After what has been a decidedly delayed fall here in Toronto, autumn is finally upon us. And, seemingly out of nowhere, it's Thanksgiving... and that means turkey time! Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays as it means enjoying great food with family - but it can also be a stressful and expensive time of year as one balances hosting out-of-towners with a serious task in the kitchen.
It's also easy to get overwhelmed at the grocery store when your list is as long as your arm - but there's no need to spend more than you need to. My big rule for saving money this time of year is buying my turkey on sale, and I generally buy it frozen (now, don't gasp at that f-word). I can guarantee you that my turkey gets rave reviews every time and no one would ever guess that I buy frozen turkeys (although the cat is out of the bag now).
You can generally count on turkeys going on sale for $0.79 per pound the week before Thanksgiving and the weeks leading up to Christmas. Overall, if you’re buying frozen, you should expect to pay anywhere between $0.79 to $1.25 per pound.
TIP: Price Match Your Turkey
A lot of grocery stores offer price matches on turkeys during the holiday hustle and bustle. Simply bring in your weekly flyer (or use your favourite flyer app) when you’re in store to get the best deal.
As I rule of thumb, I like to budget two pounds per person, with the caveat that I never like to buy a turkey that’s less than 10 pounds (you’re just paying for the bones at that price).
Cooking turkey for two? If you’re cooking turkey for two (or one), buying a 10 to 12 pound turkey just means that you’ll have extra leftovers for sandwiches or turkey soup. If you’re just after turkey for one meal, consider buying a turkey breast on its own which should be enough to feed two people.
The best method for cooking a frozen turkey is to brine it. If you have never brined a turkey you should definitely try is this year. And not to fear - it is the easiest way to guarantee a juicy turkey with a crisp skin. Here's my no-fail recipe:
Ingredients:
1 frozen turkey
¾ cup of salt
½ cup of maple syrup
1 cup of apple cider vinegar
4 litres of stock – I use veggie stock no salt added (you can be frugal here and use bouillon cubes)
3 tbsp of worchestershire sauce
3 tbsp of rosemary
3 tbsp of savory
2 tbsp of ground ginger
3 tbsp of ground garlic
4 bay leaves
Cold water
Carrots
Celery
Head of Garlic
1 Onion
1 Apple
Bunch of Savory
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
BONUS TIP – Easy Gravy!
Once your turkey is out of the oven and resting, take the juices from the pan and put them through a strainer and put them in a pot. Put the pot on the stovetop on medium heat until simmering. Separately, fill a mason jar with warm water and add in 3 to 4 tbsp of flour. Put a lid on the jar and shake the components until you have a thick white liquid. Slowly pour the flour water into your turkey dripping over the stove until your gravy has thickened to desired consistency. Now, don't forget that cranberry sauce!