The weekend a turkey humbled my kitchen pride

Last weekend, I decided to buy a turkey and teach myself how to cook it. I’d been thinking about expanding my white meat options beyond chicken and fish, and turkey was high on my list. After about a month of researching the best places to buy turkey in Nairobi, I finally found a reliable spot. So, last weekend, everything finally came together, and I took the plunge!

I excitedly bought the turkey that Saturday afternoon, but it was only after it defrost completely that it fully settled in my mind that turkey is not chicken. Just two drumsticks were enough to fill up my entire chopping board! 

My first instinct was to cut the drumsticks into small pieces, but posterity had other plans because guess what? None of the knives in my house were sharp enough to slice them. In frustration, as I stood and stared at the offending larger than life turkey drumsticks, I had a deep reflection about my life choices.

I wondered why I did not just buy chicken. Isn’t white meat just white meat? Why did it matter to me whether it was turkey or chicken? I remembered how heavy it was and the fact that it was even a lot pricier and I wanted to pinch my ears for willingly punishing myself. I could not believe that instead of enjoying a movie and relaxing on a Saturday afternoon, I was stuck with a big chuck of meat that I was not sure what to do with.

Eventually, I found the largest cooking pan in my house, I put in two drumsticks, added water and let them boil. I reasoned that soft meat is always easy to cut. After I put the meat to boil, I texted one of my close friends – to ask for the recipe to prepare turkey.

Unlike most people of my generation, I do not “ask Google” questions I consider personal. I find it easier to ask an actual person. I am not saying I do not Google, I am saying when it comes to personal things, I tend to trust the lived experiences of people I know and trust more than a search on the internet. I have lost count of the number of times I have to be on the phone with my big sis when I am cooking pilau because for some reason, that recipe just never sticks in my head.

Back to the turkey quagmire.

My friend’s reply came about ten minutes later, and it confirmed that I had successfully botched my first attempt at making turkey.

“You are supposed to cook them in the oven, slowly,” she texted.

By the time I was reading this message, the drumsticks were already at boiling point. Besides, it is long since I last used the oven (I sometimes forget I have it). In any case, I was already too mentally flustered I did not have energy in me for any fresh efforts. I decided there and then that I will wait for the meat to become soft, and add tomato and onions like I would for chicken and call it a day.

In the meantime, I ate a serious snack, just in case whatever I was cooking turned out to be poison and I did not have any dinner that night.

My weekend was not completely ruined but I will not bore you with the final outcome of my first attempt at cooking turkey. Do I plan to give it another try? You guessed it!  I will – but after broader pre-cooking consultations plus research.

In the past, I would have probably spent months feeling terrible about falling flat. But I’m learning that excellence is a habit. I don’t plan on becoming an expert at cooking turkey — I only used that word to hype you up! However, I’ve realised how essential it is to create space to try new things, fail, learn from them, and keep moving forward.

PS: My friend was gracious and allowed me to learn from my mistakes. She stepped back from my recipe and didn’t say anything when I sent her photos of my complete meal. Knowing her and how quickly she affirms me, her silence was my cue that whatever I made out of that turkey was a disaster. But we live to fight another day, right?

The writer is the Research & Impact Editor, NMG, [email protected]