Category: DLM Culinary Center

I love all the November food magazines, blogs, and chefs all claiming they have finally found the best way to cook a turkey. Truth is, there is no one and only best way to cook it. Deciding on the desired end results will help the home cook figure out which particular cooking method can get them there.

Lots of families want the whole roasted bird as the centerpiece of their holiday table. While others want crispy, crackly skin with juicy tender meat inside, sans the stress of carving at the table. Some of us want a simple method that yields easy clean up, with just enough breast meat leftover for sandwiches. Others are in it for the adventure! Whatever you’re looking for, here are three ideas for how to prepare your locally raised Non-GMO DLM Free-Range Turkey, the turkey that’s the talk of the town!

1. The Traditional Whole Roasted Turkey

Step 1: Remove the neck and gizzards and discard or place in the bottom of the roasting pan if you desire. Rinse the turkey, drain well, and pat dry.

Step 2: Rub skin with Vera Jane’s Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and season well with Kosher salt and DLM Grilling & Seasoning Rub.

Step 3: Fill the cavity with celery, onion, and a quartered lemon. Add an inch of water to the pan and roast covered (uncover at end to lightly brown).

Step 4: Pull when meat thermometer reads 165ºF in the thigh. Let turkey rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. It’s that simple! Hint: If turkey is too large to fit in your pan, see No. 3 below for a Spatchcocked Turkey.

2. Turkey Breast

We all know that dark meat is the most flavorful, but for those white meat fans, roasting a turkey breast is just the ticket.

Step 1: Try rubbing it with an herb butter, either making your own or using our DLM Herb Butter from The DLM Cheese Shop. Rub all over the outside and even tuck some under the skin!

Step 2: Choose a pan that’s slightly larger than your breast. Add about an inch of liquid to it. Try DLM Premium Turkey Broth or channel your inner Ina Garten and use white wine.

Step 3: Cook low and slow to keep meat from drying out. Preheat oven to 325ºF and cook until it reaches 165ºF.

2. Spatchcocked

The benefits are plenty—cut down on cooking time and maximize that crispy skin!

Step 1: Remove turkey’s backbone using a good pair of kitchen shears. Or, ask our Meat department associates to do this for you. Flatten turkey in pan, breast-side up, pushing down on breast bones. Pull thighs outward.

Step 2: Rub with Vera Jane’s Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper on both sides! Or, use a dry brine for extra crispy skin. Sit turkey uncovered overnight in the fridge.

Step 3: Cook to 165ºF. To carve, remove legs and wings and slice breast meat, paying attention to cut away from breastbone.

Growing up, my husband’s family had ham every single Easter, whereas at my house, our holiday meal centerpiece rotated between lamb, fish, or the occasional ham. We still debate over which one of our meals was the best. Of course, I think mine was always better as I loved the changing variety of that spring celebration meal. What did your family have on the spring celebration table growing up?

Although ham is an easy choice for a delicious centerpiece, especially when you have our signature Heavenly Ham® as an option, a roasted leg of lamb can be a bit more showy. Even though it looks and tastes ultra-elegant, it really is pretty simple to make at home. After experimenting with several recipes, one of my favorites is Rosemary & Garlic Lamb.

I also love how lamb pairs so nicely with other “springy” things like asparagus, goat cheese, tender lettuces, and the newly released rosés that combine to make a delightful meal. So if you haven’t mixed up your menu lately, spring is always a good time to start. It may be time to save the ham and eggs for the brunch table this year and look to lamb. (Even better, you’ll notice that we’re having a Leg of Lamb Sale in this week’s Club Deals.)

Speaking of lamb, my husband and his six siblings took turns sculpting the lamb out of butter for the table centerpiece (yes, it had cloves for eyes). It was a very big deal and as grown adults they still talk fondly about making that lamb-shaped butter.

But in my family it was all about the lamb cake. My mom had a lamb cake mold that she would get out every year to make a rich, plain pound cake in the shape of this adorable animal. Then my siblings and I would get to decorate it with white buttercream frosting, coconut flakes, and whatever color jelly beans we didn’t want to eat. Although I can’t quite remember what the finished cakes looked like, I do remember how much I love that frosting/coconut combo. Who cares about jelly beans?

I’d love to hear about your springtime traditions!