SC - Thoughts on Black Turkey

[Nanna Rognvaldardottir]

Adamantius wrote:
>
>It is conceivable that Benchley may have perpetrated an early
>communications hoax along the lines of the Internet-based Urban Legend,
>but without actually cooking the dish it's hard to tell. I would say the
>mention of his name makes it all seem rather suspicious.


Yes, the recipe and especially the story that is always attached to it (the
actual originator of the recipe was Morton Thompson) do sound suspicious but
it is an authentic recipe. Jeffrey Steingarten devotes a whole chapter to it
in his book The Man Who Ate Everything; he actually made the blackened
turkey according to the recipe and, IIRC, says it is the best he ever had,
but too much bother, so instead he uses the high-heat roasting method for
his turkey but makes Thompson´s stuffing on the side. I have several times
made a slightly modified version of this stuffing - it is really delicious.
But I´ve never made the blackened turkey itself, although I´d like to try
the recipe some time.

I think Steingarten made some effort to discover the origin of the recipe
and the Benchley connection but I can´t check just now - the book is at
home, in a room that accidentally got locked and the key is nowhere to be
found. Unfortunately, said room is also my bedroom - I had to sleep on the
living room couch and my son is at home trying to brush up his locksmithing
skills.

Nanna