I am going to start with our last Thanksgiving meal. We made the choice to explore American cuisine around turkey, and we selected NOLA as a flavor profile to play with. We chose The Perfect Bird (aka Pepper-Stuffed Turkey) by Emeril Lagasse to try and I have to say, that bird was incredible, by far the best turkey I have made in 30 years. What makes it so scrumptious is that it’s marinated from the inside with really spicy hot peppers, butter and herbs. I was skeptical as to how it would turn out and half expected a dry bird based on his recipe dynamics, but, man, was I wrong. It was juicy and spicy in the best way, and by far the most scrumptious bird I have ever had!
Along with it, we made oyster stuffing, that was wonderful, filled with NOLA goodness and unusual in the best way. Even though it needed more time in the oven to crisp it, it was one of the best versions of stuffing I have had.
We followed his recipe more or less exactly, but used the ingredients we could find locally to substitute. Like I said, it was a perfect bird and one we will make again and again!
I start here because after thanksgiving I always make Turkey Carcass Soup.
My Life: A Memoir 