Cookin' It Up!

Turkey season is slowly nearing the end...but before we say goodbye to our feathered friends til' next season, below are some tips for cleaning, prepping and cooking your birds.

WILD TURKEY
Wild turkey should be bled and cleaned immediately after shooting. Be sure to remove the oil sacs at the base of the back near the tail.

To keep the wild turkey from spoiling, cook the bird rapidly in the field and keep it cold during the trip home.

Before cooking, be sure to wash out the body cavity of the turkey. There may be some watery looking tissue, and you'll need to be sure to remove this.

An older bird, one that is larger than 12-15 pounds, may be tough. So sprinkle a commercial tenderizer in the body cavity and refrigerate the bird for 12-24 hours.

A wild turkey may be cooked as you would a domestic turkey. The meat is lean and medium-dark with a mild game flavor. However, the low fat content means there is greater danger of drying out, so baste the bird frequently during cooking.
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Roasted Wild Turkey
A wild turkey should be treated the same as a domestic bird. Keep the stuffing simple and not too highly seasoned. After stuffing the turkey, rub well with butter, salt, and pepper. Place it on a rack in a roasting pan. (You can cover with the bird with foil or cook in a brown-in bag.) Roast in a 325 degree oven and allow 22-25 minutes per pound roasting time. Baste the turkey frequently with equal amounts of butter and white wine to prevent the bird from drying out.

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Wild Turkey and Biscuit Casserole
5 cups chopped wild turkey
4 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups biscuit mix
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 packages chicken gravy mix
1/2 cups celery, chopped
1/2 cups onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat eggs, milk, biscuit mix and gravy mix in a large bowl. Add turkey, celery, onion and cheese. Pour into a baking dish. Bake one hour or until lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Deep Fried Wild Turkey
(Serves 5-10)
1 wild turkey, whole, dressed
2.5 gallons peanut oil
1 cup Italian salad dressing
1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed preferred
3 tablespoons onion juice
3 tablespoons garlic juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 1/3 ounces cayenne pepper
1/4 cup salt

Mix all ingredients except turkey, and peanut oil to make a marinade. Let the marinade stand overnight in refrigerator.
After the marinade has been refrigerated overnight, use a meat injecting needle to inject the marinade all through turkey. Put turkey and marinade in a large plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days. Remove in time to bring to room temp before cooking. Do not put a frozen turkey into the hot oil!
Heat the peanut oil in a 40-60 quart deep fryer to 325 degrees. (Use a candy or deep fryer thermometer to check the temperature of the oil.)
Take a disposable pie tin and punch holes in the bottom of the pan. Place the pie tin in the bottom of the deep fryer to prevent the turkey from sticking.
Immerse the turkey completely and cook for 4 minutes per pound.

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