Reader mail

With Thanksgiving - the Super Bowl of food feasts - less than a week away, it's no surprise that turkey is on the minds of readers. We bring you this week's queries. You ask. We answer. Every Friday.

I enjoyed reading your article today on turkey tips, etc. I was surprised to see your tip - don't stuff a turkey after it's brined. My family has always served only stuffed turkeys (it’s the best part of the meal, and stuffing outside the bird just isn't the same.) I've been brining my turkeys for a number of years, and have never found the stuffing to be too salty. Several of us in the family are very sensitive to overly salted food so we would certainly notice. Have you found that from experience? I plan on brining and stuffing again this year as usual.
Thanks
Mr. Dana Robertson

Hi Dana, I did stuff a brined turkey - using the brine recipe in [Wednesday's] paper - and wasn't happy with the results. To my taste buds, the stuffing picked up the flavor of the brine, rather than the "turkey" flavor that comes from a stuffed, unbrined bird. It wasn't bad, but I wanted the stuffing to have its own flavor and not the brine flavor. I cook stuffing in a separate pan - first making sure it is well moisten with homemade turkey broth - and then cover it with aluminum foil while it bakes. Then, I remove the foil and let the top get a little brown before serving.

Cooking teacher Rick Rodgers in his cookbook "Thanksgiving 101" (William Morrow, $15.95) also suggests that the salty juices from a brined turkey could "ruin" the flavor of the stuffing.

That said, I'm not sure how much salt you use in your brine, how long you brine the turkey or how large your turkey is. The ratio of salt, sugar and water could change everything.

My thought is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." If you like the way the turkey tastes when it's brined and stuffed - and so does your family - then, of course, you should continue as you have always done.

UPDATE: The November issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, and the web site, has a recipe for brined turkey that is stuffed. Click here for the recipe. But, remember, an unstuffed bird cooks faster than a stuffed turkey. If you don't stuff, fill the cavity with aromatics such as onions, garlic, citrus and fresh herbs.

Are there any local restaurants that are offering Thanksgiving dinner that you would recommend? Thanks!

Robyn

Hi Robyn. I've actually received a few calls about Thanksgiving dinners in restaurants. A quick look around shows that many area restaurants are open on Thanksgiving - unlike Christmas when your best bet is usually an Asian eatery. Try your favorite one first. I've actually never dined out at Thanksgiving, so I have no first hand experience. What you want to do is make a restaurant reservation pronto. Usually, a great place to start is www.opentable.com. It's an online reservation service for area restaurants, such as Harry's Savoy Grill and Moro. But I just signed on and see that many places either have no reservations left or you will have call restaurants directly. I would probably go for a rustic setting. Brandywine Prime in Chadds Ford, Pa., (610) 388-8088, is offering a buffet. Here's the menu. How about The Fair Hill Inn near Elkton, Md.? A colleague here at The News Journal told me he likes the Farmhouse in Emmaus, Pa. Or perhaps, the Mendenhall Inn just outside Centreville? I understand Michael's Family Restaurant, 1000 Churchmans Road, Newark, 368-4230, also is very popular at Thanksgiving, but I've never eaten there.