The turkey's the thing

In today's NYT Dining & Wine, Kim Severson recounts tales of turkeys past:

I have done foolish things in pursuit of a delicious Thanksgiving turkey. I have cooked them in the style of countries I've never visited. I've dismembered them raw. I have stood in a cold garage drinking beer while men I barely knew poked at one floating in a caldron of hot oil. I've hunted down 12 perfect juniper berries and submerged them, along with a turkey raised more carefully than a Montessori student, in a tub of salted water overnight. I've massaged butter into breasts and stuffed sage leaves under skin. I've soaked cheesecloth in butter and flipped hot carcasses from one side to the other.

Several weeks ago, a friend gently suggested that serious cooks spend entirely too much time thinking about the Thanksgiving turkey. Naturally, I thought about that. Is the time and money spent on a gamy American Bronze heritage turkey worth it when most guests prefer the bland flavor of the Broad-Breasted White they grew up eating? Is 24 hours of preparation excessive, when that time might be better spent on traditional holiday pursuits like creating a spectacular pumpkin pie or actively ignoring your family?

On the Thanksgiving plate, turkey is never the star nor the most memorable dish. Turkey recipes are not passed down through generations, like your grandmother's cranberry relish. No one remembers the turkey unless it is bad.

I beg to differ. The turkey has been the star of my (CDN) Thanksgiving table for years. It is, in fact, the centerpiece of the meal, the bride, if you will, accompanied by sweet potato souffle and garlic mashed potato bridesmaids (in dresses of their own choosing), and followed by a honeymoon of pumpkin and cranberry nut pies. I play with the hors d'oeuvres, the soup, the dressing and the vegetables, but year after year, the turkey is the star. People ask me about it, starting in July. Trust me, it matters.

And now, it can be yours for the making. Don't be inimidated, it's not hard. The prep work is easy to dole out to various aspiring chefs and helpers. I ignore the part about the vegetables, stuff with quartered lemons, apples or pears and assorted herbs, and baste with a mixture of apple cider, butter & oil. Make this with the leftover chipotles - SO good.