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Brined, Bourbon-Glazed, Spice-Rubbed Turkey Is Deliciously Juicy

partysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:39 -0800

Last year, after reading countless turkey recipes, I finally decided on one from a somewhat unexpected source: Every Day With Rachael Ray. I didn't follow the method exactly - the magazine's recipe grills a turkey breast and I roasted a whole turkey - but I used the brine, spice rub, and glaze recommended. The resulting turkey, with a fiery brown color and slightly charred skin, was fabulously moist and super flavorful. The meat was so succulent it almost didn't need gravy. To check out the recipe, read more.

Bourbon-Glazed Spiced Rubbed Turkey
Modified From Every Day With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

4 cups apricot nectar
4 cups apple juice, plus more for basting
2-1/5 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup salt
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 turkey (ours was 18 pounds)
1 cup bourbon
1 cup honey
1 cup apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons paprika
4 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 stick of butter, at room temperature

Directions

In a large pot, combine 8 cups water with the apricot nectar, apple juice, 1 cup brown sugar, the granulated sugar, salt, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and stir, then remove from the heat and let cool.
Place the turkey in the brine. Cover the turkey with foil and refrigerate overnight.
In a container with a tight-fitting lid, combine the bourbon, honey, vinegar and 1 cup brown sugar. Shake vigorously to blend; set aside.
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar with the paprika, mustard, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and butter to form a paste.
Dry the turkey with a paper towel and rub the paste all over the turkey.
Roast the turkey for about 45 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Reduce the heat to 350°F and continue roasting, brushing with some of the bourbon glaze every 20 minutes, for about 1 hour, 15 minutes longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh should register 160 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the oven, brush with the remaining glaze, loosely tent and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.

Serves 8-10.

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Yummy Links: From Stephanie's Book to Elaine's Salad

partysugar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:50:19 -0700

Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard has landed a book deal. - Eat Me Daily
A recap of what the Internet food world is saying about Top Chef Masters. - Eater
Francis Mallmann, famed Argentine grill master, shares his tips for grilling. - Serious Eats
Jim Beam has released a new flavor: cherry bourbon. - The Epi-Log
Catch up with the newly promoted Leah Cohen from Top Chef 5. - The Feedbag
Make a big garden salad inspired by the one Elaine orders on almost every episode of Seinfeld. - Chow

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Noteworthy Nibbles - May 26-June 2, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:30:35 -0700

If you didn't get your fill of celebrations and libations over Memorial Day weekend, there's plenty more going on, from craft beer tastings to Champagne parties. What will you be attending this week? Feel free to share any other events you're looking forward to below!

The Woodlands, TX: Wine & Food Week - May 26-31
Houston, TX: Tour de Champagne - May 28
Augusta, NJ: Crawfish Fest - May 29-31
Vashon Island, WA: Slow Food Seattle Spring With Seabreeze Farm - May 30
Washington DC: Savor Craft Beer - May 30
Miami, FL: Slow Food Miami Picnic & Pie Contest - May 30
Toms River, NJ: New Jersey State Chili & Salsa Cookoff - May 30
Franklin, AL: Franklin Food & Spirits Festival - May 30-31

To see the rest, read more.

Richmond, VA: Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival - May 30
York, PA: Taste of Pennsylvania - May 30-31
San Francisco, CA: Top Chef Dinner at Scala's Bistro - May 31
Santa Barbara, CA: Taste of Santa Barbara - May 31
Temecula, CA: Field to the Fork - May 31
Cape Cod, MA: Cape Cod Life Food & Wine Festival - May 31-June 6
Palm Springs, CA: Palm Springs Restaurant Week - May 31-June 9
New Orleans, LA: The Global Cocktail Bar Phenomenon - June 1
New York, NY: Wine & Spirits Magazine's Top of the List - June 2

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Happy Hour: Revolver

YumSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:15:06 -0700

On paper - specifically, the menu at San Francisco speakeasy Bourbon and Branch - the combination of bourbon, orange bitters, and coffee liqueur sounds a bit strange. But one sip and it all makes sense. I suggest you broaden your understanding and do the same. If you're partial to bourbon, as I have been lately, or spiked coffee drinks, or orange-flavored dark chocolate desserts, then you'll love the Revolver. It somehow hints at all three concepts while tasting absolutely novel. To get the recipe, read more.

The bar uses Bulleit Bourbon, but I had Maker's Mark on hand, and it works just fine.

Revolver Cocktail
From Bourbon and Branch

Ingredients

2 ounces bourbon (recommended: Bulleit)
1/2 ounce Tia Maria coffee liqueur
2 to 3 dashes orange bitters (recommended: Fee Brothers)
Orange peel for garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients except orange peel in a mixing glass with ice and stir.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and add orange peel.

Makes 1 drink.

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Noteworthy Nibbles - May 5-12, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:00:11 -0700

Many of you are gearing up for Mother's Day, but if you've got some time to spare, there are plenty of enjoyable events worth checking out. There are two national events to note: You can celebrate American Craft Beer Week (find out what is happening in your neck of the woods) and on Saturday, help fight hunger at the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Here at Yum, we're all over the specials going on during Sexy Dishes Week and the new cocktails being showcased at SF Cocktail Week. Where will you be?

Humboldt, TN: West Tennessee Strawberry Festival - May 3-9
Bay Area, CA: Sexy Dishes Week - May 4-8
Atlanta, GA: Taste of the Nation Atlanta - May 6
Manchester, NH: Taste of the Nation Manchester - May 6
Hartford, CT: Taste of the Nation Hartford - May 7
Las Vegas, NV: Vegas Uncork'd - May 7-10
New Orleans, LA: World Cocktail Week in the Big Easy - May 8

To see the rest, read more.

Charlotte, NC: Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival - May 9
Brooklyn, NY: James Beard Dumpling & Noodle Tour - May 9
Anhalt, TX: Cajun Music & Gumbo Cook-Off - May 9
Santa Monica, CA: Los Angeles BBQ Festival - May 9-10
San Francisco, CA: San Francisco Cocktail Week - May 11-18

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Happy Hour: Lemon Mint Julep

partysugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:00:42 -0700

Sometime last week, I came to the realization that I've never had a mint julep. I decided immediately to mix up a round of cocktails. To be authentic, I wanted to serve the icy drink in silver mint julep glasses. However, finding the glasses is not easy. I searched ShopStyle. I called Williams-Sonoma, and Sur la Table. I texted my bartender buddies. To no avail. I couldn't find mint julep glasses anywhere!

Since the vessel does not affect the flavor of the drink, I made it anyway. I'm relieved I did because this classic cocktail is fantastic. With its crushed ice, fragrant mint leaves, zesty lemon syrup, and potent Bourbon, it's surprisingly refreshing and fun to drink. I highly recommend you make one to celebrate the Kentucky Derby.

If your heart is set on serving the concoction in the traditional glass, Stephen Liles, bartender at San Francisco's Boulevard restaurant, told me he got his from a local florist. To look at the recipe, read more.

Lemon Mint Julep
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

17 lemons
3 1/2 cups sugar
32 sprigs mint
Crushed ice
3 cups Kentucky bourbon

Directions

Squeeze 16 of the lemons, reserving the rinds and juice.
In a large saucepan, combine 3 cups of the sugar and 3 cups water, stirring until dissolved. Add the lemon rinds*, and cook over medium heat until the liquid becomes syrupy, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand until room temperature.
Remove, and discard lemon rinds. Stir in the lemon juice, about 4 cups.
Spread remaining 1/2 cup sugar on a small plate. Cut the remaining lemon into quarters.
Rub the wedges along the rims of 16 mint-julep cups or tall glasses, and invert the glasses in the sugar to create a sugared rim.
Crush a few mint leaves into the bottom of each glass with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon.
Fill each glass with ice, and pour 1/2 cup of lemon syrup in each glass. Top off with about 1 1/2 ounces of bourbon per glass. Garnish each glass with a fresh sprig of mint.

Makes 16.

*Be sure to remove the stickers from the fruit before adding to the syrup.

I made 1/4 of the recipe. I used the juice from four lemons and combined 3/4 cup each of sugar and water to make the syrup.

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Happy Hour: Old-Fashioned Cocktail

YumSugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:30:54 -0700

Until I read Imbibe by David Wondrich, a wonderfully nerdy book about the history of boozin', I thought an old-fashioned was bourbon served over ice, sugar, bitters, and a muddle of oranges and maraschino cherries. But turns out, that fruit-laden recipe is pretty much the antithesis of what an old-fashioned cocktail was intended to be. When bartenders first started serving cocktails, they were ridiculously simple: some type of spirit (usually bourbon or gin), gum syrup, bitters, and a shaving of nutmeg. But by the 1870s, so many variations had been introduced - the "fancy cocktail" with curaçoa, the absinthe "improved" version - that purists wanted a return to the original formula. Hence, the old-fashioned cocktail, with the slightly fancier lemon peel taking the place of nutmeg. To get the recipe, read more.

It may sound off-puttingly simple, but I think you'll be surprised at how complex this old-fashioned tastes. If you have simple syrup made, you can use that instead of the water and sugar, but either one works. As a great showcase for bourbon, it would make an ideal drink for a Kentucky Derby party.

Old-Fashioned Cocktail
Modified From Imbibe

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon water
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 ounces bourbon
1 twist of lemon peel
Ice

Directions

Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon sugar with a little water in a whiskey glass. Or place 1 teaspoon of simple syrup in the glass.
Add 2 dashes Angostura biters, a small piece of ice, a small piece of lemon peel, and one jigger bourbon.
Mix with a small barspoon and serve.

Makes 1 drink.

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Come Party With Me: Foodie Thanksgiving - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:30:39 -0800

At Thanksgiving, impress your foodie friends with a sophisticated cocktail. A blend of sweet and dry vermouths and bourbon, the perfect turkey is a seasonal variation of the classic Manhattan. The potent flavor of the whiskey will pair nicely with the rich appetizers. Prepare a pitcher, shake and serve as guests arrive.

Have champagne on hand. Nicolas Feuillatte has some lovely, affordable options. For the meal pour a pinot noir. To look at the recipe for the perfect turkey, read more.

Perfect Turkey
From Bon Appetit

Ingredients

1/4 cup Wild Turkey bourbon
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet vermouth
1 1/2 teaspoons dry vermouth
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice and nutmeg

Directions

Shake bourbon, sweet vermouth, and dry vermouth with ice in a cocktail shaker.
Serve in a Martini glass with a spice-sugared rim (mix 1/4 cup sugar with 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice and nutmeg). Garnish with orange peel.

Makes 1 drink.

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Happy Hour: Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon

YumSugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:15:25 -0700

Though I enjoy the occasional Manhattan, I'm not usually a drinker of straight bourbon. Like scotch, the Kentucky libation always seemed more like a sippin' drink for old dudes. But lately, I've been acquainting myself with these potent brown liquors, and I have to say that neither scotch nor bourbon is anything to be afraid of. (That is, as long as you don't drink too much.)

Case in point: Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon, distilled in Frankfort, KY, has taught me that truly excellent bourbons go down easy - almost too easy - even without a mixer. I recently picked up a bottle of a batch made especially for a San Francisco spirits shop, but you can buy it online for about $50. From the waxed-sealed racehorse-adorned top to the hand-scrawled date, Blanton's is clearly a special-occasion bottle of hooch.

One sip and you'll understand what separates high-end bourbon from everyday booze like Jim Beam. The rich, caramel liquid has the decadent taste of toffee with a hint of woodsy, almost fiery flavor. It's best served over ice or just "neat" in a glass, but if you simply must dilute it, I recommend a bit of water. Have you gotten into high-end bourbons? If so, tell me your opinions below.

Happy Hour: Briar Patch

YumSugar — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:39:31 -0700

On a recent flight, I found myself flipping through the pages of the recent Gourmet magazine, when a bourbon-based drink called Briar Patch caught my eye. I tried my best to wish myself into the photograph, but that didn't happen, so I ended up just wishing I had one instead. I thought that perhaps it was the three screaming children on the flight that made me wish that, however once I landed I still craved the chile-blackberry bourbon mixture. I haven't satiated it yet, but hope to do so soon. If you'd like to join me, check out the recipe, just read more

Briar Patch
From Gourmet Magazine September 2007

1 1/2 oz (3 tbsp) bourbon
1/2 oz (1 tablespoon) chile blackberry syrup (recipe follows)
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
About 1/4 cup chilled club soda or seltzer
mint sprig

Combine bourbon and chile blackberry syrup by shaking in a cocktail shaker (without ice) or whisking together in a glass measuring cup.
Fill an 8oz glass with ice, then pour bourbon mixture over ice.
Add lemon juice and top off with club soda.
Garnish with mint sprig.

Chile Blackberry Syrup

4 dried pasilla chiles (1 oz) wiped clean
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup blackberries (3 1/2 oz)

Discard stems from chiles. Break chiles (with seeds) into a medium saucepan, then boil with sugar, water, and lemon juice, stirring until sugar is dissolved and until mixture is reduced to about 2 cups, 10 to 15 minutes.
Purée blackberries in a blender then force through fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl, discarding seeds (do not clean blender).
Purée chile mixture in blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then strain through sieve into heatproof bowl, pressing on and discarding solids. Whisk chile purée into puréed berries and cool syrup to room temperature.

Syrup keeps, covered and chilled, one month.

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