Here’s how to safely thaw a turkey and make magic with the leftovers

In the past we have operated under the assumption that this thing we call “The Holidays” is made up of three parts — Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day, always in that order. (You could make the case that Hanukkah deserves a spot, and rightly so.)

But this year seems different. Is it just me, or have we just decided as a nation to blow right by Thanksgiving so that we can get right on with the Christmas celebration?

The evidence is right in front of us; all I have to do is open the front door. Three houses on my street have already put out Christmas decorations, and I have yet to thaw my turkey for Thanksgiving.

In ordinary times (and these days are most assuredly anything but ordinary), we would be spending our time debating oyster dressing over regular dressing and whether pumpkin pie is superior to sweet potato pie. (It isn’t, by the way.)

I realize that Thanksgiving is late this year, thus shortening the true Christmas celebration. However, let’s not overlook the most important one-day foodfest in the year.

Go ahead and put your tree up, but do it while you are getting your turkey ready for Thanksgiving.

And getting your turkey ready is important. Here are a few tips for getting your bird ready for the oven or grill that you can do while you wrap presents for Christmas.

Most people buy turkeys frozen from the grocery store. That means at some point we are going to have to thaw the bird, and that requires a bit of planning and foresight.

There are a couple of ways to thaw a turkey, and you will note that none of these recommendations calls for leaving it out on the counter overnight. Food borne illness is a real threat if you do that, and you don’t want that.

How, you ask, can I thaw the bird safely?

First, you can thaw it in the refrigerator, but that takes a lot of time and requires a lot of free space in the fridge – two things most of us are short of this time of year.

If, however, that’s how you choose to go, the USDA figures a 12-16 pound bird will take 2-3 days to thaw in the refrigerator.

Second, you can do it like I do it. Cover the turkey (still in its original packaging) with water and change the water every 30 minutes until it is thawed. I use our laundry sink for this, and it works out great.

How long does this method take? It’s been my experience that you can thaw a 12-16 pound bird in about 8 hours, give or take. Just pay attention and don’t forget about it.

After you get the bird thawed, what do you do with it? I like to soak mine in a mixture of salt and spices in an age-old process known as brining.

Brining is soaking meats in a solution of water, sugar and various flavorings. It results in a much juicier and more tender turkey.

There are a number of brine mixes on the market that can alter the flavors in many ways. Just follow the directions on the package.

But you can make your own brine. Here’s my basic recipe that requires not much more than a bird, water and some salt. For a 12-17 pound bird, dissolve 1 cup of plain old table salt in 2 gallons of water; place into a pot large enough to hold the bird. Cover and refrigerate 6-12 hours.

Keep the bird chilled either by putting the whole thing in the fridge or adding ice packs periodically to keep the water cold.

Afterwards rinse under cold water and dry thoroughtly.

One thing that I have learned over the years: The skin on brined birds doesn’t crisp up as much as regular turkeys. To fix this, place the turkey in the fridge uncovered overnight to allow the skin to dry out. I got this tip from a reader several years ago.

The thing about turkeys and Thanksgiving is they make a lot of leftovers. A lot. Figuring out what to do with all that leftover meat is another holiday ritual that I’m not ready to skip over to jump to Christmas.

This recipe has become sort of a ritual for me on Black Friday. It makes enough to last through most of the weekend. You can put it on to cook while you help your neighbors set up a blow-up North Pole scene on the front yard.

It’s from one of my favorite nostalgic sources of recipes, the iconic “Recipe Jubilee!” published way back in 1964 by the Junior League of Mobile.

Turkey and Oyster Gumbo

2 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons bacon grease 1 medium onion, diced 1 small bell pepper, diced ¼ cup celery ¼ cup chopped parsley 1 small can diced tomatoes with juice Salt and pepper, to taste 2 quarts water or chicken stock At least 2 cups de-boned, cooked turkey (more is better) 1 pint fresh oysters 1 tablespoon Creole gumbo file

In skillet, brown flour in grease until very, very dark brown, stirring constantly.

Add onions, bell pepper, celery and parsley. Cook until tender. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to boil; add turkey and first mixture. Simmer for about 2 hours, give or take.

Ten minutes before serving, add oysters. Five minutes before serving, add file. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over fluffy rice in individual bowls.