I use the following recipe as my starting point. It comes out phenomenal with a crisp skin, and juicy flavorful meat. Definitely worth the effort.
Brine
A brine is simply a seasoned salt-water bath that the turkey soaks in for 6-18 hours (or one hour per pound) prior to cooking. The brine adds some flavor, but most importantly provides a chemical method to keep the meat tender and juicy while cooking.
Ingredients
Raw whole turkey
5-gallon bucket (like from Home Depot)
3-pound box of kosher salt
1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns
2 gallons chicken broth (water mixed with bouillon cubes is fine
1-gallon ice water
1 whole bunch fresh thyme, torn roughly
1 whole bunch fresh oregano, torn roughly
1 whole bunch fresh sage leaves, torn roughly
1 whole bunch fresh marjoram, torn roughly
To Make…
1. Clean the raw turkey and remove the neck and giblets.
2. In the bucket, combine the cooled (room temperature) broth with the ice water, salt, pepper and fresh herbs and mix well.
3. Place the turkey in the bucket, breast side down and cover the bucket. Leave it sit somewhere cool, I usually use the garage (unless it’s summer time obviously).
4. After at least 6 and no more than 18 hours, and prior to cooking your turkey, remove the bird and rinse it with cool water, then proceed with your cooking prep
Turkey Time
Ingredients 2 Large Yellow or White Onions 1 stalk of celery 4 Large carrots 4 Large Shallots Olive Oil ½ bunch fresh thyme ½ bunch fresh sage ½ bunch fresh rosemary Salt and Pepper Oh yeah… and a turkey
To Make…
1. Make sure the bird is fully thawed by placing it in the refrigerator at least 3 full days before cooking. If, on the night before, it is not thawed, place the turkey in a room temperature bath until it thaws.
2. The night before roasting, clean the turkey by removing the neck and giblets enclosed in the bird. Use them for the gravy, or discard. (See my gravy recipe for more info)
3. Rinse the raw bird completely with cold water, using your hands to “massage” the bird as it is rinsed with the water. Do this all over, and inside the bird’s cavity. MAKE SURE that everything you touch is thoroughly cleansed afterwards.
4. Drizzle olive oil into the cavity of the turkey, followed by generous amounts of salt and pepper. Rub the salt and pepper all over the inside wall of the turkey.
5. Drizzle olive oil all over the turkey’s breasts, legs, back, etc, rubbing the oil in. Follow it with generous amounts of salt and pepper rubbed all over the bird. The seasonings not only bring out the bird’s flavors, but also help to keep the meat tender.
6. Place the bird, breast side up, in his baking pan, preferably on a rack which allows the turkey’s drippings to accumulate beneath it.
7. Chop the celery, onions, carrots, peeled shallots, and herbs and mix together in a bowl.
8. Stuff the chopped herbs and vegetables into the cavity of the turkey. This is done to flavor the bird, and will not be eaten.
9. Cover the turkey and keep refrigerated over night.
10. On the day of cooking, remove the bird from the fridge in plenty of time for it to reach room temperature.
11. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
12. Place a fresh layer of olive oil along the outside of the turkey.
13. Place turkey, legs to the back, in the oven for 30 minutes.
14. Your turkey should be beginning to turn golden brown already. (if the bird is quite large, like say 20+ pounds, you may need to add an extra 15 minutes).
15. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees.
16. Place a triangular piece of aluminum foil over the breast and continue cooking DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN CONTINUALLY. Just let the bird cook.
17. Despite common myths, there is no formula based on “minutes per pound” to figure out when your bird will be done. In my experience, an 18 pound turkey will need another 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours of cooking at this point, but you have to use some common sense. You want you turkey’s legs to reach 175 degrees, and the breast meat to reach 155 degrees. At that point, you will remove the turkey from the oven, keep it covered and carve it 10 minutes later. I suggest checking your turkey after 1 hour of cooking at 300 degrees and determining at that point how well it’s going. Given the choice you’d rather your turkey be done too soon, rather than too late.