Roasted Heritage Turkey

    
Creating the perfect roasted bird is not that difficult but there are a few “rules” that must be followed. Remember that you are not preparing the mass produced commercial supermarket bird of today. Therefore keep in mind that the carcass structure will be a bit different. It is quite natural to expect the humped breast bone and less meat to the bone ratio, and the bird will be somewhat leaner. These birds develop more muscle due to the free range which required a bit longer cooking time. This natural characteristic enhances the flavor that is often missing from the commercial bird.
Pre heat oven to 325 degrees
Rinse 12-18 lb turkey well, inside and out with cold running water. Pat dry inside and out.  Rub bird in side with mixture of 3/4 tsp salt and ¼ tsp of fresh ground pepper. I do not stuff the birds, Using skewers I pin the neck skin to the underside of the bird and fold the wings behind the back (akimbo style), tie drumsticks together to reduce cavity space.
Rub the entire bird with butter.  Sprinkle bird on the outside with ½ tsp salt and ½  tsp pepper. Place turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan place 1 ½ cups water.   Place open in oven for 30 min. Remove from oven and baste exterior with natural juices, cover tightly  return to oven. Plan to bake bird for 15-20 min per pound.
Doneness can be checked by drumstick feels tender when pressed and juices from bird run clear. Internal meat thermometer should reach 180 degrees.
30 minutes before bird is to complete baking time. Remove cover baste bird with natural juices return to oven in open roasting pan to brown lightly.
(Dressing can be made separately using neck/heart/gizzard and baked later as part of bird cooking time). 
Prepared by Good Shepherd Test Kitchens

Chicken Recipes

There was a time when grandma’s main grocery store was her back yard.  Each one of her birds served a special purpose. She had Barred Rocks, for fried chicken, Jersey Black Giants for baking, Silver Laced Wyandotte's, for broiling and Dark Indian Game Cornish for her tasty chicken salad sandwiches. Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch is proud to bring back that diversity in your poultry buying. Today you can serve at your table those same birds that are celebrated for their distinctive texture and exceptional flavor. There is no other smell than that of a heritage bird being cooked for a dinner of Grandma's Sunday Baked Chicken or that of a hearty bowl of Chicken filled with steaming hot dumplings. You'll find our Heritage bird has more flavorful dark meat with just the right amount of white meat that hasn't lost that flavor. Here is a collection of time honored recipes.

Laura’s  Summer Picnic  Fried  Chicken

There is nothing that can compare to home fried chicken. Laura Reese could kill, pluck, clean and fry a chicken before you could get to, and from, local Chicken Shack in town. She had a way of cooking chicken that you’d swear it was God sent. Her culinary talents were uncomplicated but by no means uninspiring. Her cooking was no family secret she simply had mastered her craft by repetition. Laura had a big well seasoned cast iron frying pan that was a family heirloom. By combining basic elements her cooking was delightfully and deliciously  predictable.

 Recipe:

1 selected Good Shepherd selected frying chicken     1/4tsp pepper

¾ cup flour                                                                  ½ cup butter

1 tsp salt                                                                      cooking oil

¼ cup water                                                                

Cut chicken into halves or quarters. Wash carefully and  pat dry. Shake in bag with flour, salt and pepper. Place in cast iron skillet with pre heated cooking  oil  and brown on all sides. Reduce heat , add butter. Cover pieces, and cook approx  20 min turn and add ¼ cup water, cover and cook for 20 min on low heat or until thoroughly cooked.

When ready to serve turn heat back up to medium high and cook uncovered chicken for 5 minutes turning occasionally .

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Great Grandmothers Gustaf Laverne Bair’s  Chicken and Noodles

Immigrants brought their family recipes with them when they came to America. Food was part of their identity. Not only as ethnic these recipes were often part of individual families identity. Mostly close in there ingredient these common became personalized by adding small amounts of flavors or spices to bring its identity closer to each family. Such was the case of Laverne Blair a strong woman originating from England Grandmother Blair had learned the importance of making the most of anything including stretching the availability of food during the cold winter months. Often a few birds were kept over during the winter months just to make Chicken and noodles.

     Recipe:  1 selected Good Shepherd roasting Chicken

Cut up chicken and place in slow cooker on low add seasoning and enough water to cover chicken completely.  Add 1tsp salt and 1/2tsp ground pepper Cook 4-6 hours on low heat adding water so bird remains covered.  Remove chicken with slotted spoon and transfer broth to a large pan.  Allow chicken to cool just enough to be able to work with it with your hands, pull chicken off bones and tear into bite size pieces, return chicken back to broth,  bring to a slow boil and add desired noodles and cook until noodles are tender.  Serve Chicken and Noodles over mashed potatoes.

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Grandma Litke's Sunday Baked Chicken

Grandma Litke was a God fearing woman and never missed Church on Sunday, which meant she had to get up early to start Sunday dinner. One of her Sunday specials was baked chicken. She’d get everything ready and just before she walked out the door it all went into the oven. She knew her hen would take longer to bake than most and she had the cooking time planed according to the standard  45minute  sermon, 3 hymns, the offering and the preacher handshake as they went out the door of the church.  Bt the time they had arrived home the house smelled wonderful, and the bird, well the bird was cooked to perfection.

Pre heat oven to 325 degrees

Recipe: I Good Shepherd baking hen cut into frying size pieces. 

1 cup white flour,                        1tsp of salt.                                                                                                           1 tsp pepper,                                1/2 tsp powdered garlic

2/3cup Cooking oil                  sliced onions

1 cup water

 Rinse and  remove excess water. Bread pieces in dry mixture of  flour, seasonings

(I use a plastic bag for this) Heat 2/3 cup of shortening (I like buttered flavor best) in a Skillet (cast iron works best) brown pieces on both sides using med/high heat. Remove from skillet. Select large enough covered baker and place low rack in the bottom. Place a small onion that has been sliced into large pieces on the rack. Lay browned pieces of chicken on top of onions. Pour in 1 cup of water. Cover tightly and place into heated oven for approx 3hr and 15 min (cooking time is to be adjusted 15 min for each pound of bird)

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Helena  Longhofer's Wheat Harvest Midday Chicken

Wheat harvest is still a community event and while the harvest is more efficient than ever one thing that is constant is the need to feed the ever hungry harvest workers. Cooking had to be ready when the harvesters took lunch break.  This recipe was used by my Grandmother and Great-grandmother to feed large groups of harvesters.  It was often served cold on sandwiches or kept warm and served with piping hot mashed potatoes. There are many variations of this delicious tasty way to prepare a bird, and its oh-so-good...

Recipe: 1 Good Shepherd frying Chicken cut into frying size pieces

.           1 cup flour                               ¾ tsp salt

            1 tsp poultry seasoning                        1/2tsp ground pepper

            Paprika (optional)                    cooking oil

            1 cup whipping cream             ½ cup  half & half      

Rinse and pat pieces to remove excess water. Make mixture of 1 cup flour (whole wheat can be used ) 3/4 tsp salt ,1 tsp poultry seasoning, and 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper, (small amt of Paprika can be  added to create color) Dredge chicken pieces in mixture then fry until lightly brown  Place pieces in a roasting pan and pour mixture of 1 cup of whipping cream and 1/2 cup half and half, cover and bake at 325 for 2 -2 ½ hours. You can make a very rich gravy with the pan drippings

Note: Variation on above recipe: use 1 1/2 can of condensed milk instead of cream. And add 1 large sliced onion while baking pieces, after baking is completed remove bones and spoon mixture over home made biscuits. Be ready for seconds.

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Aunt Virginias Roets  Christmas  Roast Goose

Virginia Roet collected everything, you could walk into her home and if you were looking for something I could almost guarantee if you looked long enough you could find it. So it was with her collection of recipes. Aunt Virginia had a recipe for pretty much everything and family and friends  often depended on her for the unusual recipe. Here is her never fail traditional Holiday Roast Goose.

Select a 10-12 lb Good Shepherd Heritage Goose

For Stuffing Prep: remove fat from cavity, remove neck, giblets. And place in enough cold water to cover and bring to boil for about 12 1/2 hours. Remove meat from neck, discard bones and mince giblets   (plan to use this in stuffing and to make gravy.

GOOSE: Rub inside of goose with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, place prepared stuffing (see below) in bird (do not pack tightly) Close cavity with poultry pins. Tie legs and place wings folded close to the body (you may remove the wing tips) Take a poultry pin and prick bird allover (this will help release the grease) Place bird breast side down in open roasting pan with rack.  Pour 2 -2/1/2 cups of boiling water over goose  and roast at 400' degrees for 1 hour then reduce temperature to 350'  Remove goose from oven discard liquid from pan , turn goose (breast side up) and pour 2-2 1/2 cups boiling water over bird. Return to oven for additional 1 hour or longer. Remove form oven and let stand for 15-20 minutes before carving, reserve fat in pan to make gravy.

 STUFFING: 1 lb white bread cubed and dried, Reserved cooked and minced giblets from the goose, 2 tablespoons light olive oil, 1/2 stick of butter, 3 garlic cloves, 2-3 medium white onions, 3 to 4 stocks of celery, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons of dried sage cut into large pieces, 2 cups of chicken stock (canned will do) 4 med eggs well beaten, salt and pepper to taste.

Place olive oil, butter, garlic, onions and celery, and parsley in a frying pan. Cook until vegetables are tender. Add bread cubes and remaining ingredients mix until well blended. Place loosely into bird cavity. Roast bird as directed.

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Perfectly Roasted Good Shepherd Turkey

Traditions are a long standing part of American Heritage, and there is nothing that says Thanksgiving better than a perfectly roasted Turkey. The smell of the traditional turkey quietly roasting in the oven can bring a house to life. The wood stove, once the center of attraction, in the main kitchen created some of the most unforgettable meals for the family. That stove also held a key to the essence of the house that came alive each time the burning wood would heat its fire pit and chambers. And as it warmed the kitchen its creaks and groans invited the walls, floors ceilings and those in it to join in revitalizing the slumbering life of the house. And as the aromas of the turkey cooking permeated throughout the house and there was a quiet understanding of why the taste buds responded with anticipation of the coming special event. Good Shepherd Turkeys carry within them the ability to once again call upon the taste of the day’s gone bye. Pre heat oven to 325 degrees Rinse 12-16 lb turkey well, inside and out with cold running water. Pat dry inside and out. Rub bird in side with mixture of 3/4 tsp salt and ¼ tsp of fresh ground pepper. I do not stuff the birds, using skewers I pin the neck skin to the underside of the bird and fold the wings behind the back (akimbo-style), tie drumsticks together to reduce cavity space. Rub the entire bird with butter. Sprinkle bird on the outside with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Place turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan place 1 ½ cups water Place open in oven for 30 min. Remove from oven and baste exterior with natural juices cover tightly return to oven that has had temp reduced to 325 degrees. Plan to bake bird for 15-20 min per pound. To increase moisture and natural flavor 1 ½ hours after baking remove bird from oven. Using an injector, draw and inject breast, thighs and drumsticks with cooked juices. Add 1 small-med cubed yellow onion to cavity (small amounts of rubbed sage, rosemary may be added to cavity at this time if desired) Return to oven in tightly sealed roasting pan. Bake according to time/weight ratio. Doneness can be checked by drumstick feels tender when pressed and juices from bird run clear. Internal meat thermometer should reach 180 degrees. 30 minutes before bird is to complete baking time. Remove cover baste bird with ½ natural juices and ½ butter return to oven in open roasting pan to brown lightly. (Dressing can be made separately using neck/heart/gizzard and baked later as part of bird cooking time). ____________________________________________________________________________

 Nora Pickering’s Turkey Meat Loaf

Nora Pickering experienced the depression of the 30’s. She and her family learned to survive on less, much less, than most. Nora had a saying “If  it’ll hold still long enough I’ll either freeze it or can it for later” Later for Nora meant for the hard times. With her past experience she had learned to make the most of everything. Her turkey meat loaf is a perfect example of how to stretch your dollar and not lose the goodness and flavor

Recipe: Select 1- ¼  lbs GSTR ground turkey                        1med choped  onion

                        ½ cup bread crumbs                            6 slices GSTR Bacon browned

                        1/2 tsp salt                                           2 tbls chopped bell pepper

                        ¼ cup water                                         1 egg

                        ½ tsp dried oregano                             ½ tsp dried basil

1,  8oz can tomato sauce                     1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Catsup to top

Combine all ingredients; place in a lightly greased 9X5x3 load pan or shape in loaf form and place in lightly greased 1 quart baking dish. Bake in pre heated 350 degree oven for 55- 60 min or until meat is no longer pink in center of loaf.  Unmold on platter top with Catsup  serves 4