We want to thank all the farmers, hatcheries, processors, and poult brokers who provide fresh, locally sourced turkeys not only for this Thanksgiving weekend, but every day of the year.
We want to wish everyone a happy, homey Thanksgiving weekend, but above all, we want to say a big thank you to the individuals who provide fresh, locally sourced turkeys not only for our tables this holiday, but all year long.
Turkey farmers, processors, and poult brokers continue to ensure high-quality turkeys are available for BC residents. There are only just over 60 registered turkey farmers in British Columbia, with only a few dozen specific farms who provide quality products for a population of 5 million people. That’s a high demand!
Thanksgiving also falls on the harvest, which can be an extremely busy and difficult time for farmers across the province as they bring in their crops after months of hard work. This often means extremely long days of greuling labour.
In a recent BC Living editorial, registered dietician and cookbook co-author Tori Wesszer highlighted how important farmers are for providing us with meals throughout the year. “We’d be nothing without the people that grow our food,” she said. “The farmers are everything. When they have a bad year, everyone has a bad year. So we really need to take care of the people who put food on our tables and be thankful for them.”
We couldn’t agree more. Because, as Wesszer also pointed out, humans are “hardwired” to connect over food, making a holiday like Thanksgiving especially important and the individuals who ensure we have fresh, healthy meals even more special. “Sharing meals is such a fundamental part of our culture and wellness, and it’s really underrated,” Wesszer said to BC Living.
That’s why we created our Together At The Table campaign—to highlight how important it is for everyone to have high-quality, healthy, and locally-sourced turkey products for their household all year round. We firmly believe that it’s the everyday moments like daily conversations at the dinner table reflecting on the week or classic family moments like fighting over who has to load the dishwasher that all add up to build a beautiful life.
Turkey itself is a lean, highly nutritious protein loaded with vitamins and minerals. It’s the perfect everyday ingredient to keep a busy entrepreneur grinding, an athlete performing, and a busy family fully fed throughout those long, hectic days. That’s why we are adamant on making it a daily staple in every BC kitchen.
So this holiday—and everyday—let’s remember to thank the farmers, hatcheries, processors, grocers, and suppliers that deliver healthy and high-quality turkey products for our tables.
Here at BC Turkey, we certainly hope that everyone is able to come together with their loved ones this holiday.
And in true Thanksgiving fashion, that also includes a delicious recipe! Canadian television personality and Executive Chef Ned Bell has provided all the ingredients and steps to make his “Perfect Canadian Turkey” for everyone across the province this weekend.
Brine:
- 18 Ib BC Turkey
- 1 cup kosher salt
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 bay leaves
- ¼ cup black peppercorns
- 8 sprigs rosemary of thyme
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 4 sprigs sage
Rub:
- ½ Ib butter
- Sage or flat leaf parsley
- Salt
- Cracked pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place turkey in the bottom of a large stock pot or bucket. As long as you are able to cover the turkey with liquid, you should be ok.
- In a pot, combine 1 quart of water, 1 cup of salt, sugar and apple cider vinegar. Bring this mixture to boil and once all of the salt has dissolved, take off heat. Add remaining 3 quarts of water, let cool.
- Crush garlic and herbs with the back of your knife before adding them to your brine.
- Once the brine is cooled, pour over turkey. Be sure the breast and legs are covered.
- If the turkey floats, put a clean, heavy plate on top to submerge it.
- Cover pot with lid and/or plastic wrap and REFRIGERATE for 12 to 24 hours.
- Remove your turkey from the brine, rinse and set on a cooking grate to dry.
- Carefully peel back the skin from the bottom of the turkey breast. You should be able to get your whole hand underneath without tearing the skin!
- Cut the butter into small cubes, bruise the sage and carefully lay under the skin and on top of the breast.
- Chop 2 cups of celery, onion and carrots and place on the pan under the turkey (these veggies will add more aroma and flavour to the turkey and your gravy).
- Roast at 375℉ until the skin has become golden and beautiful, and cook until a digital thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 160℉.
- Let cool and carve! Prepare for a juicy, flavorful and delicious turkey!
NOTES
To make the gravy:
- Whisk the drippings in a pot over medium heat until bubbling away.
- While whisking add 2 tbsp flour per cup of drippings, whisk enough so there are no lumps, or if there are, pass the gravy through a strainer
- Finish with 2 tbsp of white wine (or apple juice) per 1 cup of gravy