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Vodka-Infused Turkey: Your Solution to Thanksgiving Sobriety
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 22, 2010
Modified Nov 22, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 22, 2010
Modified Nov 22, 2010
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The problem with Thanksgiving is that all the food tends to soak up the alcohol in your stomach, thus making it harder to attain that blissful state of intoxication wherein your relatives' little comments can't drive you into a homicidal rage. Thankfully, Georgi Vodka and the United Restaurant and Tavern Owners Association are here to help. For the past three days, chefs have been infusing a turkey with five different flavors of vodka and preparing a gravy that contains 100-proof vodka. At a press conference at PD O’Hurley’s today, they unveiled the prototype of "the nation’s only 100-proof turkey."
Last year, the 100-proof turkey was prepared on a trial basis in one tavern and sold out; this year, the bird will be served at over 100 pubs and taverns in NYC, and the recipe will be posted at liquor stores around the nation. (So far it's on the menu at P.D. O'Hurley's, P.D. O'Hurley's West End, Pier 84, Hudson Beach Cafe, and O'Caseys; it costs $29.99 per meal or $69 if you want O'Hurley's to make you a whole bird.) The five vodka flavors used to make the infusion are peach, cherry, orange, lemon and apple. We've published the recipe below, and come Thursday we plan on deep-frying a vodka-bourbon-tequila Turducken.
PD O'Hurley's sent us over some slices of the turkey today, and only one Gothamist staffer, Jaya Saxena, was brave or self-destructive enough to eat it. Reached for comment via e-mail, Saxena says, "Not as alcoholic as I expected it to be. It tastes more like you ate some turkey after taking a shot of vodka. Though after two bites I think I'm feeling buzzed. I'm not sure if that's a placebo effect." We're guessing it'll taste a lot better tomorrow when she makes a sandwich out of it with beer mustard.
100-Proof Turkey Recipe (modified for the average family - for example, instead of needing to marinate for three days, it only needs to marinate for one). From Paul Loftus, Executive Chef of PD O'Hurley's West End:
14 lb turkey
2 bunch thyme
2 bunch oregano
2 bunch sage
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 stems celery, diced
6 oz olive oil
8 oz fresh cranberries
4 oz Georgi Vodka each in the following flavors: peach, apple, cherry, orange and lemon
8 oz Georgi Blue Vodka (100 proof)Put turkey breast-down the night before with the diced vegetables, one bunch each of fresh herbs, cranberries and 4 oz of each flavored vodka. Refrigerate to marinate. On the morning of Thanksgiving, turn the turkey breast-up and cover with herbs and vegetables. Roast in oven at 375 degrees for three hours.
Blend the remaining fresh herbs, olive oil and Georgi Vodka Blue and inject into turkey.
Tagged
100 proof turkey
georgi vodka
PD O’Hurley’s
turkey
vodka turkey
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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