Roast Wild Turkey with Cranberry Sauce
A whole turkey roasted slowly, basted with butter and deglazed with Madeira, served with a tangy cranberry sauce—a native American berry. The contrast between the golden meat and the bright sauce is typical of the Anglo-American taste of the era.
A whole turkey roasted slowly, basted with butter and deglazed with Madeira, served with a tangy cranberry sauce—a native American berry. The contrast between the golden meat and the bright sauce is typical of the Anglo-American taste of the era.
Sir, do me the honor of taking a seat. Upon my table, the bird you see is no European game: it is a turkey from the forests of the New World, and I consider it as American as our young Constitution. My cook lards it with butter and bastes it with a dash of Madeira until it glows like a gold coin from the Treasury—and trust me, sir, I know gold coins. Taste the tart cranberry preserve: a little acid, as every statesman needs to sharpen his judgment. Let us first drink to the prosperity of the Union!
- •Young wild turkey — 1 bird (centerpiece)
- •Fresh butter — a good lump (basting and richness)
- •Madeira wine — a glass (basting and sauce)
- •Cranberries — a full bowl (tangy sauce)
- •Cane sugar — to taste (sweetens the sauce)
- •Stale bread, sage, onion — as needed (stuffing)
- •Salt, pepper, mace — a pinch (seasoning)
Roast Wild Turkey with Cranberry Sauce
A whole turkey roasted slowly, basted with butter and deglazed with Madeira, served with a tangy cranberry sauce—a native American berry. The contrast between the golden meat and the bright sauce is typical of the Anglo-American taste of the era.
Why this dish? Roast wild turkey is the centerpiece of grand suppers in the young Republic, where Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, forged political alliances at the table as much as in Congress. In New York and then Philadelphia, it was over such laden tables that he defended his national bank project between toasts.
Sir, do me the honor of taking a seat. Upon my table, the bird you see is no European game: it is a turkey from the forests of the New World, and I consider it as American as our young Constitution. My cook lards it with butter and bastes it with a dash of Madeira until it glows like a gold coin from the Treasury—and trust me, sir, I know gold coins. Taste the tart cranberry preserve: a little acid, as every statesman needs to sharpen his judgment. Let us first drink to the prosperity of the Union!
Ingredients (period version)
- Young wild turkey — 1 bird (centerpiece)
- Fresh butter — a good lump (basting and richness)
- Madeira wine — a glass (basting and sauce)
- Cranberries — a full bowl (tangy sauce)
- Cane sugar — to taste (sweetens the sauce)
- Stale bread, sage, onion — as needed (stuffing)
- Salt, pepper, mace — a pinch (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Turkey leg or small free-range turkey — 1.5 kg (centerpiece)
- Butter — 80 g (basting)
- Dry Madeira — 150 ml (basting and deglazing)
- Cranberries (fresh or frozen) — 250 g (sauce)
- Sugar — 80 g (sauce)
- Stale country bread — 200 g (stuffing)
- Onion + fresh sage — 1 onion, 6 leaves (stuffing)
- Salt, pepper, mace (or nutmeg) — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Prepare a simple stuffing: crumbled bread, sautéed onion, chopped sage, salt, pepper, and a pinch of mace; bind with a little melted butter.
- Stuff the turkey, brush generously with butter, and season with salt.
- Roast in the oven at 180°C, basting regularly with the juices and a splash of Madeira, until golden and cooked through (about 1 hour for 1.5 kg).
- Meanwhile, simmer the cranberries with sugar and a little water until they burst and form a glossy compote.
- Deglaze the roasting pan with the remaining Madeira to make a short jus.
- Serve the sliced turkey, drizzled with jus, with the cranberry sauce on the side.
How it was made : At the time, poultry was roasted on a spit over a large fire, constantly basted with butter and juices in a dripping pan. Amelia Simmons, in the very first American cookbook (American Cookery, 1796), gives recipes for roast poultry and cranberry sauce: the turkey-cranberry pairing was already a classic of the nascent national taste.
The contemporary twist : Serve the cranberry compote in a small pot stamped with a faux Treasury seal—a nod to the first secretary who invented American public credit.
Sources : Amelia Simmons, American Cookery, 1796 · Hannah Glasse, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, 1747
Alexander Hamilton · Charactorium
