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Caveny Farm Bourbon Red Turkey Recipes

We’ve heard some tasty recipes from our customers. On this page, we’d like to share those with you. There are several good recipes available for heritage turkeys; find one that will start a new holiday tradition for you!

Roasted Bourbon Red Turkey Parts including Stock

This recipe from William Rice, a food and wine columnist for the Chicago Tribune, is one of our favorites. It has some good cooking tips too.

• 1 heritage turkey (10-12 pounds), at room temperature, cut into 7 pieces, with backbone, heart and gizzards, giblets reserved
• 4 or 5 sprigs parsley
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 large rib celery, sliced
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt, optional
• Freshly ground pepper, optional

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the turkey wing tips and fat from the turkey tail; place in a Dutch oven or stockpot. Add the turkey neck, backbone, parsley, carrots, onion, celery, bay leaf and sage. Roast until browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; add reserved heart, gizzards and giblets to pot. Add water to cover. Heat to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 2 1/2 hours. Strain; return to Dutch oven; cook until broth reduces to 4 cups, about 1 hour. Let cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 4 hours to congeal fat; remove fat.

2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 1/2 cups of the turkey stock to a simmer. Season with optional salt and pepper. Arrange pieces in a large, shallow roasting pan. Pour hot stock into pan to reach a level of 1/2 inch. Cover with foil; roast until an instant-read thermometer placed in thickest portion of thigh registers 175-180 degrees, about 1 hour, 45 minutes.

3. Remove thighs, wings and drumsticks to a platter; cover loosely with the foil. Return breast to oven. Roast, uncovered, until meat registers 160 degrees, about 15 minutes. Return pieces of turkey to pan; roast, uncovered, until nicely brown, about 20 minutes. Remove turkey pieces to a cutting board. Let rest 15 minutes; carve.

The stock may be made the day before; this recipe makes more stock than you will need, but you can use the extra for gravy or stuffing, if desired. Canned chicken broth can be used if you do not want to make your own turkey stock.

Weekend Turkey Soup Stock

Don’t toss that turkey carcass out! Bourbon Red heritage turkey makes incredible rich stock. I freeze the carcass in a 2 gal bag until I can make this recipe from the Spice House on a weekend at home. Don’t skimp with the spices as they are key. The aroma on a cold winter day is like a big hug!

Honey Riesling Bourbon Red Turkey

This Honey Riesling baste recipe is from Amanda Olsen who writes the Apartment Farm blog.  Amanda says once you enjoy a heritage bird, you’ll never go back to bland factory-farmed birds again.

• 1 heritage turkey (6-8 pounds), heart and gizzards, giblets reserved
• two cups liquid - 1 ¼ Riesling with ¾ of honey, adjust to taste
• 2 teaspoons salt, optional
• Freshly ground pepper, optional

1. Preheat oven to 325°.  For a moist, succulent bird the rule is low and slow. It will be done when the internal temperature reaches 180° (about 3 to 4 hours for a 6-8 pound bird).
2. When done the internal temperature reaches 180° (this should take approximately three to four hours for a six to eight pound bird). To prep the bird, cut the wing tips off or tuck them under the bird so that they over brown. You can also cover the ends of the drumsticks with foil.  
3. Place turkey breast-up in a v-rack in a roasting pan. This keeps the bird elevated, allowing for heat circulation, cooking evenly with crisp skin on all sides.
4. Using a baster, apply ¼ of the liquid to the surface of the bird. Baste the turkey periodically with the honey Riesling mixture. Turn the pan in the oven if you notice any hot-spots where one part of the turkey seems to be cooking faster than the rest.
5. Halfway through cooking, flip the bird to breast-side down (you can do this by inserting a sturdy long wooden spoon into the cavity with one hand and tongs in your other hand to guide the bird while you flip it).
6. During the last 20 minutes of cooking, turn the heat up to 400° to get a nice caramelized skin. This is not the time to leave the kitchen! You really have to watch so it doesn’t get too crispy and burn.
7. When done (180°), remove from oven and let rest 15-20 minutes before carving. Resting helps the meat retain moisture and be easier to handle.

Apple Juice Brine Roasted Bourbon Red Turkey

This recipe from Ed Krol of Champaign is apple juice brine with no additional sugar. Since Ed is as good in the kitchen as he is on a computer, which is very good, we recommend it for anyone who likes brining.

1 heritage turkey (10-12 pounds), at room temperature, cut into pieces, with backbone, heart and gizzards, giblets reserved

Brine – mix together in a large nonreactive container
2 qt of apple juice
1 cup kosher salt (See * about salt equivalents)
2 Tablespoons each of peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, sage
Water to cover (usually about 1 qt)

Cut up the turkey and put it in the brine, adding water until covered. Set in a cold place and brine for about 18 hours.

Remove turkey pieces from brine, rinse, apt dry and arrange on a roast pan If time allows, let dry uncovered in cold place for 8-12 hours (crispier skin) Put it in a preheated 500 degree oven and turn down to 325 degrees immediately.

Cook until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.

*1/4 c table salt = 1/2 cup Morton's kosher
1/2 cup Morton's kosher = 1 cup Diamond Crystal brand kosher
There's no direct equivalency on sea salt because it varies by producer/region of production.
Some are definitely milder than others and because of the cost are not popular brine salts.

Heritage Poultry