Turkey

Baking a Turkey is not hard, but you’re going to want to give yourself a good couple of days to do it, so make sure you buy your bird at least the week before Thanksgiving and give it a few days to thaw out before you start. This may go without saying, but if this is your absolute first time ever cooking a turkey, relax! It’s going to be great! I got this brine recipe 4 or 5 years ago from Food Network here ( Mine is modified now, so these are not the same as the recipe I use now. But these are all similar and will give you some other ideas) I also got the method of cooking it from Alton Brown here.

The first thing to make is the brine. It gives it a really good flavor and makes the meat juicier. Brine is just a really fancy word for soaking it in salt water.

After your turkey has thawed in your fridge, make the brine by dumping a cup of salt into 2 gallons of water for a 12-14 pounder. If your bird weighs more than that, (the weight is written on the package) add and additional 1/2 cup salt per pound. (I put mine in a camping cooler. You’ll have to put it somewhere where it can sit in for 24 hours or so undisturbed. So, not the kitchen sink. Before we had our camping cooler, we bought a small styrofoam cooler for a few bucks at Walmart.) Add 1 cup brown sugar (additional 1/2 cup brown sugar per pounds over 14, like the salt.) Mix it all up until it is dissolved in the water. Then it’s time to give the bird his bath.

Make sure you take the turkey out of its wrapper. Inside the turkey there will probably be a small package of gizzards, and possibly some drippings in a plastic bag. Some people use them to make gravy. I find that I get plenty of drippings to use for gravy just from roasting the turkey, so I don’t keep them. Take out the packets and the wrapper, wash the turkey in cool water both inside and out. Then pick it up under the wings or by the legs and lower it into the brine. (Careful, that sucker is heavy! Don’t splash brine all over the place)

Once the bird is in, I quarter oranges and lemons, 2-3 each. I squeeze the juice into the water and then drop the peel in too. Then drop in 6-7 Thyme sprigs and 6-7 Rosemary sprigs. Fresh is best if you have it or can buy it, but dried works too. For dried thyme and rosemary, add 2-3 tablespoons. (can’t really go wrong, don’t be shy about it.) Then dump a bunch of ice cubes in the water to keep the whole thing cold (I just empty my freezer ice reserve.) Shut the cooler lid, throw a blanket or a big towel over it for extra insulation and let it sit for 24-48 hours (I usually just do 24 hours.)

It will take the turkey about 2-2 1/2 hours to cook, so make sure all the other things that need oven time are cooked a few days before and then rewarmed in the oven right when the turkey comes out.

When it’s time to roast Tommy, pull him out of the brine and put him into the roasting pan. (There will be a lot of drippings so make sure the roasting pan is deep.) Gently separate the skin from the meat by sliding your hand in between. Mix a cube of softened butter with a tablespoon or two of diced sage and spread it between the skin and the meat. If I have enough, I spread it on top of the skin, too. Top the turkey with whatever seasonings you like. For me, that’s more thyme and rosemary and sage, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with celery stalks, carrots, and onions, all cut chunky. (I prefer to make stuffing separately) Set the oven high at 500 degrees and let the turkey roast in there for 30 minutes. This is supposed to seal in the juices or something. It will make the top of the turkey nice and brown, so cover it (the top) with tin foil or a lid while it cooks the rest of the way. Check to see if it’s done around 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Check it with an internal thermometer (most turkeys come with one already in it). It should reach 165 degrees.

After you pull it out of the oven, cover it with foil or a lid and leave it alone!! for at least 15 minutes before carving it.

Carve, feast, and enjoy! And DO. NOT. throw away the bones! Click below to see my recipe for a massive batch of Turkey Soup