Koji Turkey
By Tim ChinPublished on October 30, 2016
Yield
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Shio koji is a Japanese seasoning that has been used for centuries to marinate meats and pickle vegetables and can even be used as a sauce. The enzymes in shio koji tenderize meats and enhance their flavor, adding intense savory depth. Shio koji takes at least a week to make, so start it well in advance of when you plan to make this recipe. We prefer the flavor of our homemade shio koji, but if time is short you can purchase ready-made shio koji. We call for one whole bone-in turkey breast, also known as a turkey crown, and two turkey leg quarters (thigh and drumstick attached), but you can also buy a 12- to 14-pound whole turkey and butcher it yourself into these same parts.
Instructions
- Process shio koji in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. Reserve 3 tablespoons blended shio koji in airtight container in refrigerator. Transfer remaining blended shio koji to large stockpot or large plastic container and whisk in water, sugar, and 1 1/2 cups salt until dissolved. Add turkey parts to brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 16 hours.
- Remove turkey parts from brine and pat dry with paper towels; set aside at room temperature. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Toss potatoes, carrots, shallots, 2 tablespoons shio koji, 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl to combine. Season with pepper. Arrange vegetables on prepared sheet and top with wire rack (rack will rest on vegetables). Arrange thyme sprigs in single layer on rack. Whisk melted butter and remaining 1 tablespoon shio koji until combined; set aside.
- Place turkey parts on prepared rack, skin side up, and brush skin with 1 tablespoon oil. Season with pepper and cover loosely with foil. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to roast for 25 minutes longer. Rotate sheet, brush skin with shio koji–butter mixture (if butter mixture has solidified, reheat in microwave for 10 to 20 seconds). and roast until breast registers 155 degrees F/68 degrees C and thighs register 170 degrees F/77 degrees C, 25 to 45 minutes, removing pieces as they come to temperature. (If any portions of the turkey skin are browning too rapidly, re-cover them with foil.)
- Transfer turkey to carving board, tent with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees F/230 degrees C. Remove rack and continue to roast vegetables until vegetables are tender and potatoes are spotty brown, about 30 minutes longer, stirring halfway through. Transfer vegetables to serving bowl. Carve turkey and transfer to serving platter. Serve.
Yield
Serves 10 to 12Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Thanksgiving turkey can be an exercise in culinary futility. Cooking one for the holiday meal too often results in a disappointing centerpiece with anemic skin and bland, dry, overcooked meat. But I knew I could do better. After all, I was armed with koji.
After learning about the great tenderizing and radical flavor-enhancing properties of shio koji, I wanted to put them to use once again. Shio koji is a traditional use of koji, the ancient mold that gives us soy sauce, miso, fermented bean paste, and sake. It’s made by combining rice koji, salt, and water and letting the mixture ferment for a week. You can make it at home or buy it online. The enzymes present in koji—and in shio koji—help break down the proteins in meat, causing turkey, for example, to retain juices and remain moist. These enzymes also add a deeply savory, umami-forward flavor.
I decided to blend the shio koji with water and additional salt to make a brine, which added water and seasoning to the turkey along with koji’s meat-enhancing properties. I even lacquered the skin at the end of cooking with a coat of shio koji–spiked butter to give a burnished appearance and add even more savory-sweet flavor. For good measure, I roasted some vegetables underneath the turkey, where they could catch all those amazing koji-fied drippings.
by Tim Chin
Before You Begin
Shio koji is a Japanese seasoning that has been used for centuries to marinate meats and pickle vegetables and can even be used as a sauce. The enzymes in shio koji tenderize meats and enhance their flavor, adding intense savory depth. Shio koji takes at least a week to make, so start it well in advance of when you plan to make this recipe. We prefer the flavor of our homemade shio koji, but if time is short you can purchase ready-made shio koji. We call for one whole bone-in turkey breast, also known as a turkey crown, and two turkey leg quarters (thigh and drumstick attached), but you can also buy a 12- to 14-pound whole turkey and butcher it yourself into these same parts.
Instructions
- Process shio koji in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. Reserve 3 tablespoons blended shio koji in airtight container in refrigerator. Transfer remaining blended shio koji to large stockpot or large plastic container and whisk in water, sugar, and 1 1/2 cups salt until dissolved. Add turkey parts to brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 16 hours.
- Remove turkey parts from brine and pat dry with paper towels; set aside at room temperature. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Toss potatoes, carrots, shallots, 2 tablespoons shio koji, 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl to combine. Season with pepper. Arrange vegetables on prepared sheet and top with wire rack (rack will rest on vegetables). Arrange thyme sprigs in single layer on rack. Whisk melted butter and remaining 1 tablespoon shio koji until combined; set aside.
- Place turkey parts on prepared rack, skin side up, and brush skin with 1 tablespoon oil. Season with pepper and cover loosely with foil. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to roast for 25 minutes longer. Rotate sheet, brush skin with shio koji–butter mixture (if butter mixture has solidified, reheat in microwave for 10 to 20 seconds). and roast until breast registers 155 degrees F/68 degrees C and thighs register 170 degrees F/77 degrees C, 25 to 45 minutes, removing pieces as they come to temperature. (If any portions of the turkey skin are browning too rapidly, re-cover them with foil.)
- Transfer turkey to carving board, tent with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees F/230 degrees C. Remove rack and continue to roast vegetables until vegetables are tender and potatoes are spotty brown, about 30 minutes longer, stirring halfway through. Transfer vegetables to serving bowl. Carve turkey and transfer to serving platter. Serve.
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