A tasty reason to make a turkey dinner

Ourfriends south of the border are celebrating Thanksgiving this week, and since we love turkey so much, why should we have to wait until nearly the end of December to enjoy it again?

This recipe is a great twist on traditional turkey dinner, and because it involves the thighs only, you also don’t have to throw out your back lifting 25 lbs out of your grocery cart.

It’s often said for health reasons to avoid the white versions of certain foods such as eating brown rice instead of white and orange potatoes instead of white, which is what we’re doing here. How many times have I carved a bird only to hear people say “Could I have the white meat only?” OK, maybe the dark meat is higher in fat content but it is really more conducive to this style of longer, moist-heat cooking that will turn you into a dark meat lover!

There’s actually no evidence that turkey was ever served at that very first pilgrim meal, although other game birds were mentioned, as well as fresh venison. Turkey is an animal not only indigenous to the Americas but also the shoulder of the Conestoga Expressway!

By slow cooking the turkey in this dish, it will be very moist and tender. By making a glaze with the cooking liquid, it will be both sweet and savoury, as well as retaining all of the flavour and nutrients.

The buttermilk and orange juice in the mash will make it rich and creamy but still be so low in fat that you’ll have to eat some of the turkey skin to make up for it!

Serve it with your favourite green veggies and you’ve got a perfectly balanced plate, both visually and nutritionally.