Not so early

This morning while I was doing my usual Saturday morning "thing", drink coffee, read the paper and watch Food/Cooking Channels, there were a couple of different adverts for the upcoming holidays.  I started to think that it would not be such a bad idea if I did a few things that would help our "well oiled machine" get through holiday prep a little bit better.

I think that the best I can start with is to make Turkey Broth/Stock for Thanksgiving.  I will go to the store for turkey legs, roast them, and then make stock from them.  If I have the broth made, I can at least save myself a step or two come the holiday.  Of course, I will have the gizzards/neck & all the other stuff that comes out of the bird to make broth with, but what is better than having lots of gravy.  No really, you can't get much better than good gravy.  I love a good gravy.  Then I can make all the turkey stuff that you are supposed to have as reruns, problem is that I really don't have that many left-overs.

I have already decided on two turkeys, about 14 pounds each.  I always make two, maybe I should do three.  We brine both birds but cook each differently.  Last year one was roasted in the oven and the other I had deboned.  The butcher at the market did not really understand that I wanted the whole bird deboned, so Andrew had to complete the task.  We brined them for about 36 hours, dried, rubbed the the entire bird, inside and out, with some of Andrew's "Secret Rub".  The deboned bird was stuffed, then rolled, and finally tied.  I know this year I want to do another boneless bird, I am going to see if Andrew will smoke the second bird.  That is a long drawn out affair, but entirely worth it.  It just tastes fantabulous.  The roasted bird is delicious too.

Oh, how I loved that brioche stuffing.  It was like someone killed me and sent me to heaven......

I think this week the preparations should begin.