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Al'dnesday • November 26, 1997
Lifestyles
Turkey Time
&M professors give their take on the best way to prepare the 'Great Feasf
Story by Chris Martin
F NJow;
5'T D0t6i
irds fascinate me,” offered Dr. Willie F. Krueger, professor of
poultry science and former head of Texas A&M’s poultry sci
ence department, as a clue into what drives a poultry man.
For nearly 60 years, Krueger’s main course has been the study of
chickens and turkeys — the staples of any holiday feast.
So when Thanksgiving, the big “turkey day," arrives, what exactly goes
on at the home of a poultry professional?
Do business and pleasure collide?
“I can work with birds all day, get dirty, then go home and eat turkey,”
Krueger said. “It doesn’t bother me in the least.”
Krueger is one professional who always brings his work home.
“When you eat at my house, you eat fowl,” Krueger said. “Mrs.
Krueger prepares the turkey \forThanksgiving] because she likes to pre
pare it her way. But I’m the official carver.”
Dr. Fred Thornberry, professor of poultry science and extension
poultry specialist, takes a more active role in the Thanksgiving meal
at his home.
“When it’s in my home, I’m the one that prepares the turkey,”
Thornberry said. “I cook the meats and dressings, and I bake the yeast
breads. My wife makes four or five different types of pies and a vari
ety of vegetables.”
The Thanksgiving menu at Thornberry’s home may seem tradition
al, but his preparation methods are anything but.
“Well, I very seldom bake a turkey—a lot of times I will Cajun fry one,”
Thornberry said. “It’s a very succulent turkey, not greasy at all.
“Other times, I will take a deli breast, brown it, put a little seasoning
on it, then surround it with good dressing. It’s also very delicious, but a
Cajun fried turkey is a real delicacy.”
Unlike Colonel Sanders, the blend of herbs and spices forThornber-
ry’s bird is no secret.
“Some folks like to marinate the turkey or inject it,” Thornberry said.
“But I’ve found that you’ll do a very good job with the turkey if you sea
son it well.
“Prepare a seasoning mixture of thyme, sage, poultry seasoning, a lit
tle tarragon, cracked black pepper and garlic salt.”
After gathering the Cajun spices, Thornberry then pre
pares the turkey.
“Sprinkle a little Tobasco on the turkey
and rub it in,” Thornberry said. “Then
apply the mixture of seasonings lib
erally to the outside and inside
of the turkey.
“When the turkey is
cooking, the oils pick
up the flavor from
the seasoning.”
Dale Hyatt,
manager of the
poultry re
search center,
has a reputa
tion in the
poultry de
partment for
being some
what of a
gourmet
chili cook,
Thornberry
said.
“I’m no
five-star chef
— don’t get me
wrong,” Hyatt
said. "But I enjoy
barbecuing and
cooking outside.
“ I’m more of an out
door cook—chili and bar
becue and what have you. I
guess over the past 15 or 20
years, I’ve perfected a few of them.”
Hyatt’s recipe for Thanksgiving turkey
also includes a special mix of spices.
“It’s quite a cross section of different spices,
such as pepper, garlic salt and onion powder,” Hyatt
said. “We let it sit in the refrigerator for a couple days, then we
submerse it in 325-degree peanut oil and whole fry it.
“That’s been our tradition for about the last
five years.”
And after Thanksgiving, Hyatt puts
the proverbial turkey leftovers to
good use in a uniquely Texan
way.
“I like to make turkey
chili,” Hyatt said. “I
prefer to use the dark
meat. It makes an
excellent chili.
“But I tell you,
when you deep
fat fry those
turkeys you
won’t have a
lot of left
overs. You’ll
throw rocks
at the baked
ones after
^ ^ rn you try it.”
M M Thornber
ry also puts
the leftovers to
good use.
“I’ll eat them
on sandwiches, I
might make
some hash with
them or real good
turkey soup,” Thorn
berry said.
“And then I have sever
al little puppy dogs that en
joy little niblets.”
Hyatt said he has no problem in
coming home to turkey after a long
day at work.
“I enjoy doing it off the clock as well as
on,” Hyatt said. “That’s my career, and I
wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy it.”
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RGGIE BONFIRE
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■ ■■■■l mmSrnMaMumSm
TO KEEP HLCOHOL
FROM SHATTERING
THE TRADITION
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mki
10. Puking on your friends doesn’t
PROMOTE SAFETY, UNITY, OR AGGIE SPIRIT.
8, TAB.C. is EVERYWHERE
1ms Alcohol & Beverage Commission Officers issue
TICKETS AT BONFIRE SITE AND SURROUNDING AREAS.
6. Friends Too Poor to Bail you out
Bonding out of jail costs around $150 with Fines up
to $2000 depending on priors.
4. Can’t watch Bonfire from a Jail Cell
,r (Students arrested for Public Intoxication at
Bonfire are hand-cuffed and go to jail).
It Keeps Getting Better
Since 1989, the Bonfire Alcohol Awareness
Committee has been promoting mature decisions
Regarding the use of alcohol. As a result, we have
seen able to consistently reduce alcohol abuse at
Bonfire and to Honor an Aggie Tradition.
9. The Polo fields are Swampy enough
Officers confiscate any alcohol and empty forbidden
ELIXERS ONTO THE COLD TURF OF THE BONFIRE SITE.
7. E.R. is more fun on TV than Live
Dangers resulting from alcohol abuse Bonfire night
include: alcohol poisoning, violence, vandalism,
littering, and trespassing.
5. Two Words: Maximum Penalty
Students cited for PI or MIP at Bonfire will NOT
BE GRANTED DEFERRED ADJUDICATION & JUDGES ASSESS
the Maximum Penalty.
3. Red-Ass Ags do their part to Keep
this Tradition and all those who Share
in it Alive.
1. Aggies young and old will Celebrate
their Burning Desire to Beat the Hell
OuTTA T.U. AT THE 8?TH ANNUAL TEXAS
A&M Bonfire on November 27th, 1997!
Alcohol and Drug Education Programs
...a part of the Division of Student Affairs Texas A&M UNIVERSITY
http://stulife.tamu.edu phone: 845-0280
Texas A&M Bookstore Presents
TEXAS FOOTBALL LEGENDS
The Two Greatest Runnins
Backs in Texas History
Heisman Winner '57 Heisman Winner '77
John David Crow & Earl Campbell
Heart of a Champion The Tyler Rose
will be sisnins their books at the
TEXAS A&M BOOKSTORE
Friday Nov. 28th immediately followin3 the game
Hardcover Editions $29-
Others available for autographs
Signing before the game Signing after the game
Cindy King Boettcher Dr. John Hoyle 57
Anna Meagan & Whoop Good Bull 3
Benjamin Knox
Artist
Phone Orders accepted • 1-800-523-5184
http://www.bookstore-tamu-edu
TEXAS A&M BOOKSTORE
Memorial Student Center
845-8681