After you’ve bagged your bird this spring, don’t toss out half the carcass. Challenge yourself to use every scrap of the turkey. Your taste buds will thank you.

By Brad Fenson

Turkeys are widely recognized and celebrated birds. Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving are traditional holidays where a large bird is stuffed and roasted for a family gathering. In recent times, a spatchcocked bird might swim in brine and find its way to a smoker or take a dip in a hot oil fryer. The succulent white breast meat and rich-flavored thighs made the wild turkey highly sought after by early settlers. The birds were so coveted that it led to their demise in many regions.

Modern conservation efforts have not only restored turkey populations, but have increased their distribution. Turkey hunters today can purchase more licenses than they can find days to hunt. It is certainly a “First World Problem” that can provide an adequate supply of wild turkey in the freezer to make every day a special occasion.

Early pilgrims utilized every part of a wild turkey out of necessity. Without freezers or other ways to preserve fresh fowl, they were cooked and consumed from head to toe.
The neck, feet, and roasted carcass always found their way into a soup or stew pot. The liver, gizzard, heart, and sometimes even the brain was gobbled up.

MODERN HUNTERS

Do most turkey hunters utilize the whole bird, or do the majority remove just the breast meat? There is misinformation regarding the legs, thighs, wings and other edible portions of a wild turkey. Let us put on our chef’s hat and try to dispel the modern myth about eating a whole turkey.

GET PLUCKING

One of the most overlooked portions of a turkey is the skin, which holds the fat against the muscle and helps maintain moisture while cooking. The fat and skin hold an incredible amount of flavor and can take your cooking experience to a new level. Yes, you will have to pluck and eviscerate the bird, but the extra work is worth it. Take the time to try it at least once before you expound on the amount of work involved.

Leaving the skin on the bird creates new cooking opportunities. The bird can be roasted, deep-fried, smoked or cut into different parts for cooking smaller portions. The skin can even be used when grinding wild turkey for burgers, meatballs or other culinary surprises. When you want to show off, season and deep fry strips of turkey skin and serve them as a crunchy garnish on different turkey dishes.

START AT THE TOP

If plucking a bird is not in the cards, let us start at the top of the bird and work down for butchering ideas.

A turkey can be skinned and boned out rather quickly. When skinning, start at the back of the head and work down. The neck on the turkey curves back and forth and is supported by strong muscle structure around each vertebra. The neck can be cooked in many ways, but soup or stew is always a favorite. The bone adds flavor to the broth, and the meat will fall off the bone when it’s finished.

The carcass of the turkey is also great for creating broth. The breast, legs, thighs, wings and neck can be removed. The innards are drawn out, and the remaining carcass can be rinsed and placed in a stockpot. The meat and fat remaining on the bird will generate lots of turkey flavor, along with the bones.

BREASTS

The preferred portion of the wild turkey is usually the breast meat. When removed from the breastbone and ribs, each large white-meat breast is big enough for a meal. There are endless ideas for cooking breast meat, and some of the favorites in turkey camp are always crispy nuggets, schnitzel, country-fried steak, pot pie, stew or roasted. Smoked turkey breast is also outstanding, and easy to make with a mixture like Hi Mountain Game Bird Brine.

LEGS AND THIGHS

The legs and thighs are easily removed by pulling them away from the turkey’s main body and cutting along the top of the thigh where it meets the back. The socket holding the thigh to the body can pop open with a little down pressure on the leg, allowing the last cut to remove it in one piece. Repeat on the other side.

Legs and thighs are dark meat and have a robust, rich flavor. Anyone who embraces these lower extremities finds new ways to utilize them in a variety of recipes. Enchiladas, fried rice, spring rolls, pulled turkey, soup and wontons are but a few examples.

WINGS

I have been fortunate to share a couple of turkey camps with longtime outdoor writer, Jim Zumbo, and have learned to appreciate his culinary expertise and his desire to utilize a bird fully. Jim stood by the cleaning table one morning, and as each hunter processed a harvested bird, asked, “are you taking the wings?”

Jim rounded up every wing he could get his hands on and plucked each one. The large wings had a significant amount of meat, and with the skin attached, there are many ways to prepare a meal fit for a king or a crew that generally meet at the pub on wing night. Braised, roasted, deep-fried and barbecued wings are great ways to enjoy the upper extremities of a gobbler.

ORGANS

The gizzard, liver and heart are considered delicacies in many cultures and are never squandered. There are many, many ways to use organs, and in some families, there is a race or squabble over who gets the inner bits.

HEAD AND TOES

Whether a bird is roasted, braised or boiled, the head can be included in the pot. A fellow hunter from Missouri shared a family tradition whereby Grandpa always got the head of a turkey, squirrel or duck cooked for a family meal. The brain was scooped out and savored, and thought to be the best part of the meal. Occasionally, gramps would honor someone else around the table, creating the want and desire of everyone watching, hoping they would get the head.

Have you ever seen chicken feet in a pot of soup or on the menu at a restaurant? The heavy cartilage creates a great broth, and the feet can be eaten skin on or off. Eating turkey feet may be a bold step for some families to try. However, modern foodies looking for new challenges will find this an excellent way to utilize the game they harvest to the fullest extent.

Cherish every wild turkey that you harvest and make an effort to use all edible portions. Consider it a challenge and an ode to the bird that so many cherish. Check out the two recipes below to get you started.

Wild Turkey Thigh Fried Rice

Turkey Preparation Ingredients
• 2 turkey legs and thighs
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 celery ribs, chopped coarsely

Fried Rice Ingredients
• 4 cups deboned turkey meat, chopped
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup mushrooms, diced
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp sweet soy sauce or 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cup white rice

Braising Turkey Legs and Thighs
1. Separate the leg from the thigh by cutting through the joint. Place chopped celery in a crockpot, followed by the turkey legs and thighs, and pour chicken stock over the top. Add water, if needed, to cover the meat. Gently simmer for 6 to 8 hours or until the meat is fork-tender.
2. Remove the legs and thighs from the crockpot and let cool. Debone the meat with your fingers, feeling for the small bones in the legs.

Constructing Fried Rice
1. Prepare white rice as recommended on the package.
2. In a large wok or deep-sided frying pan, heat the vegetable and sesame oil on medium-high. Add the celery, onion, peas and mushrooms and stir regularly for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the turkey, cooked rice, soy and sweet soy or sugar, and stir to blend. Keep on medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes and serve hot.

Crunchy Wild Turkey Nuggets

Ingredients
• 1 boneless, skinless turkey breast
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp seasoned pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 quart frying oil

Directions
1. Trim silver skins and connective tissue off the turkey breast and cut it into 1½-inch cubes.
2. Place turkey cubes in a sealable bag and pour enough buttermilk over them to cover and ensure cubes are floating and not touching. Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days (8 to 48 hours).
3. In a large plastic bag, combine breadcrumbs, Bearded Butcher Chipotle Seasoning, garlic powder and smoked paprika.
4. Drain excess buttermilk from turkey nuggets in a colander for 2 minutes. Place 3 or 4 nuggets at a time in the breadcrumbs and shake to coat.
5. Add cooking oil to a 12- or 14-inch cast iron frying pan to a depth of about 1 inch. Preheat cooking oil to 375 degrees F, or medium-high. Gently place nuggets one at a time in the oil to fill the pan, and cook until they are golden brown, flipping once, about 2 minutes per side.
6. Remove nuggets from oil and place on a paper towel-lined tray or plate to absorb excess grease. Serve hot with favorite dipping sauces.

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