You could spend Thanksgiving morning wrestling with one gargantuan turkey. Or you could do what Upper West Sider Chef Renee Marton does and opt for roasting two, more petite birds. If that sounds like twice the work, it’s not.  And when the turkey comes to the table and your guests are done oohing and aahing over your handiwork, you won’t be left to decide whether Aunt Bess or cousin Sally gets the drumstick.  With two birds, there’s double the usual number of the turkey’s most prized parts.

While not producing a Norman Rockwell tableau, two smaller turkeys are better than one because:
•    A more petite turkey is easier to carve.
•    There are more legs, thighs, wings and pieces of breast to go around.
•    If you have a couple of carving-enthusiasts at your table, they won’t have to fight over who gets to cut up the bird.
•    Last, but not least, two birds yield more leftovers than one.

Turkey 101. Try to find humanely raised turkeys, grown without antibiotics, hormones and pesticides. Buy from a butcher so you can ask questions. Butchers aren’t necessarily pricey. Even Costco has butchers. Organic is nice if you can spend the extra money. There’s always Butterball, that old standby. Other turkey essentials:
•    Some people think toms taste better than hens.
•    Heritage birds—turkeys with a history, so to speak—have a gamier taste. Roast one regular turkey and one heritage variety—slow roasting is best—and guests can choose to go traditional, or not.

Here’s the Thanksgiving turkey game plan:

Part I below outlines Turkey Day Minus One—what you need to do the day before Thanksgiving to get your turkey ready to go in the oven

Part II, appearing tomorrow, describes how to roast and carve the bird, not to mention how to stir up some first-rate gravy.

_______________________________________________________

Thanksgiving Turkey(s) Recipe: Two are Better than One

Serves 14 medium-sized servings, about 6-7 ounces per person.

Two 12-to-15 pound turkeys, cleaned, with feathers and inside packages and fat removed. Only rinse and dry the turkeys if they’re bloody. Otherwise, go straight to preparing the brine:

Brine

Brining means you’re soaking your bird in a salt, spices and liquid mixture to make it juicier. If your bird is kosher, then the turkey has already been brined as part of the koshering process.

For 2 turkeys:
2 gallons water
2 cups kosher salt
2 cups sugar (any kind will do)
8 bay leaves
8 star anise

Bring ingredients to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let water cool, then chill until cold. If your refrigerator is too small to chill the pot of water, use half as much, and then add ½ gallon of very cold water to the brine. Add turkey, making sure it’s completely submerged. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate immediately. Or place each bird in a doubled zip-lock bag, fill with brine, and stash in the fridge.

Make Seasoned Butter
For two turkeys:
1 pound sweet butter—softened to room temperature
½ c. cup olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic salt
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
2 teaspoons smoked paprika (either hot or sweet)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 garlic cloves
6 cloves
zest of two oranges

Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix until well blended.  Scrape down sides of food processor and pulse again. Scrape the butter into a small bowl and refrigerate until one hour before needed.

Prepare Stuffing

Today, food safety dictates making your stuffing outside the bird. The reason: to avoid bacterial contamination. Also, stuffing and turkey cook at different rates, so timing is

easier when they’re cooked separately.

This recipe is for two turkeys:
8 cups diced cornbread- small to medium dice (home made or store bought)- spread on a pan to dry out (overnight if possible—at least a few hours)—do not cover.
4 red onions, peeled and diced
8 ribs celery, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and diced
3 bunches scallions, trimmed and diced including the green part
3 green peppers, seeded and diced
10 links sausage, skin removed (about 2.5 to 3 pounds)
2 jars or cans cooked chestnuts, cut into large pieces (toss them with 1 teaspoon each of sugar and soy sauce before you use them)
4 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons of celery seed
2 bunches flat leaf parsley, stems removed and coarsely chopped
2 bunches cilantro, stems removed and coarsely chopped
2-3 cups broth (homemade or store bought, chicken or turkey)
2 sticks sweet butter
2 teaspoon of kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper- 20 twists

METHOD

Melt butter in 2 large sauté pans. When bubbling, add red onions, green pepper and celery. Cook until softened but not brown (low heat). Add scallions, chestnuts, thyme leaves and cook another 5 minutes. You want everything to have become very hot, but not cooked for long.

In another pan, add the peeled sausage and break it up until it resembles coarse meal. Brown thoroughly and drain. Add to onion mixture (divide between the two pans).

When mixture is cool, add cornbread, celery seed, parsley, cilantro, salt and pepper.  Make sure it is well mixed and place in a buttered or sprayed casserole. Cover and refrigerate until Thanksgiving Day.

Click here for Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe Part II: From the Oven to the Table

Related posts:

1. Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe Part II: From the Oven to the Table
2. Thanksgiving Turkey Carving Is No Big Deal When Fairway’s Butcher Does It
3. Kosher Thanksgiving Class at Le Marais Slated for Nov.10