CWP Episode 6 - Viewer Appreciation

Roasted Turkey Breast

• 1 half turkey breast, rib bones in or out (doesn't really matter)
• 1/4 cup kosher salt (I said 1/2 cup in video...sorry)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (I said 1/2 cup in the video...sorry again)
• 4 cups water (In the video I said 2 or 2 1/2 cups, but it's 4...don't know what I was thinking)
• 2 Tbs softened butter
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary or thyme, chopped fine
• zest from one large lemon
• Vegetables, such as celery, carrot & onion.  Herbs and citrus would be good too.
• salt and pepper

- Dissolve the salt and sugar in the water and pour into a gallon-sized plastic bag (if you are going to add herbs or spices, I recommend bringing everything just barely to a boil and letting it cool before putting in the plastic bag).
- Place the turkey breast in the brine and get as much air out of the bag as possible, ensuring complete coverage of the brine around the turkey.
- Keep in the refrigerator for as little as an hour, but no more than 12 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 375 F
- Combine the butter, rosemary and lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.
- On a half sheet tray, arrange any vegetables that you can find as a bed for the turkey to rest on (this is a good way to get rid of vegetables that are almost ready to be thrown away).
- Remove the turkey from the brine.  Rinse in cold water and thoroughly dry.  - Gently release the skin from the muscle by sweeping your fingers under the skin, being careful not to break through the skin.
- Spread the butter mixture all over the breast underneath the skin, making sure to cover as evenly as possible.  Place the turkey breast on the vegetable bed.
- Coat the skin with olive oil and liberally season with salt and pepper.
- Insert a probe thermometer into the deepest portion of the breast.
- Place in the middle of the preheated oven until the temperature reaches 154 F, around 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Do not remove the thermometer until the turkey has rested for about 10 minutes.  Carry-over cooking will take the temperature to right around 162 F, which is exactly what you want.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Hashbrowns

• Sweet Potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Basil

- In the largest frying pan you have, heat enough oil over medium heat to almost cover the bottom.
- Cut the potatoes into a 1/2" dice, or smaller if you prefer.  If you do go smaller, you can probably boost the heat a bit too.
- Once the oil is hot, place the potatoes in the pan and spread out as much as possible so that they're not stacked on top of each other.  You may need to do this in 2 pans or 2 batches depending on how many potatoes you are using.
- Let the potatoes sit for about 5 minutes and flip.  Repeat this probably 2 more times until they are slightly crisp on the outside and soft of the inside.
- Sprinkle with kosher salt and add the basil. 
- **Alternate Method - If you've just got too many potatoes, cut them into 1" chunks, coat with oil and salt, put them on a sheet tray and roast in the oven at 400 F for about 30 minutes or until they are tender.  Throw on the basil when they come out of the oven and toss.  Enjoy!**

Homemade Shells and Cheese

• 2 Tbs butter
• 2 Tbs onion, grated or minced as fine as possible
• 1 small clove garlic, minced as fine as possible
• 2 Tbs flour
• 1 cup milk
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, the sharper the better
• 2 oz gruyere cheese
• 4 - 6 oz dried pasta, shells or macaroni
• 3 - 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
• salt and pepper

- In a medium pot, boil enough water for pasta and cook pasta until al dente or just slightly firm...no mushy pasta please. **Do not rinse the pasta after cooking**

- While pasta water is heating, add the butter, onion and garlic to a saute pan over medium-low heat.  Add just a pinch of salt to draw out a bit of moisture.

- Let the butter melt down and cook the onions and garlic for 5 - 7 minutes, until they get really soft.

- Keep an eye on the pasta! :)

- Sprinkle the flour into the pan and stir around to fully combine with the butter.  Cook for about a minute.

- Slowly add the milk to the pan while constantly stirring.  This will help to prevent lumps.

- Let the milk cook for a few minutes and thicken until you can draw lines in the milk (see video).

- Turn heat to low and add the cheeses a handful at a time, completely combining with the milk before each addition.

- Turn the heat off and stir in the basil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

- Return cooked pasta to original pot and pour as much cheese sauce over the pasta as desired.  Stir to combine.  Enjoy!