Have you experienced the flavor and texture of a pasture-raised heritage turkey yet? Let us know if you have a favorite breed in the comments below!
About Heritage Turkeys
Before supermarkets and distributors made the Broad-Breasted White turkey the dominant bird on the market and the turkey most Americans are familiar with, diverse breeds such as the Narragansetts and Jersey Buffs offered families a turkey with greater flavor and texture. Now such turkeys, known as heritage breeds or “standard” turkeys, are making a move to be on your table this Thanksgiving.
Prized for their rich flavor and beautiful plumage, heritage turkeys are the ancestors of the common Broad-Breasted White industrial breed of turkey that comprises 99.99% of the supermarket turkeys sold today. But the heritage breeds still exist and are making a comeback. Most breeds of heritage turkey were developed in the United States and Europe over hundreds of years, and were identified in the American Poultry Association’s turkey Standard of Perfection of 1874. These breeds include the Standard Bronze, Bourbon Red, Jersey Buff, Slate, Black Spanish, Narragansett and White Holland.
With rich-tasting meat that is more moist and flavorful than the mass produced large-breasted turkeys of today, heritage breeds owe their taste to diverse diets and extended life-spans. Dining on fresh grass and insects, these birds exercise and even help control farmers’ pest problems. And while large corporations, which value high breast meat production in a short period, have dominated turkey production and breeding since the 1960s, heritage breeds have been quietly gaining a renewed respect and increased market share due to their flavor and superior biological diversity.
Raising heritage breeds is more costly and time consuming than raising White-Breasted Toms. While supermarket turkeys grow to an average of 32 pounds over 18 weeks, Heritage birds take anywhere from 24-30 weeks to reach their market weight. But those who have tasted Heritage Breeds say the cost, and the wait, are well worth it.
The two breeds that have been raised at Nash’s Organic Produce are and Bourbon Red, with Narragansett making up most of the flock.
Roasted Heritage Turkey
Because your heritage turkey was raised the old-fashioned way—with plenty of grass, insects and sunshine—it needs to be cooked quite differently than the modern, factory-farmed counterpart. This tried and true recipe will make the best of your heritage bird this year.
7-9 pound fresh heritage turkey at room temperature
Kosher or sea salt & fresh ground pepper
3 cups giblet broth (see below)
Rosemary maple butter (see recipe below)
Oiled parchment paper (found at kitchen stores)
Rub turkey inside and out with salt and pepper.
Loosen the skin around the breast with your fingers and insert rosemary maple butter between the meat and the skin as well as on the inside of the bird’s cavity.
Set bird in deep roasting pan. Use a wire rack to lift the bird off the bottom of the pan.
Add the giblet broth to the bottom of the pan. Using a sheet of oiled parchment paper, tent the roasting pan with the oiled parchment paper. Any type of cooking oil can be used. Brush it on both sides with a pastry brush. The parchment paper is easily affixed to the roasting pan with a strip of foil on each end or you can use clean, oiled wooden clothespins. Remove parchment paper and the last 30 minutes of cooking to develop a crispy, golden skin.
Preheat oven to 425-450 F. Roast the bird until the thigh temperature reaches 140-150 F. Let the bird rest 10-15 minutes before carving to let the juices settle.
A word about basting
Quick roasting at high temperatures means the oven temperature needs to be maintained and frequent basting defeats that purpose. By adding butter under the skin, the bird is self-basted. Baste the bird when you remove the parchment tent. If there is not enough liquid for basting, add either more water or wine.
Giblet Broth
2 cups white wine (a deep, oaky chardonnay lends a wonderful taste)
2 cups water
Giblets & neck
Bay leaf
Simmer everything in a small saucepan for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf and neck. Giblets can be discarded if they aren’t your type of thing or they can be finely chopped and added to the broth.
Rosemary Maple Butter
1/2 pound butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
Bring butter to room temperature and whip all ingredients together.
We thank Sandra Kay Miller for this recipe.