Introduction
We are going to do a sales job here. We want to convince you that, after fifteen years of making Thanksgiving turkey, we have found a method that produces the moistest, most flavorful turkey yet. You see, unlike some of us, turkeys have big breasts. This is a problem, because the white meat typically gets overcooked while the dark meat needs additional roasting. So, we have researched, experimented, and perfected a remarkably easy method to produce a great-tasting bird. The catch, and there is one, is that you have to do some minor preparation twelve to twenty-four hours before roasting your turkey. The work consists of nothing more complicated than marinating the thawed turkey in a brine.
That said, let’s talk about the turkey for a moment. Try to buy an organic turkey or, better yet, an organic free-range turkey (one that got to run around and feed in the barnyard instead of being cooped up). At a minimum, buy one that is hormone-free and doesn’t have added butter flavor. If the turkey is frozen, it should be defrosted in the refrigerator (never at room temperature) for three to four days.
The last point we want to mention is that we don’t believe in stuffing the bird. Blasphemy? We don’t think so! For one, it is better in terms of food safety to bake stuffing separately; second, stuffing tastes better when the top is crunchy and crisp.
Ingredients
| 1 | turkey (14 to 16 pounds) |
Brine
| ⅔ | cup coarse kosher salt |
| ⅔ | cup granulated sugar |
| 5 | fresh sage leaves |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| 4 | sprigs fresh thyme |
| 6 | whole cloves |
| ½ | tsp. whole black peppercorns, crushed (see Cook’s Notes) |
| 2 | tsp. whole allspice berries, crushed |
Spiced Butter
| 10 | whole cloves |
| 2 | tsp. whole black peppercorns, crushed |
| 1 | Tbsp. whole allspice berries, crushed |
| 4 | oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter |
Vegetable Mixture
| 2 | large yellow onions (about 1½ pounds total), peeled and diced |
| 2 | large carrots (about 8 ounces total), peeled and diced |
| 3 | large ribs celery, diced |
| 4 | cloves garlic, peeled and minced |
| 7 | fresh sage leaves, chopped |
| 1 | Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves |
| 1 | tsp. salt |
| ~ | Freshly ground black pepper, to taste |
Giblet Gravy
| 2 | Tbsp. unsalted butter |
| ~ | Neck, tail, and giblets (gizzard, liver, and heart) from turkey |
| 4 | cups Chicken Stock or 2 cans (16 ounces each) low-sodium chicken broth |
| 2 | sprigs fresh thyme |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| 6 | whole peppercorns |
| ~ | Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste |
| 2 | Tbsp. flour (optional) |
Steps
- To make brine, in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, combine salt, sugar, sage, bay, thyme, cloves, peppercorns, and allspice. Add 8 cups cold water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, continuing to stir to dissolve salt and sugar. Simmer for 3 minutes, remove from heat, add 4 cups cold water, stir, and set aside. Place one plastic oven bag (see Cook’s Notes) inside a second to create a double thickness, then place these bags, open wide, in a large roasting pan. Remove thawed turkey from its wrapping. Remove neck and giblets from cavity, cut off tail, and refrigerate until ready to make gravy. Place bird inside the bags. Stand turkey upright while you pour brine over bird. Add just enough additional cold water to cover bird, but allow room to close bags securely with a twist tie. Place breast side down in pan and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
- To make spiced butter, place cloves, peppercorns, and allspice in a 1½-quart saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until spices are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add butter and melt completely; set aside.
- To prepare vegetable mixture, combine onions, carrots, celery, garlic, sage, thyme, salt, and a few grinds pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Mix well and set aside. To make giblet gravy, heat butter in a 2½-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add reserved turkey neck, tail, and giblets and brown lightly on all sides. Remove liver and set aside. Add stock or broth, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns to pan. Bring to a simmer and cook about 40 minutes. Set aside. With a slotted spoon, remove neck, tail, and giblets from stock or broth and allow to cool. Shred meat from neck, and cut liver, heart, and gizzard into small dice, return to stock or broth, and refrigerate. Discard neck bones and tail.
- To roast turkey, position an oven rack at lowest level in oven and another rack just above it. This should allow enough clearance for turkey. Preheat oven to 500°F. Remove turkey from brine. Discard bags, brine, and any cured herbs or spices remaining on bird. Rinse turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place ½ cup reserved vegetable mixture inside neck cavity, pull skin over to close, and secure with toothpicks. Place 1½ cups vegetable mixture inside chest cavity. Scatter remainder in bottom of roasting pan and add 2 cups water to pan. Set a roasting rack inside roasting pan. Place bird on roasting rack, breast side up. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Use your fingers to loosen skin of breast meat and separate skin from meat. Tilt bird slightly and pour spiced butter into this pocket. Spread any spices remaining in saucepan on skin of turkey.
- Place bird in oven and roast for 30 minutes. Baste turkey and lower oven temperature to 350°F. Continue to roast turkey, basting it every 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F when inserted into thickest part of thigh, 1¾ to 2 hours. Transfer bird, breast side up, to a carving board (see Cook’s Notes) and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes before carving to let juices set. Use a spoon to remove vegetable mixture from chest cavity and place in roasting pan. While the turkey is resting, you aren’t—now is the time to complete the gravy!
- To finish gravy, remove reserved stock or broth and giblets from refrigerator and bring to a simmer over high heat. Pass the pan drippings and vegetables from turkey through a strainer into a large measuring cup or gravy strainer. Use back of a spoon to press down on the softened vegetables and work them through strainer. Add them to simmering stock and stir to combine. Skim any fat that comes to surface of pan juices. Add pan juices to simmering gravy. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. If gravy needs to be thickened, place flour in a 1-cup measure, add a small amount of simmering gravy, blend until smooth, then slowly pour into gravy. Simmer 2 minutes, then pour into a warmed bowl or sauceboat to serve.
- To carve turkey, untie legs and remove toothpicks. Using a sharp carving knife and fork, cut down between thigh and body until you feel bone. Twist leg/thigh piece a little until you see thigh joint. Now cut through the joint to separate thigh from body. Cut the joint where leg meets thigh. Now you have a leg and thigh ready for a platter. Repeat on other side of bird. To carve breast meat, start at keel bone that runs along top of breast. Angle knife and cut thin slices of breast meat from one side of bird. Lay slices of meat on platter, overlapping them for a nice presentation. Continue until you reach rib cage, then carve other breast. At this point you should have plenty of meat for serving. Cover bird loosely with aluminum foil and pick the carcass later for fine leftovers. If a guest is determined to have a wing, pull back wing until you see joint between wing and body. Cut through joint to separate wing from body, and add to platter. Serve turkey accompanied with sauceboat of gravy, and enjoy your hard work!
Notes
- The easiest way to crush spices is to use a mortar and pestle, or a spice grinder. You can also put whole spices in a heavy lock-top plastic bag and pound them with the bottom of a heavy, small saucepan.
- Plastic oven bags are found along with other food storage bags at supermarkets. Buy the largest size. These bags are big, strong, and come with twist ties. You might think that doubling white kitchen garbage bags would do, but most are labeled “not for food storage.”
- A short discussion of carving boards is in order here. There is a difference between cutting boards and carving boards, even though both may be made of identical materials. Technically, a carving board has a moat and, ideally, a well. The moat collects the juices while the well traps them, avoiding major messes when carving cooked meats. It is worth the investment to own both.
Copyright 2006 Culinate, Inc
