Thanksgiving Turkey

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Main Course

Ingredients
  

Turkey Ingredients

  • 1 turkey fully thawed
  • Stick of butter for basting
  • Seasoning for the skin - I used a combination of salt, pepper, sage, thyme, rosemary, cayenne and poultry seasoning.
  • 2 apples quartered
  • 2 onions skinned and quartered
  • 2 carrots peeled and cut into 4" strips, halved lengthwise
  • 2 stalks of celery cut into 4" strips, halved lengthwise

Instructions
 

Turkey Instructions

  • Clean the turkey skin, removing all artifacts of feathers, and trimming the excess fat (I don't stuff the bird, so I trim the skin off from around the neck area.
  • Poke holes in the skin in multiple areas to allow the brine to penetrate to the meat. You can a toothpick, or a meat tenderizer tool. Amazon has them for about $13. They have 45-55 sharp needs that you poke into the meat.
  • Place the meat in the brine overnight or for up to 24 hours. Don't do it longer than that. If you do it too long the brine will actually start to pull moisture from the turkey. I put the cooler with brine and the turkey in the garage, which is cold enough in MN to keep it cool.
  • About 5 hours before the target completion time, remove the turkey from the brine and rinse it off. Pat it dry and place it in the roasting pan. This step lets the skin start to dry, so that it is crispy and not rubbery.
  • Stuff the cavity with the onions, apples, celery and carrots. The main purpose of this is to add some mass to the cavity so that it cooks evenly. It also adds more flavors to the meat and broth. I use these items as trimmings for the plate after carving.
  • Spray with Pam cooking oil, olive oil, or duck fat
  • Sprinkle with the seasoning mix. Very little makes it into the meat during the cook, but it adds great flavor to the drippings, which are drizzled on the meat after carving.
  • Cook at 325 - I cooked our 15 lb turkey for 3.5 hours, and the breast meat was 163 degrees. During the cooking, I basted it with butter every 45 minutes to 1 hour..
  • Remove from the oven and let it sit for 30 minutes or more. Here's a hint from my cooking class. Put some foil over the roasting pan, leaving a vent hole for steam to escape. Cover the roasting pan with a moving blanket. I got one for $7 at Northern Tool. This will keep the bird warm, while still allowing it to rest and retain its moisture..
  • Remove the meat from the turkey. I pull the dark meat from the legs and thighs - attempting to remove all of the tendons and sinewy parts. Then I take the whole breasts off of the turkey and cut them into medallions.
  • Spoon the juices over the meat. This adds a lot of flavor and moisture to the meat.
  • Serve
Keyword Holiday