78 HOLIDAY 2013 boatingonthehudson.com
boatingonthehudson.com
54
Holiday Issue 2012
Murray’s was in all the gourmet food
stores. There were 4 within walking dis-
tance of my old city apartment, so no
matter where I shopped, I could get my
chicken. No expensive butcher neces-
sary. When we moved up to the Hudson
Valley from the city, I used to drive back
in with Vicky just to go food shopping.
Yeah, I know it sounds ridiculous now,
but food is important to me. You have no
idea just how thrilled I was to learn that
my local Mrs. Greens up in Westchester
carried Murray’s!! After a while, I was able
to find just about everything I needed up
here. 13 years later, I only go into the city
now for entertainment and to get my ‘do’
done. Murray’s chicken can be found at,
Turco’s, Zeytinia, and Mrs. Greens.
My family eats a lot of chicken. When
I started teaching cooking in people’s
homes, I realized I was not alone. Chicken
was the one thing that seemed univer-
sal. That almost every other person had
in their fridge. Regardless of age, sex or
culture, there was always chicken. Either
fresh or frozen or in the form of leftovers,
chicken is indeed a staple. We all eat so
much of it, it should be the best there is,
and Murrays is the best for chicken and
turkey!
Second is the cooking method. High
heat to start, cover and reduce. Not only
will this produce a juicy bird but it will
produce it in half the time. I know that I
drone on like a broken record about meat
thermometers but this is exactly where
they really come in handy. Do YOU have
one?
Howmany times do youopen the oven?
A BIG NO-NO, so quit it. How many times
do you prick the bird to see if the juices
run clear? Again, cut that out. Let me ask
you this, howmany times have you taken
that buzzard out of the oven thinking
it was done and ended up eating at 10
O’clock at night instead? Using a digital
probe meat thermometer saves you from
all of that. It will tell YOU when it’s ready.
Go buy one; I like Polder and Pyrex.
Finally, the biggie, marinating your
bird. Try it, you’ll like it. Have I steered
you wrong yet? I can’t claim ownership
of this one; it was passed on to me by my
wonderfully resourceful neighbor Jeff, it
is so good that I have used it every year
since and I feel compelled to pass it on to
you. Start this process at least two days
before Thanksgiving. I begin on Monday.
If you are capable of letting go of a small
tradition, butterflying the bird is a great
idea. I never bring the bird out (like they
do in commercials) to first present to my
guests anyway, they see it disassembled
on the platter, haven’t heard any com-
plaints yet. You can butterfly your bird
at home just by removing the backbone.
All you need is a sturdy pair of poultry
sheers or a big @ss sharp knife. Turn the
bird on her breast and start at the tushie.
Work your way up. I don’t know if tushie
is a culinary term, so don’t quote me.
Disposable pans are a lifesaver here.
I hate to cleanup. Get one with a flat
Scan For Ivey’s Turkey
Marinade video
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