Roast Turkey

[OnAFly]

For as many years as I can remember, I hated the white meat on our thanksgiving turkeys. It was like eating compacted sawdust. I thought that this was just what the white meat is, dry. I tried this recipe last year (thank you Alton Brown) and found out that every turkey I've eaten in my 28 years has been way over done. (sorry mom)

Brine:

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 gallon vegetable stock

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger

1 gallon heavily iced water

In/on the turkey:

1 red apple, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup water

4 sprigs rosemary

6 leaves sage

Canola oil

First the brine. Mix the ingredients together and bring to a boil with half the water. Once everything is completely dissolved, turn off the heat and let it cool. Place the mix in a 5 gal bucket and add the other half of the water in the form of ice. Make sure the brine is completely cooled then add the turkey and refrigerate for 12 hours. Then, remove the turkey from the brine a rinse thoroughly.

Onto the turkey. First thing to do is to take a piece of aluminum foil and fold it over to make a triangle. Take this triangle and place the triangle on the breast and form it to cover the entire breast. This acts as a heat shield for the white meat. Once formed, take the triangle and set it aside.

The stuffing. This is not a normal stuffing that is eaten, more of a flavor adder. Take the apple, onion, and cinnamon and heat in the microwave for 5min with one cup of water. Add this mixture to the cavity of the turkey along with the rosemary and sage. Coat the turkey with canola oil.

Place the turkey in a 500F preheated oven for 30min. Next, pull the turkey and place a probe thermometer on the thickest part of the breast and put on the triangle over the breast. Reduce the heat to 350 and cook until the temp reaches 161F. Pull the turkey and cover in a sheet of aluminum foil and let it rest for 20min. Carve and serve.

The biggest improvement this bird has over others is the use of a probe thermometer. For $15, there is nothing that will more significantly improve how your cooked meats turn out.

[reinhard1]

i have never brined a turkey, just injected it during the roasting cycle with beef broth and butter and garlic. hard to break the cycle but since Turkeys are on sale all over [cubs i see has the best price at .48cents with 25 buck purchase] i will get one this week and try this on a small one. thanks. good luck.

[flyfisher03]

What I like to do the night before is carefully work the skin away from the meat and salt under the skin the night before (make sure to get the legs and thighs also). Rinse away the excess salt the next morning and let it dry in the fridge.

About an hour before roasting take the turkey out of the fridge and place some ice-packs in a large bowl and rest the breast on the ice-packs (keeps the breast cold at the beginning of the roasting process).

Brush the skin with melted butter for a nice crisp skin.

Roast like any other turkey on a roasting rack.

By keeping the breast cold it slows down the cooking process on the breast preventing it from drying out.

[delcecchi]

If no one is watching, dismember turkey before cooking so that the dark meat can cook longer to get done, while white meat doesn't get overcooked. Only downside is no big bird on platter.

[reinhard1]

LOL, ya, try getting that over my crowd. i actualy have done that when in a non thanksgiving day deal and everyone likes that but on "the day", the whole bird has to be on display. always need more drumsticks so i do two smaller turkeys for the extra parts. good luck.

[reinhard1]

i was just at cubs to get my first of 10 or more turkeys the next two weeks. i was talking to one of the meat cutters there about brining [told him we were talking about it here on HSO] and he said his dad used to just soak the turkey in salted water with a bunch of cut up oranges in the pail as well.

he showed me a new product, a brine package of all things. something new. has all you need in the package for 7 bucks with a 1 dollar off coupon. i think the brand name was spice island. i'm going with Fly's brine first. however this product seems to be selling already by the looks of it. look's like brining is getting popular. good luck.

[Jim Almquist]

The recipe that fly used is a good one. Adds a very nice flavor to the meat. For the most part I just use a plain salt brine because I like to use the rotisserie on the Weber with a little apple or hickory chips in tin foil. I think my favorite part is the smokey gravy The stuff is so darn good I could drink it on the side

[reinhard1]

i'm excited to use the brine. nothing wrong with how i made it in the past, just this sounds so logical and i feel i missed out on something . maby put some brandy in that gravy Jim for a hot nightcap good luck.

[fishinchicks]

There are a couple other brine recipes on here from years past. I use an apple cider brine every time I am making the turkey. This year we'll be up at my sisters, so I won't be in charge of the turkey cooking.

[RK]

I always, always use brine. Frankly, I use brines all the time, for everything from chicken to pork. Can make a world of difference. A brined turkey is a lot more forgiving of overcooking, and the flavor can be out of this world. I'll find my brine recipe (time to dig it out anyhow) and try to post it here, but it's a lot like Alton Brown's (and I've used his recipe - works very well).

Cheers,

RK

[reinhard1]

i think i used your brine for rainbow trout if i'm not mistaken. i have it written down somewhere here in my notes. i think it started out with one gallon of apple cider and salt and brown sugar? anyway the trout were great smoked. i can see where it would be great on turkeys also. good luck.

[Moose]

Best Roasted Turkey I've ever had I got from this recipe. Gotta love that she worked in an Alaskan Fly in Fishing Camp.

http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-roast-a-turkey/

[reinhard1]

well it's hard to argue with people with experience such as this fellow has. i'm going to brine the bird for next week for i have never done that and am interested in the outcome. however this simple method is worth trying as well since i will be buying a few turkeys the next couple of weeks. one thing i guess i haven't done in the past is let the bird rest much at all. this chef in the site makes a point of that says it's critical. so that is something i will also start incorporating in my bird. thanks good luck.

[McGurk]

I like to do a "dry brine" by rubbing the seasoning between the skin and meat and using just dry salt to add that flavor. Here is a vid with both the method and a recipe for a seasoning paste. Recipe at 0:53, and method starts at 1:18.

[reinhard1]

talk about teaching an old dog new tricks. thanks McGurk for taking the time with these great clips. good luck.

[BLACKJACK]

We have one of those table top roaster pans, does a great job of roasting the turkey and keeping it moist at the same time. Follow the directions!!! It doesn't take 5 hours!!! The original poster talked about dry white meat, back in the old days 'ma' uses to throw the turkey in at 6 in the morning!! The last time we did a turkey, I think it was an 18 pounder and it got done it two hours. And by using the counter top roaster, the oven is free for other dishes.

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

For as many years as I can remember, I hated the white meat on our thanksgiving turkeys. It was like eating compacted sawdust. I thought that this was just what the white meat is, dry. I tried this recipe last year (thank you Alton Brown) and found out that every turkey I've eaten in my 28 years has been way over done. (sorry mom)

Brine:

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 gallon vegetable stock

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger

1 gallon heavily iced water

First the brine. Mix the ingredients together and bring to a boil with half the water. Once everything is completely dissolved, turn off the heat and let it cool. Place the mix in a 5 gal bucket and add the other half of the water in the form of ice. Make sure the brine is completely cooled then add the turkey and refrigerate for 12 hours. Then, remove the turkey from the brine a rinse thoroughly.

Ok, I brined it this way, but I poured in a quart of Apple Juice in it.

I'll smoke it in heavy apple wood smoke for an hour & bake it tomorrow morning.

We'll see...

[DonBo]

I cooked my first turkey for Thanksgiving using the recipe in the video link above that Moose posted, this one:

http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-roast-a-turkey/

It turned out awesome! We did another tonight and it was the best turkey I've ever eaten. So quick and SO easy. I'm sold. Thanks Moose for the great advice.

[matilda]

I like to do a "dry brine" by rubbing the seasoning between the skin and meat and using just dry salt to add that flavor. Here is a vid with both the method and a recipe for a seasoning paste. Recipe at 0:53, and method starts at 1:18.

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[DonBo]

HELP! I have a turkey ready to go today, and was planning on using the

http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-roast-a-turkey/

recipe posted above. For some reason, I can't open that site. Maybe it's been taken down? Anyway, does anyone here have the recipe so I can finish up this bird today? It's a 13 pounder. Just need to know what temps for how long. Can someone help?

[delcecchi]

Couple of options from Cooks Illustrated.

1. cut it up so breast meat stays juicy.

Slow-Roasted Turkey with Gravy

Published November 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.

Serves 10 to 12.

Why this recipe works:

For our roasted turkey recipe, we solved the problem of bringing the dark meat up to temperature without overcooking the white meat by forgoing a whole turkey in favor of a breast and two leg quarters, which we roasted on a rack over baking sheets to promote air circulation. Without the insulation from the turkey’s backbone and breast meat, the thighs and drumsticks reached 175 degrees just as the breast finished cooking, resulting in a tender and juicy roast turkey recipe.

Instead of drumsticks and thighs, you may use 2 whole leg quarters, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds each. The recipe will also work with turkey breast alone; in step 2, reduce the butter to 1 1/2 tablespoons, the salt to 1 1/2 teaspoons, and the pepper to 1 teaspoon. If you are roasting kosher or self-basting turkey parts, season the turkey with only 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.

Ingredients

Turkey

3medium onions , chopped medium

3medium celery ribs , chopped medium

2medium carrots , peeled and chopped medium

5sprigs fresh thyme

5medium garlic cloves , peeled and halved

1cup low-sodium chicken broth

1whole bone-in, skin-on turkey breast (5 to 7 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and patted dry with paper towels (see note)

4pounds turkey drumsticks and thighs, trimmed of excess fat and patted dry with paper towels (see note)

3tablespoons unsalted butter , melted

1tablespoon table salt

2teaspoons ground black pepper

Gravy

2cups low-sodium chicken broth

3tablespoons unsalted butter

3tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

2 bay leaves

Salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

1. For the Turkey: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Arrange onions, celery, carrots, thyme, and garlic in even layer on rimmed baking sheet. Pour broth into baking sheet. Place wire rack on top of vegetables (rack will rest on vegetables, not on bottom of baking sheet).

2. Brush turkey pieces on all sides with melted butter. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over turkey. Place breast skin-side down and drumsticks and thighs skin-side up on rack on vegetable-filled baking sheet, leaving at least 1/4 inch between pieces.

3. Roast turkey pieces 1 hour. Using wads of paper towels, turn turkey breast skin-side up. Continue roasting until instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted in thickest part of breast and 170 to 175 degrees in thickest part of thighs, 1 to 2 hours longer. Remove baking sheet from oven and transfer rack with turkey to second baking sheet. Allow pieces to rest at least 30 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours.

4. For the Gravy: Strain vegetables and liquid from baking sheet through colander set in large bowl. Press solids with back of spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard vegetables. Transfer liquid in bowl to 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Add chicken broth to measuring cup (you should have about 3 cups liquid).

5. In medium saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat; when foaming subsides, add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until flour is dark golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Whisk in broth mixture and bay leaves and gradually bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until gravy is thick and reduced to 2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Remove gravy from heat and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Keep gravy warm.

6. To Serve: Heat oven to 500 degrees. Place baking sheet with turkey in oven. Roast until skin is golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven, transfer turkey to cutting board, and let rest 20 minutes. Carve and serve, passing warm gravy separately.

2. roast whole (don't need to brine if pre-injected like most are)

Roasted Brined Turkey

Published November 1, 2004.

Serves 10 to 22, depending on turkey size.

Why this recipe works:

Big birds and small birds, kosher birds, and self-basting birds—with all of wthese choices, and more, on the market, how can the home cook make the right choice and then cook the bird properly? Our roasted turkey recipe allows for a brined or an unbrined turkey (we found you should never brine a kosher or a self-basting bird because it will become too salty) and for a turkey brined for four hours or overnight (the shorter the soak, the saltier the brine). It also provides timing and temperature guidelines for small (12- to 15-pound), medium (15- to 18-pound), and large (18- to 22-pound) birds (large birds get a hotter oven to start out, then a cooler oven to let them cook through without burning the skin).

We offer two brine formulas: one for a 4- to 6-hour brine and another for a 12- to 14-hour brine. The amount of salt used in each brine does not change with turkey size. If you’re roasting a kosher or self-basting turkey, do not brine it; it already contains a good amount of sodium. Rotating the bird from a breast-side down position to a breast-side up position midway through cooking helps to produce evenly cooked dark and white meat. If you’re roasting a large (18- to 22-pound) bird and are reluctant to rotate it, skip the step of lining the V-rack with foil and roast the bird breast-side up for the full time. If making gravy, scatter 1 cup each of coarsely chopped onion, celery, and carrot as well as several fresh thyme sprigs in the roasting pan at the outset; add 1 cup water to keep the vegetables from burning.

Ingredients

Table salt

1 turkey (12 to 22 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly, giblets and neck reserved for gravy, if making

4tablespoons unsalted butter , melted

Instructions

1. Dissolve 1 cup salt per gallon cold water for 4- to 6-hour brine or 1/2 cup salt per gallon cold water for 12- to 14-hour brine in large stockpot or clean bucket. Two gallons of water will be sufficient for most birds; larger birds may require three gallons. Add turkey and refrigerate for predetermined amount of time.

2. Before removing turkey from brine, adjust oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 400 degrees for 12- to 18-pound bird or 425 degrees for 18- to 22-pound bird. Line large V-rack with heavy-duty foil and use paring knife or skewer to poke 20 to 30 holes in foil; set V-rack in large roasting pan.

3. Remove turkey from brine and rinse well under cool running water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Tuck tips of drumsticks into skin at tail to secure, and tuck wing tips behind back. Brush turkey breast with 2 tablespoons butter. Set turkey breast-side down on prepared V-rack; brush back with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Roast 45 minutes for 12- to 18-pound bird or 1 hour for 18- to 22-pound bird.

4. Remove roasting pan with turkey from oven (close oven door to retain oven heat); reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees if roasting 18- to 22-pound bird. Using clean potholders or kitchen towels, rotate turkey breast-side up; continue to roast until thickest part of breast registers 165 degrees and thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 50 to 60 minutes longer for 12- to 15-pound bird, about 1 1/4 hours for 15- to 18-pound bird, or about 2 hours longer for 18- to 22-pound bird. Transfer turkey to carving board; let rest 30 minutes (or up to 40 minutes for 18- to 22-pound bird). Carve and serve.

[McGurk]

Baked up a turkey today; Turned out great. Thawed all week and last night put a fresh chopped mix of thyme, rosemary, and sage with olive oil between the skin and meat. Then applied kosher salt on the outside and cavity and put in a poultry bag overnight. Wiped it down and patted dry this morning and back in the fridge uncovered most of the day to tighten up and dry out. Diced up some celery carrots and onion and put them on a rolled edgd baking sheet with a roasting rack. Cut out the backbone and flattened it out spatchcock-style. 90 minutes at 450 followed by resting 45 minutes under tinfoil and a towel. Give it a try! Juicy breast meat that isn't overdone with well done thigh meat.

[McGurk]

Bump for Turkey Day!

[DonBo]

Still the best:

I cooked my first turkey for Thanksgiving using the recipe in the video link above that Moose posted, this one:

http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-roast-a-turkey/

It turned out awesome! We did another tonight and it was the best turkey I've ever eaten. So quick and SO easy. I'm sold. Thanks Moose for the great advice.

[lovebigbluegills]

HELP! I have a turkey ready to go today, and was planning on using the

http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-roast-a-turkey/

recipe posted above. For some reason, I can't open that site. Maybe it's been taken down? Anyway, does anyone here have the recipe so I can finish up this bird today? It's a 13 pounder. Just need to know what temps for how long. Can someone help?

I just read through this thread and I will be trying the method in the link that donbo posted. The link still works fine. I can't wait to try it- I might have to do a turkey this week too, just to try this recipe.