Keiser University Tallahassee Campus Chef Davy Crockett Murray recently shared tips for WCTV Good Morning Show viewers to ‘spice-up Thanksgiving with a Cajun turkey’ as part of this segment.

While collaborating with anchor Madison Glaser and Meteorologist Rob Nucatola to prepare the dish, Chef Crockett demonstrated a baking powder and peanut oil baste, and injection that included butter, beer, and hot sauce. The savory recipe is designed to produce a turkey that is cooked for only 90 minutes by using a pizza stone.

Cajun Turkey Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Whole Turkey 10 to 15 lbs

For the injection:

Butter – 2 cups or 16 oz melted

Onion Juice –  ¼ cup or 2 oz

Garlic Juice –  ¼ cup or 2 oz

Tabasco Sauce – 1 oz or to Taste

Worcestershire Sauce – ¼ Cup or 2 oz

Beer – 8 oz

(Optional) Cayenne pepper – 1/4 tsp for extra heat.

For the Paste and Seasonings:

Baking Powder – 1 tsp

Oil – 1.5 tsp (preferably peanut oil)

Chef Paul Prudhomme Blackened Redfish Magic – Season the outside turkey to taste

Directions

Place your oven rack on the lowest level along with a pizza stone and preheat a Conventional Oven to 500 degrees for at least one hour.

Remove the turkey giblets. You can save them to make gravy.

Pat the turkey dry and make a tinfoil shield for the breast. Set it aside.

For the Injection: combine the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, Beer, Tabasco hot sauce, garlic Juice, and onion juice. Emulsify/whisk it before injecting the turkey into all major muscles. Then pat dry the turkey skin.

For the paste: Combine 1 tsp of baking powder and 1.5 tsp of oil and brush the mixture over the turkey’s skin. This will promote browning and change the skin’s pH which will produce crispy skin.

Next season the turkey’s skin with your choice of seasonings, Chef Crockett uses (sparingly) Chef Paul Prudhomme Blackened Redfish Magic. Follow this by placing the turkey on a wire rack and then on a baking tray. (Remember you’ve injected flavor into the meat so the seasoning is only flavoring the skin, too much seasoning and the skin will be inedible.)

Now cover the BREAST only with a tinfoil shield. Then place the (turkey) baking tray directly on the preheated pizza stone, lower the oven temp to 400 deg and bake for 45 minutes. This gives the dark meat a jump start on reaching 175 degrees while slowing down the breast meat so it doesn’t overcook before the dark meat can reach 175 degrees.

After 45 minutes lower the oven temp to 350 degrees and remove the tinfoil shield from the breast, you may need to use tin foil to cover turkey wings and drumsticks at this point…continue to bake for another 30 to 45 minutes OR until the breast meat internal temp is 160 degrees and the Dark meat internal temp is 170 degrees.

Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to rest and ‘carry-over cook’ so the turkey reaches 165 deg for the breast and 175 deg for the dark meat. DO NOT SLICE at this time! This resting time also allows the Turkey to reabsorb the juices. Allow the bird to rest for at least 15 minutes before you slice it. Your patience will be rewarded. After 15 minutes slice and serve.

** Please note the size/weight of your turkey will affect the total time in the oven. Chef Crockett used a 14 lb bird. A smaller 10 lb bird will reach 165/175 degrees faster than a larger 14 lb bird and a larger bird will take longer.

 

Assigned his middle name of “Crockett” because his family liked Fess Parker who played Davy Crockett for Walt Disney in the 1950s, Chef Crockett was an active volunteer in the Savannah and nearby Richmond Hill communities. While studying culinary arts, he continually donated his talents to worthy charities and causes and is thankful to include world Renowned American Culinary Federation Chef Jean-Yves Vendeville and Chef Gabe Gardner of Mesa Arizona as lifetime friends and mentors. Before joining Keiser University’s Tallahassee Campus, he worked as a private cattle ranch chef, operated a bakery, and served as a cook and chef for the US government.

Keiser University’s Associate of Science degree in Culinary Arts presents a comprehensive curriculum that includes laboratory sessions, academic preparation, and hands-on experience.  Students acquire professional knowledge of food, its preparation and handling, and cooking from basic to advanced.  The curriculum includes an externship to prepare students for entry-level positions in the food service industry. Keiser University Center for Culinary Arts is accredited by the American Culinary Federation. Its Associate of Science degree in Culinary Arts presents a comprehensive curriculum that includes laboratory sessions, academic preparation, and hands-on experience. Students acquire professional knowledge of food, its preparation and handling, and cooking from basic to advanced. The curriculum includes an externship to prepare students for entry-level positions in the food service industry.

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