Easy Thanksgiving...Let's talk turkey.
Never in my wildest dreams would I ever think that turkey could contain gluten. Would you? It is meat after all. I know that the animals my family raises for meat do not have added gluten, so why should a turkey from the store be a concern? I have learned much in the last couple of years and let me assure you that turkey often does indeed contain added gluten.
Does that sound totally bazaar to you? Personally, I think it is totally ridiculous, but who am I? Nevertheless, it is a concern for anyone that is having to avoid gluten. Please do not panic over this one. There are turkeys available that do not have added gluten.
When I was looking online for a list of brands that do not contain gluten, I came across a website that has a fairly good list of nationally sold brands.
Years ago, I never would have even thought to look at the ingredients label of a turkey. Honestly, that thought never occurred to me until last year, after the holidays. We muddled through the holidays with little problem, but eating a bit of turkey for one or two meals is not going to give us that big of an issue. I know that for some of you, the gluten in that turkey would be devastating.
As with everything we do in this gluten-free life, reading labels is huge! It is something we just have to do. I even find myself reading the labels on things that are labeled gluten-free. I assume nothing anymore. There are too many things I have to look for, and being ill over something I eat is totally not worth it. Taking the time to read a label is so much easier than dealing with the repercussions of consuming hidden gluten.
So, you have your turkey. You have determined that it is gluten free. What now? I have never been one that would stuff my bird before it was baked. If I stuffed anything in the cavity of the bird it was cut up apples, onion, celery and herbs. I generally rub the outside of the bird with olive oil or butter. Sometimes I'll even put oil or butter inside the cavity along with the herbs and veggies.
Years ago, I did a wonderful glaze on my turkey with melted butter and honey. The meat was wonderful. It was one of the best turkeys I think I have ever roasted. The only draw back to this kind of glaze was that the gravy was then too sweet. If you have some good turkey stock to work with, you could make gravy with that. It would be wonderful!
One Thanksgiving I had spent hours reading on line about how to roast the perfect turkey. I found one article that talked about taking butter and softening it. You then took garlic and herbs and mixed them into the butter. Let that sit overnight to blend the flavors. Before roasting the turkey, the skin over the breast of the bird was loosened from the meat. The butter was then spread under the skin. It made the best tasting breast meat and the skin was to die for!
Another of my family's favorite ways to cook turkey is to deep fry them! If you've never had turkey that way, you have got to try it at least once. It is not greasy at all and the flavors that you can inject into the bird make all the difference in the world. You can add roasted garlic, spicy flavors or whatever marinade you desire. Just make sure that whatever you are going to inject into your bird is not chunky and that it will go through the needle of the syringe.
If you do not want to deep fry a turkey, but want the flavors of the marinade, it is easy to do. Just make your marinade with whatever herbs and spices you want. A bit of butter or olive oil if dairy is a problem. Also add a bit of maple syrup or honey. Heat it on the stove and whisk it together to bring it together.
Adding a rub to the outside of your turkey is another great way to add flavor. Onion powder, garlic powder, seasoning salt, and so many more options can be combined to make a wonderful rub. Roast your turkey with a combination of a rub and an inject-able marinade makes for one tasty turkey!
However you prepare your turkey, knowing that it is gluten-free is half the battle. You know what to look for on the labels. Just knowing that you need to read the labels will help you bring a gluten-free turkey to your Thanksgiving table. There are many more ideas to make your meal an easy one on the Thanksgiving page here on Gling.
For me, just knowing that I need to read the label on something is empowering. I would much rather know that I just have to read the label, than to be shocked when something that should not contain gluten (in my mind) actually does. At least having the knowledge that it "could" contain gluten gives me the power to choose to avoid that product. Maybe it is just the control freak in me, maybe it is just that I have been shocked to have an issue over some food that I never would have dreamed to cause problems.
