The turkey is the star of the Thanksgiving dinner but maybe that’s because it is stuffed with Mom’s Cornbread Dressing. Generally the turkey is roasted in the oven until the juices run clear and the meat thermometer reads 180 degrees F. There are many recipes that add flavorful twists or new ingredients but the principle is the same. Follow this recipe, my favorite and the simple tips for a delicious and beautiful turkey.
Herb Butter Roasted Turkey
Serves 12
Prep time: 45 minutes
Total time:
Ingredients
16 pound turkey
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions:
Prepare the turkey: Remove the neck and gizzard from the cavity and reserve for gravy or discard. Rinse the turkey body cavity, pat dry with paper towels. Season turkey with generous amounts of salt and pepper (about 2 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon pepper). Place onion and garlic inside turkey cavity. Slide hand under the skin of the turkey breast to loosen skin, also loosen skin of legs. ( Can do to this point the day before, refrigerate turkey, allow turkey to set for two hours at room temperature before proceeding)
Combine butter, sage and rosemary; Place the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan. Spread 1/2 cup of the herb butter under the breast and leg skin. Rub remaining butter mixture over turkey surface.
Position rack in bottom third of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roast turkey for 30 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees F and cover turkey with a tight seal. Continue to roast until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of inner thigh registers 180 degrees F. Remove from oven and allow 15 minutes for resting before carving.
Terri’s Tips:
General rule for cooking time:
Unstuffed: 15 minutes per pounds
Stuffed: increase cooking time for 15 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the turkey (between 12-24 pounds)
Serve turkey with your favorite gravy
Stuff turkey with your favorite dressing or stuffing- stuff the bird right before roasting, but don’t pack it in too tightly
Select a turkey that hasn’t be self basted or enhanced with a salt solution
Tie the turkey to help with even cooking or cover the wing tips with foil so they won’t burn
Prepare turkey with a wet brine- Add the turkey to a cold brine in a pot, weight down turkey with a plate, marinate in refrigerator for 8-12 hours. Remove turkey from brine, drain and pat turkey dry and proceed. Basic brine: 5 quarts hot water, 1 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 bunch thyme, 4 bay leaves and any other ingredients such as peppercorns (1 tablespoon), rosemary, sage or any other fresh herb (about 1/2 cup), and/or fresh garlic (one whole head, peeled and roughly chopped)
or a dry brine- rubbing the turkey all over with a salt mixture and letting it stand in the refrigerator for a day is easier than a wet method and is very effective in terms of imparting lots of flavor and moistness. It will take about /12 cup of Kosher salt including the 2 tablespoons that will go inside the cavity and the about 3 tablespoons for the outside. Mix the remaining salt with the butter and sage mixture that goes under the skins
The butter under the skin of the bird provides a crisp skin and moist meat
Always pat outside of turkey with a paper towel before roasting (even those that have a dry brine), this helps provide a crispy skin and enhances the golden brown color.