My brothers and I always argued over who would get to eat the turkey wings. There were three of us children. The turkey only had two wings. So we had to take turns from one time to another.
Stores didn’t sell turkey parts when I was a kid. My mom roasted a whole bird. She ate the breast meat. My Dad learned to eat the dark meat. The leftovers were used for open face sandwiches with hot gravy (oh yum!)
Fortunately, these days you can go to a supermarket and buy a half turkey or separate thighs, drumsticks, wings — including cut up wings — breasts, even half breasts and even necks. Which is what I did yesterday — I bought a half breast and 2 extra wings because on Academy Awards night my brother is coming and he and I can each have a wing and my husband Ed and sister-in-law Eileen can have the white meat.
Ain’t modern life grand!
Here’s how I’m going to cook the turkey:
Roasted Half Turkey Breast and Wings with Honey-Pineapple Glaze
1-1/2 cups pineapple juice
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
turkey breast half, about 3 pounds
2 small turkey wings, cut into sections
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the juice, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and garlic in a saucepan. Whisk ingredients until smooth and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer for 10-12 minutes or until thickened and sightly syrupy. Set aside to cool. Rinse and dry the turkey breast and wings and place them in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper if desired. Place the pan in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 325 degrees. Roast for 25 minutes. Pour half the juice mixture over the turkey. Roast for another 20 minutes. Pour the remainder of the juice over the turkey; turn the wings. Continue to roast for another 25-35 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 160 degrees and the wings are golden brown. Baste occasionally during cooking. Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest for about 15 minutes before carving the breast. Serve with pan juices. Makes 4-6 servings