Recipes

• Sage Advice

• Traditional Chestnut Stuffing

The centerpiece of the Thanksgiving dinner cannot be toyed with. Fiddle with the Christmas menu: Have goose, ham, a standing rib roast, a baron of lamb, a crown roast of pork — fine. But don't mess with turkey on Thanksgiving. After all, along with the Muscovy Duck, the turkey is one of only two domesticated birds that originated here, and the tradition dictates that on Thanksgiving, we're supposed to eat as our forefathers did. Plus, it's delicious. Renowned gourmet Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin called the bird "one of the most beautiful presents the New World has made to the Old." Whether we Americans believe in this lofty ideal or simply have romanticized that first giving of thanks since grade school, we can agree that the turkey deserves a certain sacrosanct status.

Yes, the turkey is the all-American bird for the all-American holiday. It was sufficiently emblematic that Ben Franklin cast his lot with the turkey as a contender for National Bird. When the bald eagle was adopted by Congress as part of the Great Seal in 1782 (along with a lot of Masonic symbolism), Ben lamented that the turkey was far more appropriate and respectable than the Bald Eagle, which was "of bad moral character." The turkey, he explained in a letter to his daughter, was "a true original of North America," "a Bird of Courage," although "a little vain & silly." Franklin had it right: The turkey was perfect bird for America — then and now. With its extravagant plumage, impressive size, noisy propensity to panic, spindly legs and given to trotting, the turkey would have done the Great Seal proud.

But despite upholding the turkey, Franklin also admitted the obvious — the turkey is a weird and improbable bird. Has there ever been a more bizarre looking creature that we are willing to eat? Any child who has been to a petting zoo should immediately have second thoughts about this holiday treat. First there is that bald bluish head, then the caruncle — that brightly colored growth about the throat that turns scarlet when the turkey is aroused by threats or amorous intentions. This appealing pastiche is completed by the snood and wattle — flaps of skin over the beak and under the "chin" that behave in the same alarming manner as the caruncle. The bird's actions are similarly strange and contradictary. While the wild turkey has been clocked at 55 miles an hour in flight and 25 on the ground, domesticated birds don't fly. The turkey has keen auditory skills but no ears, sees in color and can detect movement 100 yards away but has poor night vision. It has a poor sense of smell but a well-developed sense of taste.

And what of our sense of taste when it comes to the turkey? Although Thanksgiving had its start in the 17th century, and was made a national holiday in 1945, turkey has remained special, rarely enjoyed at other times of the year. To this day, nearly a third of turkey consumption takes place during the holiday season. Part of that may have to do with the massive amount of preparation required for what often amounts to very little payout. For years, mothers have woken up before sunrise to put the enormous bird in the oven only to have it turn out dry and inedible. They try to mitigate the slide of shredded shirt cardboard that lays beneath with lots of flour-thickened gravy, usually to no avail. Instead of enjoying the centerpiece bird, family members ultimately give up and focus their energies on the trimmings, football, and long-festering family fights.

It is, however, my fervent hope and belief that this is no longer true. Turkey is one tasty bird, and more and more people seem to be able to cook a delicious one, and in increasing volume. In fact, the value of turkeys produced in 2007 was $3.71 billion, up four percent from the previous year. Turkey production totaled nearly eight billion pounds, up five percent from 2006. The bird is also high in protein, lower in cholesterol and calories than most other poultry and red meat, and provides an excuse for post-meal napping through the bird’s drowsiness-inducing tryptophan.

Edward Bottone, a food and lifestyle journalist, is Chef/Instructor in the Culinary Arts program at Drexel University and has been a radio talk show host and TV presenter, and is also a food stylist and photographer.

Sage Advice From The Cantankerous Cook

If you’re still waking up when it’s dark out only to have your bird disappoint, try these tips for top turkey: For tenderness, buy either a large Tom or a small Hen. If you’re feeding more than 10 people, two smaller birds are better than one large one. You get a better balance of light and dark meat, and it'll look damn impressive when you bring them to the table. Always opt for more than you need — leftover turkey sandwiches with cranberry relish or mayonnaise are heaven. Give the bird a bath inside and out with cold water. Pat dry and season the cavity generously with salt and pepper whether or not your plan on stuffing. Carving In royal courts, carvers were a highly regarded part of table service. Different birds here "broken" in different, standardized ways. In more modest households part of a well-bred gentlemen’s upbringing was the knowledge of how to carve any number of game. In Mary Stuart Smith’s 18th-century Virginia Cookery Book, she commented that "the carver is always the gentleman of the house, until the oldest son took his place, both for the sake of his own education in what is esteemed a gentlemanly accomplishment, and to relieve a parent of an onerous duty." Well, the onerous duty need not be so. First remember to cover the finished bird with foil and wait 10 minutes or so before carving. Present the bird whole to the ooh and ahhs of all present. Return to the kitchen and lop off the leg and thighs and return to the oven to complete their cooking. Then, cut off the whole breast in one piece, peel back the skin and slice to the desired thinness on the diagonal. Arrange the sliced breasts, covered with its crisp skin, on a warm platter, add the legs and thighs hot from the oven, garnish with bundles of fresh herbs and a few lady apples and you have a showpiece.

Turkey recipe photo courtesy of Drexel University Food Styling and Photography course, wild turkey image from teddy llovet via Flickr (Creative Commons), "The Cantankerous Cook" photograph from Hulton Archive/Getty Images, "Plate" photograph from FoodCollection/Getty Images.