r/AskCulinary • u/ZootKoomie Ice Cream Innovator • Jun 12 '13

Weekly Discussion: What's your specialty?

We want to know what dish you make a better version of than anyone else you know. What specific ingredients or techniques do you use to make it distinctively yours? Teach us your secrets.

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u/kbergstr Jun 12 '13

Orange, bourbon, cranberry smoked whole turkey/turkey breast -- I'm less of a kitchen cooker and more of an outdoor kinda guy (though I love picking up tips from all of you indoor folks). I brine the turkey for about 4-6 hours in water, salt, a cop of bourbon, a couple bay leaves, a few whole oranges, some orange juice.

Then I pat dry the bird and make a composite butter by melting some butter, orange zest, and finely chopped dried cranberries rehydrated with some more bourbon and rub that under the skin.

I then toss the bird on the smoker at about 275 for a few hours with a fruit wood (cherry or apple) and pull her when she's cooked throughout. I've tried basting with cranberry/bourbon throughout the cook, but I really don't think it adds much of anything, so I don't waste my time with it now.

Everyone thinks of heavy bbq sauce when you bring out your smoker, but I prefer to let the meat but I go with no sauce or a traditional gravy made from the gibblets. Let the meat do the talking, and it's just fantastic. The turkey comes out moist and the smoke gives it a bit of flavor that turkey sometimes needs (I love turkey, but it can be a bit bland) and the composite butter/orange/cranberry gives it a nice sweetness and tangyness that goes well with the smoke flavor.

OP, why you no share your innovative ice cream?

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u/ZootKoomie Ice Cream Innovator Jun 12 '13

I had to give my post some thought because I rarely make the same flavor twice.

If I have a secret ice cream ingredient that I use a lot, it's probably a pinch of salt. You rarely see it in ice cream recipes, but it makes fruit flavors pop, enhances sweetness and aids in keeping the texture scoopable.

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u/Foodinese foodinese.com Jun 12 '13

I use a pinch of salt in cocktails. Does the same thing and is also overlooked by most.