This recipe for Bresse-Style Poached Roasted Turkey is one in a series shared by D’Artagnan, a gourmet-food company founded by Ariane Daguin in 1985.
The company creates fine farm-to-table meats and is the leading purveyor of foie gras, game meat, organic poultry, pâtés, sausages and smoked delicacies in the U.S. The company reports that all the four-star restaurants in New York City have D’Artagnan products on their menus.
For those who want to go beyond brining your turkey, there is the Bresse style of poaching.
Daguin states she is a huge proponent of this style of cooking from Bresse, the capital of all things poultry in France. Why? “Because poaching a turkey, chicken or capon in a large pot renders the meat more tender than any cold brine can. It’s not really any more effort than brining, as both techniques require a pot that can fit the whole bird. This is probably best for turkeys on the smaller side, as home kitchens may not have poaching vessels large enough to accommodate a huge turkey.”
After being poached, the turkey is roasted for only a short time the next day, which frees up the oven for other things. The turkey comes out of the oven with a crackling brown skin and impossible-to-believe tender meat. Bonus: you get turkey stock before you even eat the bird.
Click here to learn more about the company and its products.
Ingredients
- 2 containers D’Artagnan Duck & Veal Demi Glace
- 4 medium carrots, roughly chopped
- 3 onions, thickly sliced
- 1 head garlic, peeled
- 3 ounces duck fat
- 1 (14-16 pounds) organic or heritage turkey
- As desired salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Water
Preparation
- 1 Combine the duck demi-glace, carrots, onions and garlic in a stockpot large enough to hold the turkey. Fill it with water only half way up. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- 2 While stock heats, rinse turkey and, starting at the neck, carefully separate the skin from the breast and upper thighs with your fingers, being careful not to tear the skin. Rub duck fat all over the outside, in between the skin and flesh. Truss the turkey. Note: This is not mandatory, but makes it easier to handle the bird later.
- 3 When the stock begins to boil, generously season it with salt and pepper. Add turkey to pot and adjust heat so it simmers. Cover the pot with a lid and make sure the turkey is submerged. Simmer for 40 minutes, then remove the pot from heat and let the turkey slowly cool to room temperature in the broth, up to 4 hours. Refrigerate.
- 4 The next day, preheat oven to 475°F. Take the bird out of the pot, place it on a rack in a roasting pan and roast it in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off, leaving the bird inside for about an hour.
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