Turkey Talk: Chefs share their best Thanksgiving tips

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Heritage breed turkeys at The FARM Institute in Katama. — Courtesy Trustees

If you still have no idea how to cook your turkey, we’ve rounded up some of the best turkey-cooking tips from local chefs and foodies on-Island. Make sure to read through and see how your local favorites are cooking up that bird.

“Soak your turkey for up to 24 hours in a brine solution that tastes like slightly sweetened ocean water. My favorite seasonings to use in the brine are juniper berries and rosemary — they’re in season because they want to be a part of your Thanksgiving celebration. Enjoy with your favorite people and accompaniments.” — Chef Alexander Nagi, Copper Wok, Vineyard Haven

“Cook the turkey a couple of days before Thanksgiving. Break it down into serving-size pieces and refrigerate. The day before, prep up all the sides. Thanksgiving day, finish your sides; make a gravy with your saved pan juices and turkey bones. Put the turkey pieces either in a Crock-Pot or roasting pan. Pour the gravy over, and keep warm. At service, pull everything out of the oven and you have a stress-free Thanksgiving buffet.” — Chef Mark Chaput, Vineyard Golf Club, Edgartown

“My mother-in-law, who is a fabulous cook, roasts our turkey every year. Most recently, she soaked a cotton cheesecloth in a warm butter/dry white wine mixture and draped it over the bird while roasting, continuously basting with the remaining butter/wine mixture. Toward the end of cooking, she removed the cloth to brown the skin. It was delicious!” — Sarah Waldman, cookbook author “Little Bites” and food blogger, sarahwaldman.com

“Debone the turkey by removing the breasts, cure them like duck confit, and cook them in chicken fat, super-slow and low. The legs are removed and then deboned. I stuff them with spinach, mushrooms, and feta. Roll and tie. Brown them in a pan, and then braise them in turkey stock that’s made from the carcass. That braising liquid then becomes the sauce. It’s pretty delicious, everything is cooked perfectly, and it has a nice presentation to it.” — Chef Carlos Montoya, Farm Neck Golf Club, Oak Bluffs

“I always brine my local turkey and stuff it with my grandma’s sausage sage dressing. It’s so good that even if I go to my in-laws for the holiday, I roast my own bird at home later that weekend just so that I can have my own leftovers.” — Chrissy Kinsman, Pie Chicks, Vineyard Haven

“We’re doing a double-whiskey-smoked turkey for T-day. It’s brined with Maker’s Mark bourbon and smoked over Jack Daniels barrel chips in an offset barrel smoker, and we’re serving it with a Madeira-smoked turkey jus.” — Steven Raichlen, writer and TV host (most recent show: “Project Smoke”)

“First thing, we wash, truss, and brine the turkey for 10 to 12 hours. Then fill the cavity with onions and herbs, and let sit in refrigerator for an hour to dry. This helps crisp up the skin. Then roast it here in the restaurant in our pizza oven, where it cooks a lot quicker because of the stones inside.” — Jennifer and Pete Smyth, Slice of Life, Oak Bluffs