Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris Shares Her Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

From Oprah Magazine

As we approach Thanksgiving, it seems like everyone has an opinion about the best way to prepare a turkey. Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris is no exception. In a viral video from 2019, the then-senator revealed her bird-cooking method during a 90 second break between TV interviews.

Right before going on the MSNBC show, PoliticsNation, Harris spoke with Washington Post journalist Jonathan Capehart, whose husband, Nick, sent along some questions about brining a turkey. In Capehart's video, Harris tells Nick her recipes for both a wet and dry brine. Harris's response was soon all over Twitter, as viewers weighed in on the then-senator's efficient recipe.

Want to try out the vice presidential brine for yourself? First, Harris recommends getting a fresh turkey. For a wet brine, Harris advises using, "a pot of water, couple bay leaves, a little sugar, a little cup of peppercorns, you could even do a slice of orange—something like that."

Funnily, she was interrupted by a sound check request in her ear piece—Harris was, after all, on a television set. She told the producer, "Yes, I’m here. I’m going to talk about a recipe while you’re checking, is that okay?" Harris then turned back to Capehart, "She’ll tell me if I’m annoying her."

Unfazed by the interruption, Harris continues on with her turkey instructions. "So Nick, a dry brine is easier. And brine for 24 [hours]—but 48 hours is best, if you have the time."

As for the dry brine itself, Harris's recommendation is simple: cover the turkey in salt and freshly ground pepper. "The salt and pepper all over it, just like lather that baby up, on the outside, in the cavity," she explained.

Harris's secret, though, is what she puts under the turkey's skin before cooking. "Mix [the salt and pepper] up with some thyme, a little rosemary if you want. [Put it] under the skin with some butter, before you’re going to cook it, so that that butter will just melt in there," she noted. "And then get a nice big bottle of cheap white wine to baste with butter."

Finishing just in time, Harris quickly pivoted from turkey brines to her MSNBC interview. It would be a mistake, though, to believe Harris's culinary interests extend only to Thanksgiving foods. The Vice President-elect is indeed quite the chef. In a video Harris shared on her Twitter account, she and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, prepared her "go-to roast chicken." This recipe featured minced garlic, lemon zest, and some rosemary.

Watch Harris and Emhoff (whom Harris sweetly calls "Dougie") prepare their chicken below.

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