Talking turkey
Chef Clint Walker
Chef Clint Walker, executive sous chef at Hard Rock Cincinnati, is a Northern Kentucky native and veteran of the culinary scene in Cincinnati.
Living and working “out of the box” is Chef Walker’s style. He love to eat and teach people his craft, so below he offers some tips to make your Thanksgiving meal the best one yet!
How do I keep the turkey from drying out?
Make a liquid brine of salt and water overnight.
When brining a turkey in a brining liquid, the juices of the turkey come out into liquid, or brine, and the salted water will go back into the turkey. This will keep your turkey moist and flavorful.
FYI, the salt to water ratio for brine is one gallon of water to one cup of salt.
what’s your secret for good Gravy?
Chicken stock, carrot, celery, onions, rosemary, thyme, pinch of salt and pepper, bring all these ingredients to a boil, and reduce to a simmer by halfway. Strain and bring back to a boil and thicken with a slurry –s a thickening agent made of corn starch and cold water.
is there a better – but not boring – way to make green beans?
Yes! In a crockpot, take fresh green beans, onion, garlic, chicken and vegetable stock, salt and pepper, onion and garlic powder, smoked cottage pork butt on a medium high heat for five hours. Add potatoes for another three hours, for a total eight hours of cook time.
What can I do with all the leftovers?
For breakfast, try turkey, eggs, bacon, and cheddar cheese are great additions for breakfast burritos.
Buffalo turkey dip.
Turkey grilled cheese but use cold mac-n-cheese as the cheese, then add other ingredients as you see fit.
Make Thanksgiving soup – turkey, onion, carrot, celery, chicken stock, some of the turkey gravy, salt, and pepper, served with a side of stuffing.