The Casper-Leinenkugel Thanksgiving Poisoning
Thanksgiving Turkey with Cranberry & Wine
“A family Thanksgiving that turned deadly.”
The Case
In Hendersonville, North Carolina, a Thanksgiving gathering was followed by the sudden illness of family members who had shared the meal.
What was first treated as a medical emergency was later investigated as a poisoning, with the deaths at the centre of the Casper-Leinenkugel case examined by authorities in the years that followed.
We have deliberately kept identifying details here to those that are firmly established. Where reporting differs on specifics, we have omitted them rather than repeat a claim we cannot verify.
The dish itself is the most ordinary thing imaginable: the American holiday table, cooked the way it is cooked in millions of homes each November.
The Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey (about 5kg), thawed
- 150g butter, softened
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 celery sticks, halved
- 500ml chicken stock
- 350g fresh cranberries
- 150g caster sugar
- 250ml red wine
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- 01
Bring the turkey to room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).
- 02
Mash the butter with the sage, thyme, 2 tsp salt and plenty of pepper. Loosen the skin over the breast and push most of the butter underneath; rub the rest over the outside.
- 03
Stuff the cavity with the lemon, onion and celery. Truss the legs and set the turkey on a rack in a roasting tin with the stock poured into the base.
- 04
Roast for approximately 3 hours, basting every 45 minutes, until a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 74°C (165°F). Tent with foil if the skin colours too quickly.
- 05
Rest the turkey, loosely covered, for at least 30 minutes before carving.
- 06
Meanwhile, combine the cranberries, sugar, red wine, cinnamon stick and orange zest and juice in a saucepan. Simmer for 15 minutes until the berries burst and the sauce thickens. Remove the cinnamon and cool.
- 07
Carve the turkey and serve with the cranberry and wine sauce.
Chef’s Note
The 30-minute rest is not optional. Carve early and the juices you spent three hours protecting end up on the board.
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