or orange juice, and Basil suggested brining it overnight while refrigerated.
The Swelter
When the time to roast the turkey, Basil offered a few suggestions.
“Once it’s time to take it out of the water, do not rinse it at all because it’s good to roast at that point,” Basil said. “What I will do is rub it with some fresh herbs, but if all you have is the dry herbs, those will work, too, along with some of those poultry seasonings.
“That’s when I get my softened butter and then with your fingers, you’re going to loosen the skin without tearing it, and from the neck side and the cavity side, you’re going to rub that butter on the breast meat under the skin,” he explained. “That’s when that butter is going to be trapped in there so it will baste the bird during roasting.”
Some choose to use the oven bags for their turkeys, but Basil believes that forces a steaming process to take place while the bird is in the oven.
“I have always liked to use an elevated rack in the roasting pan, and then I will put the turkey in at a low temperature in the beginning,” the chef explained. “For the first phase, I put the oven on 250 or 275 degrees until I see it’s approaching 165 degrees on my meat thermometer. You can also add some carrots, celery, and some onion into the cavity for the roasting process.
“Once the turkey is around 155 degrees, you can increase the heat of the over to 350 degrees so that skin will start to get nice and crispy,” Basil suggested. “Once that turkey’s thigh meat is 165 degrees, you can take it out of the oven, and I always let it rest for at least 15 minutes so that moisture can get back into all of the meat of the turkey. If you can keep the family vultures off of it, let it stand for even 30 minutes.”
The Stuffing Debate
Salmonella is a type of bacteria that commonly causes food-related illness in humans, and the past few years many people on social media platforms have urged others to cook traditional stuffing separately from the turkey because of an alleged risk of poisoning.
Basil said the risk is real, but he explained how illness can be avoided.
“I know people have been warned not to stuff the bird, but the stuffing that is cooked in the bird is the best,” Basil attested. “It’s the absolutely best, and that’s all there is to it because it absorbs all of those juices from the turkey during the roasting process and that’s what makes that stuff as good as it will ever be.
“The problem people were having when we heard that it was dangerous to stuff the turkey was people were getting turkeys ready for roasting the night before, and they were stuffing the turkeys with hot or room temperature stuffing,” he said. “That’s the food danger zone, so if you want to stuff it the night before you would have to make the stuffing, refrigerate it around 40 degrees, and then the next day, that stuffing is safe to use.”
Basil turns on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning, and that is when he chooses to prepare his stuffing while the brining process continues.
“Now, there are a lot of recipes out there for stuffing, and everyone seems to have their favorite way of preparing it,” he said. “Personally, I really like oyster stuffing, but I know not everyone likes oysters. No matter what the recipes is, though, be sure to make enough so that stuffing is coming out of the bird’s cavity so it gets a little crisp while the turkey is roasting.
“I know people whose stuffing recipes date back to a great-grandmother, and I think those kinds of traditions are a part of what makes Thanksgiving so special,” he said. “Now, I know there have been warnings about having large family dinners this year, but that’s OK because it’s important to keep our parents and grandparents as safe as possible right now.”
Sides Dishes and Leftovers
Candied yams are not his favorite, but Basil does love some roasted sweet potatoes. Some of his other side dishes may seem unconventional (raised with roasted walnuts, for example), but his love affair with mashed potatoes is as strong as ever.
“You simply cannot beat the mashed potatoes, man, and I like to use the Yukon Gold potatoes because they seem to come out the creamiest, and that’s what I like,” Basil said. “I also like the roasted sweet potatoes, and I know families have their favorite vegetables they make every year, and sometimes Thanksgiving is the only time when someone makes those kinds of side dishes.”
Many people prepare larger turkeys than necessary on Thanksgiving, and that is because of the magic of the holiday’s leftovers.
“I know I eat more of the stuffing and the vegetables than I do of the actual turkey on Thanksgiving,” Basil admitted. “And I will eat the stuffing for days with whatever else, but it is the turkey that comes into play when to lunch and dinner the week after.
“Don’t forget how good those turkey sandwiches are the days following,” the chef added. “And a turkey noodle soup is always a terrific idea, too, and so are homemade turkey pot pies.”
