Oh, you're saying my Turkey submission is sub-par. I gots it now.

I wasn't trying to impress, just said what it was. I will elaborate a little. It was the single most harmonious holiday dish I've ever had.

It was just a natural bird, I removed all the bones and brined it with mire poix and garniture marmite. (24 hours) Removed it from the brine and left it uncovered a second night to dry the skin.

Rolled and tied it (ballontine, but I did not poach) with the stuffing made of homemade cornbread, turkey and chicken gizzards (marinated and roasted), meat from 2 chick lobsters, (frozen) black truffles (45g), morel mushrooms (picked wild) and sauteed leeks.

Roasted it "au poele" by browning the skin in a sauteuse, removing, sauteeing mire poix, 'deglacer' with white wine, adding fresh thyme, bay leaves etc...roasting it in the pan.

The jus was a hybrid of "l'Americaine' and a traditional gravy. Crushed lobster bodies, seared them with mire poix, fresh tomatoes and garnish, deglacer with brandy/white wine, add fresh thyme, tarragon, reduce. Add heavy cream and reduce. Mixed this with the 'fonds brun' from the turkey bones. Put it through a fine chinois, check the seasoning and to tighten before serving 'monte au beurre'.

The most memorable bird was the first ever cooked on my own. My Fiance and her Father were coming over. I was working at the Rattlesnake Club and learning alot about Mayan/Aztec/Mexican cuisine.

B-Line, you should like this. I hard cured it for 4 hours with the cloves of 3 large garlic heads, achiote paste, citrus rinds, allspice, mace, coriander seeds, crushed Mexican cinnamon and bay leaves. (2/3 went to the cure, 1/3 left or baking) WOW the house was fogged for two hours with the smell of raw garlic. Finally the sweet smell of roasted garlic took over it's intial pungency. Followed by the spices and achiote as it's perfume washed through the house. It was fantastic.

Bird was good, could have been better. It was just too big to hard cure. Should have brined overnight, then rubbed the next day.