So, dinner ended up working out well! I browned the leg (just slightly under 2lbs - turkeys really are domesticated velociraptors) and the boneless, skin-on breast (a little over 4lbs) in some olive oil. A minor mishap occurred when I wasn’t completely paying attention and the breast slipped out of my tongs when I was flipping it during browning and the oil splashed up right under my eye. I have a little scabbing now, but it could have been SO MUCH WORSE. It’s really important to be properly caffeinated before undertaking kitchen tasks. And, usually, I take care of a lot of this the day before, which didn’t happen this year due to other, mom-related errands. C’est la vie.
The browned legs went into a disposable roasting pan. I added an entire bag of peeled garlic cloves (approximately 43 of them, according to the bag), some bay leaves, fresh thyme, rosemary, a blade of mace, and a half cup of rosé. This was covered tightly in foil, put on a baking sheet for stability, and popped in a 275F oven with a probe thermometer in the breast until the breast hit 165F. About an hour in, I added a bit more wine, but that was out of paranoia. The finished turkey gave off about 2.5 cups of liquid, which was the base for the day’s gravy. Somehow, the leg had hit about 180F in the time the breast got to its temp, probably because it was smaller? I strained the herbs and mace blade out and reserved the garlic cloves aside.
In a pan, I added about 3 T. of the fat from the drippings and liquid I had strained out. I added about 8 oz. of quartered cremini mushrooms and browned them. Then I added the reserved garlic cloves and the defatted liquid from the braise. I thickened it following the directions on the back of the Argo cornstarch tub - 1/4 c. cold water mixed with 2 T. cornstarch, which I added to the simmering liquid in the pan. After checking for seasoning (needed a pinch of salt), it went great over the turkey, mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables we had for dinner! Thanks, everyone, for your help!
