Thanksgiving Spotlight on
Mary Beth Lawton Johnson, CEPC, CCC Certified Chef de Cuisine, Certified Executive Pastry Chef, Culinary Designer.
Chef Mary Beth Lawton Johnson has been cooking incredible meals on the land and on the sea for over 25 years. As a professional chef who has made her career as a private personal chef in the luxury field, Chef Johnson is the recipient of numerous culinary and visionary awards in her field and is often in the media for her expertise, as well as appearing on television, and she writes for major media publications. We are truly grateful to have her tips for making a memorable, mouth-watering Thanksgiving feast!
The Turkey and all the Trimmings
The best way to cook a turkey is to place breast side up. Take out the innards (gizzards, heart, etc.) usually found in a bag in the cavity. If using a roasting pan, you can put hardy vegetables like carrots, parsnips, potatoes under the turkey so that when the turkey is cooking, the drippings from the turkey will soak into the vegetables and so will the basting liquid, which flavors them!
New Twist to Stuffing
Stuff the cavity with onions, apples, or the stuffing that you prefer. Salt and pepper the turkey inside and out. Try fresh herbs because it really flavors the turkey, along with lemons and apples.
Keep your Turkey Moist!
The best basting liquid is white wine, chicken broth and butter. Use equal parts of organic chicken broth and white wine, preferably a dry chardonnay and melt two sticks of butter, then mix it together. Dip flat squares of cheesecloth into the basting liquid. Place on top of each breast, covering the entire breast portion. Roast the turkey according to the time indicated for its weight. Be sure to baste it every thirty minutes to keep the cheese cloth moist.