Answers to Everyday Questions : How can I make a good Thanksgiving turkey?

How can I make a good Thanksgiving turkey?

9 Responses to “How can I make a good Thanksgiving turkey?”

1. ~Susakins Makoozakins~ said :
   November 4th, 2010 at 8:26 pm

   Perfect Turkey — 5 Star Recipe. This will feed 24!!

   INGREDIENTS
   1 (18 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
   2 cups kosher salt
   1/2 cup butter, melted
   2 large onions, peeled and chopped
   4 carrots, peeled and chopped
   4 stalks celery, chopped
   2 sprigs fresh thyme
   1 bay leaf
   1 cup dry white wine

   DIRECTIONS
   Rub the turkey inside and out with the kosher salt. Place the bird in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator, and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 12 hours, or overnight.
   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey, and discard the brine mixture.
   Brush the turkey with 1/2 the melted butter. Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, 1/2 the carrots, 1/2 the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, and the bay leaf. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover with the white wine.
   Roast uncovered 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time, and brush with the remaining butter. Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.
2. John Holmes said :
   November 4th, 2010 at 8:27 pm

   Good Eats Roast Turkey

   Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

   Show: Good EatsEpisode: Romancing the Bird (A Good Eats Thanksgiving)

   * RECIPE
   * COMMENTS & REVIEWS(1756)
   * VIDEOS(2)

   Good Eats Roast Turkey

   *
   Cook Time

   2 hr 30 min
   *
   Level

   Easy
   *
   Yield

   10 to 12 servings

   Close
   Times:

   Prep
   15 min
   Inactive Prep
   7 hr 0 min
   Cook
   2 hr 30 min
   Total:
   9 hr 45 min

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   Ingredients

   * 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

   For the brine:

   * 1 cup kosher salt
   * 1/2 cup light brown sugar
   * 1 gallon vegetable stock
   * 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
   * 1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
   * 1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
   * 1 gallon iced water

   For the aromatics:

   * 1 red apple, sliced
   * 1/2 onion, sliced
   * 1 cinnamon stick
   * 1 cup water
   * 4 sprigs rosemary
   * 6 leaves sage
   * Canola oil

   Directions

   Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

   Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

   A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

   Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

   Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

   Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.
3. jacobsgranny said :
   November 4th, 2010 at 9:11 pm

   ROAST TURKEY WITH PAN GRAVY
   Serves: 14
   Work Time: 45 minutes
   Total Time: about 4 hours 15 minutes
   One 14-pound fresh or frozen (thawed) turkey, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, Pan Gravy, fresh herbs and grapes for garnish

   Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for making Pan Gravy. Rinse turkey with cold running water and drain well.

   Fasten neck skin to back with 1 or 2 skewers. With turkey breast side up, fold wings under back of turkey so they stay in place. Depending on brand of turkey, with string, tie legs and tail together, or push drumsticks under band of skin, or use stuffing clamp.

   Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in large roasting pan. Rub turkey all over with salt and pepper. Cover turkey with a loose tent of foil. Insert meat thermometer through foil into thickest part of thigh next to body, being careful that pointed end of thermometer does not touch bone. Roast turkey about 3 3/4 hours; start checking for doneness during last hour of roasting.

   While turkey is roasting, prepare giblets and neck to use in Pan Gravy.

   To brown turkey, remove foil during last 1 hour of roasting time and baste occasionally with pan drippings. Turkey is done when thigh temperature on meat thermometer reaches 180 degrees to 185 degrees F and drumstick feels soft when pressed with fingers protected by paper towels. (Breast temperature should be 170 degrees to 175 degrees F.)

   When turkey is done, place on warm large platter; keep warm. Prepare Pan Gravy.

   To serve, garnish platter with fresh herbs and grapes. Serve with gravy. Remove skin from turkey before eating, if you like.

   Pan Gravy:
   In 3-quart saucepan over high heat, heat gizzard, heart, neck, and enough water to cover to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 45 minutes. Add liver and cook 15 minutes longer. Drain, reserving broth. Pull meat from neck; discard bones. Coarsely chop neck meat and giblets. Cover and refrigerate meat and broth separately.

   To make gravy, remove rack from roasting pan. Pour pan drippings through sieve into 4-cup measure or medium bowl. Add 1 cup giblet broth to roasting pan and stir until brown bits are loosened; pour into drippings in measuring cup. Let stand a few seconds, until fat separates from meat juice. Spoon 2 tablespoons fat from drippings into 2-quart saucepan; skim and discard any remaining fat. Add remaining giblet broth and enough water to meat juice in cup to equal 3 cups.

   Into fat in saucepan over medium heat, stir 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until flour turns golden brown. Gradually stir in meat-juice mixture and cook, stirring, until gravy boils and thickens slightly. Stir in reserved giblets and neck meat; heat through. Pour gravy into gravy boat.
4. Bogie said :
   November 4th, 2010 at 9:28 pm

   1.5 to 2 pounds turkey per person. Deep fried is by far the best way. We make one in the oven (mom’s), and one in the fryer (dad’s). and the fried turkey is always gone with no leftovers. Butterball.com is a good place to get turkey info.
5. brendevjayemkk said :
   November 4th, 2010 at 9:48 pm

   Put it in a roasting pan, add water to the bottom of the pan with some vegetables under the turkey or a rack to keep it out of the water. Stuff it if you are planning on stuffing it, cover with foil (put a little cooking spray on the foil so it doesn’t stick to the turkey) Cook 15 minutes per pound to a temp of 155-160, it should be 165 for fully cooked but you pull it early and let it sit for 10-15 minutes to rest and it will finish cooking this way it doesn’t dry out. Remember to always temp the thigh area it takes the longest to cook. The last half hour of cooking I take the foil off to brown the turkey. And baste every half hour or so and re cover.
   If your making gravy out of the drippings, mix some flour with cold water and gravy master, boil the pan drippings and whisk in the flour mixture, season well. I also put the vegetables through a food mill and into the gravy for flavor but you can skip that step and just use seasonings, its still good gravy.

   I usually buy large turkeys 20-30 lbs the biggest I can find, I like left overs. But a lb per person is a good idea, remember there are bones so its not actually a lb of meat per person.
6. Woof!!! said :
   November 4th, 2010 at 10:22 pm

   I’d go with making really good RESERVATIONS!
7. pelusa67 said :
   November 4th, 2010 at 10:51 pm

   All the ideas here sound great, but the best way to keep it moist is using a roasting bag. But i have to hand it to those that fry their turnkey – that is the bomb!! you should try it.
8. Vrooom said :
   November 4th, 2010 at 11:48 pm

   I’d figure 1-2 pounds of bird for each person. Go high if everyone is staying around the day after for leftovers, especially if there isn’t a ham or other meat source too. (Cooked turkey can be stored in freezer bags and then you can pull out throughout the year and add to recipes or eat on its own).

   Personally, I think fried turkeys are good but my favorite birds are the Cajun injected ones. Just buy an injection kit at any major supermarket (or Walmart). You can get a cajun style one or traditional flavors like garlic and herb. There are very EASY instructions on how to inject your bird. If you do a cajun injection kit, Rub the inside cavity and whole outside of the bird with a cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chaucery’s – sp?)

   Whatever bird recipe you use there are a few secrets to keeping the bird moist and not dry out the breast. I cook my bird upside down and have my hubby flip it the last 30 minutes so the breast can get crispy. You should still baste. Keep in mind this can be very difficult for a heavy bird. You can also use a bag (make sure you put a tablespoon of flour in the bag first and shake it around so it doesn’t burst (the bags will have the instructions on the box so you won’t forget). I like the bags b/c you do not have to baste the bird.

   If you are NOT using an injection kit, you can brine the bird to help keep it moist. Also, alot of people start the oven at 400 for 30 minutes to crisp the outside of the bird and “seal in the juices” then turn the heat down to 325.

   butterball.com is a great site for turkey cooking. They have a time chart based on weight and temp you want to use and whether or not you’re stuffing the bird. They also have a Turkey Hotline with people working on Thanksgiving if you have any last minute questions.

   Also check out allrecipes.com b/c there are lots of tips. I do love the injection kits though. If you want some practice go buy a chicken and practice.

   Have a meat thermometer!!

   Happy Turkey Day!!!
9. matt . said :
   November 5th, 2010 at 12:04 am

   To be safe, you want atleast 1lb of raw turkey per person. So in total you need a 20 pounds.(One big turkey or two smaller turkeys).

   1 turkey
   1 stick of soft unsalted butter
   1 lemon(zested and cut in half)
   2 tbsp fresh sage
   2tbsp fresh thyme
   2 tbsp fresh parsley
   1.5 tbsp salt
   1/2 tbsp black pepper
   1 orange cut in half
   1 onion cut in half
   1 head of garlic cut in half
   2 cups chicken broth/stock or water

   Bring turkey to room temperature for one hour before roasting. mix butter, lemon zest, sage, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper together. Take your fingers and loosen the skin of the turkey, being careful not to break through the skin. Take half of the butter mixture and rub it under the skin and take the other half and rub it on top of the skin. Place the lemon, the orange, the onion and the garlic into the cavity of the turkey. Put the turkey on a roasting pan. put 2 cups of chicken stock under the turkey. Place the turkey in a 350 degree oven. Roast for 20 minutes a pound until the breast is 160-165 degrees when a thermometer is inserted. Baste the turkey with the broth every 30 minutes. Let the turkey rest under foil for 15-30 minutes before carving.

   Note: A turkey generally cooks 20 minutes a pound, but the bigger the turkey, the less accurate this is. For example, a 20 pound turkey should take about 6 hours but you may find it to be done sooner, so keep an eye on it. The pop thing in the turkey is not accurate and if it pops the turkey is dry, so use an instant read thermometer.

   I do this every thanksgiving and the turkey is tasty and moist every time