Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

Steps:

• Remove the turkey from its packaging and remove the bags with the neck and giblets from the cavity. Rinse the neck and giblets and put them in a plastic bag in the fridge; you'll need them for the gravy. Rinse the turkey thoroughly with cold water. Place the turkey into a large brining bag or pot. Pour in My Favorite Turkey Brine and place in the fridge for 16 to 18 hours so the brine can work its magic.
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse thoroughly, inside and out. Soak the turkey in cold water for 15 minutes, then rinse again and pat dry.
• Truss the bird or tuck the legs and wings however you like. Place the bird, breast-side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Cover the whole pan, tenting the bird, with heavy-duty foil so that it's well sealed. Place in the oven and roast the turkey for about 10 minutes per pound. (So, for a 20-pound turkey, about 3 1/2 hours; for a 15-pound turkey, about 2 1/2 hours.) Note: There will still be more cooking time after this, but it'll be at a different temperature.
• When it's time to remove the turkey from the oven, mix together the butter, rosemary and orange zest. Remove the turkey from the oven and increase the temperature to 375 degrees F. Remove the foil and set aside. (Put stuffing in the bird if you wish at this point.) Rub the butter mixture all over the skin of the turkey, getting in the crevices. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thigh, near the hip joint. Place the turkey, uncovered, back into the oven and continue roasting, basting/brushing with the juices in the pan every 30 minutes, until the thermometer registers 165 degrees F and until the juices no longer run pink. This will take another 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the bird.
• Remove from the oven and cover lightly with foil until you are ready to carve.
• Combine the water, cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, orange strips and rosemary in a large pot. Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn off the heat. Allow to cool completely before placing in the fridge to chill.

Steps:

• Combine the water, apple juice, salt, sugar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, dried rosemary, and orange peel in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat immediately, cover, and allow mixture to come to room temperature. Cool mixture in the fridge until you're ready.
• To brine the turkey, remove the turkey from wrapper, remove interior bags (set aside; refrigerate), and rinse turkey thoroughly under cool water.
• Place the turkey into a plastic brining bag or a very large pot.
• Pour the cooled brine mixture over the top, adding extra cold water if you need more to completely cover the turkey. Seal the bag or cover the pot and allow the turkey to brine in the refrigerator for 16 to 24 hours before roasting.
• Before roasting, remove the turkey from brine and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Then soak in a sink full of fresh water for 15 to 20 minutes. Pat dry. Discard brine. (This soaking process will decrease the likelihood of too-salty gravy).
• Preheat the oven 275 degrees F.
• Truss the bird and place it breast side up on a rack in a large roasting pan. Cover the turkey tightly with heavy-duty foil. Make sure it's entirely covered (cover over the bottom edges of the pan). Place in the oven and roast for about 10 minutes per pound (a 20 pound turkey will roast for about 3 1/2 hours).
• Remove the turkey from the oven and increase the temperature to 375 degrees F. Remove the aluminum foil and set aside. Mix the softened butter with the rosemary and orange zest and rub all over the skin of the turkey, covering every single inch of the skin. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh, near the hip joint. Place the turkey, uncovered, back into the oven. Continue roasting the turkey, basting with butter every 30 minutes, until the thermometer registers 170 degrees F and until the juices are no longer pink.
• Remove from the oven and cover with foil until you are ready to carve and serve. Reserve pan juices to make gravy.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic. Pat turkey dry. Carefully loosen skin of turkey; rub butter mixture under the skin. Sprinkle salt and pepper over skin of turkey and inside cavity. Skewer turkey openings; tie drumsticks together., Place flour in oven bag and shake to coat. Place oven bag in a roasting pan; add celery and onions. Place turkey, breast side up, over vegetables. Cut six 1/2-in. slits in top of bag; close bag with tie provided., Bake at 350° for 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until a thermometer reads 180°. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving. Skim fat and thicken drippings if desired., If preparing turkey the day before, pour drippings into a measuring cup; skim fat. Arrange slices in an ungreased shallow roasting pan; pour drippings over turkey. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight., The next day, bake at 350° for 45-65 minutes or until heated through.

Steps:

• Defrost the turkey. Place the wrapped turkey on a baking sheet and set on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Defrost for 1 day if fresh, or 4-5 days, if frozen. For a quicker defrost, submerge the turkey in a large sink or cooler filled with cold water and defrost for 30 minutes per pound of turkey.
• 1 day before cooking, brine the turkey. Measure the salt into a small bowl. Set up your work station with kitchen shears, a plastic bag, a fresh baking sheet with a wire rack set over it, and a garbage can nearby.
• Cut the packaging off the defrosted turkey, being careful not to cut the skin or flesh, and remove from the bag. Set the turkey on the baking sheet with the wire rack. Cut off any excess skin around the neck and release the plastic holder securing the legs. Remove any innards and giblets from the cavity and discard. Thoroughly pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
• Sprinkle the salt all over the turkey, making sure to get in the cavity, under the skin, and between any crevices.
• Refrigerate the turkey, uncovered, for 1 day. If brining for more than 1 day, cover the turkey with plastic wrap, then remove for the last day to let the skin dry out before roasting.
• A few hours before serving, prepare the turkey for roasting. Set an oven rack at the lowest height and the other in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325˚F (160˚C).
• Add the butter to a medium bowl. Chop the sage leaves and add to the bowl, along with the garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Mash the herbs into the butter. Set aside.
• Set a roasting pan or single-use aluminum pan over a baking sheet near your work station.
• Trim off the wing tips of the turkey and add to the roasting pan. Cut off any excess skin to expose the wishbone, then use a paring knife to cut out the bone. Use your hands or kitchen shears if the bone is hard to remove. Add to the roasting pan.
• Turn the bird so the legs are facing you. Tug out the plastic holder. Loosen the skin around the breasts, using your fingers to create a pocket. Be careful not to tear the skin. Rub the herb butter under the skin, then all over the rest of the turkey. Make sure to get in any crevices and the cavity.
• Stuff the lemon wedges and ¼ of the onion inside the turkey cavity. Add the rest of the onion wedges to the roasting pan, along with the carrot and celery. Pour the chicken broth into the pan.
• Use the wire rack to rest the turkey over the roasting pan, then pour any accumulated juices from the baking sheet into the pan.
• Set the roasting pan on the lowest oven rack. Place the turkey on the wire rack on the middle oven rack, directly over the roasting pan to catch any juices.
• Roast the turkey for about 2 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 160˚F (71˚C). Start checking the turkey about 90 minutes into roasting to ensure it does not overcook.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and set the wire rack over a baking sheet to catch any juices. Let rest for about 30 minutes while the internal temperature climbs to 165˚F (74˚C).
• Meanwhile, make the gravy: Remove any solids from the roasting pan. Strain the liquid into a large pot and bring to a boil, then let reduce to your desired consistency. The gravy can be served as is or, for a thicker gravy, ladle a few spoonfuls of stock into a small bowl with the flour. Whisk until no lumps remain, then stir a bit of the flour mixture at a time back into the pot. Return to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes, until thickened. Repeat as needed until the gravy has reached your desired consistency. Reduce the heat to low, whisking occasionally, until ready to serve, or remove from the heat and bring back to temperature before serving.
• Carve the turkey: Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board with a lip to catch any juices. First, release the legs to make carving the rest of the bird easier. Using a sharp knife, cut along where the legs meets the breasts, being careful not to cut all the way through. Then, use your hands to pull the legs and thigh away from the carcass and tuck them under the wings to keep them in place.
• Cut straight down along both sides of the breast bone until you can't cut any further, then cut horizontally near the wing to release the breasts from the carcass.
• Cut all the way through the legs to release from the hip joint.
• Find where the shoulder meets the breast, then cut through that joint to remove the wings, using your hands to pull the wing away if the joint is tough to find.
• Set the carcass aside--you can pick off any remaining meat for leftovers, or make stock from the whole carcass.
• Slice the breasts crosswise, against the grain, then transfer to a serving platter. Cut the drumsticks from the thighs through the joint, wiggling the knife to find an easy release or pulling apart with your hands. Add the drumsticks to the platter. Cut the thigh meat away from the bone, then into bite-size pieces, and add to the platter. Release the flats from the wings by cutting through the joint, pulling apart with your hands if necessary, then add to the platter.
• Rearrange the meat on the platter so the larger pieces of meat with crispy, browned skin are on top. Garnish the platter with sage leaves and lemon wedges, if desired.
• Serve with the warm gravy.
• Enjoy!