Originally Posted By Boo Hello evereyBODeeeee! I read a neat little discussion in my local paper (up in Seattle) about the heritage turkeys that are used for holiday dinners at upscale restaurants, including the Napa Rose. Turns out that, long ago, the Pilgrims brought turkeys with them to the New World. European turkeys were much better eatin' than the scrawny wild turkeys found in America. But they cross-bred over time and made quite a nice variety of hardy (from the wild stock) and well-muscled (from the domestic stock) breeds. These are the heritage turkeys. They are allowed to live longer and forage freely, so their meat has a higher fat content and is much more tender and tasty. They also cost quite a bit more. The chef at Napa Rose, Mr Sutton, marinates the heritage turkey in a maple brine before cooking to add flavor and help with browning. This is his recipe: Brine for the American Heritage Turkey 1 c brown sugar 1/2 c salt 2 quarts water 1 tblsp orange zest 1 bay leaf 3 springs of thyme 1 sprig of sage 15 black peppercorns Simmer all ingredients in a stock pot for 30 minutes, then cool. Place the turkey in a large pot (after giblets removed and it has been rinsed clean) and pour the cooled brine over it. Marinate for 2-3 days in the refrigerator, turning over 24 hours. Roast as usual at 350 until internal temp reaches 135 degrees. Pull out of the oven and let it sit to reabsorb the juices. Sounds wonderful, don't it?
Originally Posted By Boo You are correct; according to this article, they had been brought to Europe from earlier explorers to South and Central America and then brought back with the settlers. Wow, two transatlantic journeys and less than a hundred years of domestication and they'd already improved that much.
