For years, I was convinced that I didn’t like roast turkey. Yet I would always eat the infamous Holiday meat every Thanksgiving (and Christmas) with my family. A few years ago I volunteered to help my mother cook Thanksgiving dinner and taught myself the art of the turkey.
I have been perfecting this recipe for three years now, and just last week I put my recipe to the test during Friendsgiving. Each of my friends volunteered to bring some classic (and delicious!) sides, but something possessed me to volunteer the main edition: roast turkey. People doubted my culinary skills, I was after all a vegan for years of my life.
All in all, the bird turned out perfectly. My friends remarked that it was the best turkey they had ever had, that I was Martha Stewart in disguise, and overwhelmingly that they had no idea I could actually cook. If you want a flavorful and impressive roast turkey, this is the way to go.
Ingredients
- 1 12-16 lb turkey
- 2 gallons + 1/2 cup cold water
- 3 lemons, chopped into quarters
- 2 apples, chopped into quarters
- 3 white onions, chopped into quarters
- 2 whole heads of garlic, skin removed so just cloves
- 2.5 tbsp paprica
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 tbsp ground parsley
- 4 tbsp garlic powder
- 2.5 tbsp ground basil
- 3 tbsp Adobo seasoning
- 3 tbsp ground oregano
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2.5 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 soft sticks salted butter
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary
- olive oil to drizzle
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
Instructions
A. Brine the Bird
*Making the brine should happen on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning (assuming the big dinner is Thursday) so that it has time to chill completely before submerging the bird.
1. In a large pot, combine all ingredients below:
- 2 gallons cold water
- 1 lemon, chopped into quarters
- 1 apple, chopped into quarters
- 1 white onion, chopped into quarters
- 1 whole head of garlic, skin removed so just cloves
- 2 tbsp Paprica
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp ground parsley
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp ground basil
- 2 tbsp Adobo seasoning
- 2 tbsp ground oregano
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 cup honey
2. Once all ingredients are in the pot, bring to a roaring boil and then reduce heat below medium. Cook until the apples & onions are soft to the touch and can be easily stabbed with a fork (approx. 20 minutes simmering).
3. Cover the pot and let sit at room temperature until the pot is safe to the touch (about 2-3 hours). Once it reaches this state, place in fridge and let cool completely (about 8 hours)
*For when the brine is fully cool:
4. In a roasting pan, prepare your turkey. If it is still semi-frozen this is okay, the brine will safely speed up the defrosting process. Remove the neck from the back cavity and gizzard bag from the front cavity. I typically throw these away, however they can be cooked if you like the organ meat. It is also safe to feed this raw to dogs.
5. Once gizzards are removed, pour the cool brine over the turkey. Make sure the liquid goes inside both cavities for optimal flavor and moistness. It is okay if the bird is not fully submerged.
6. Place tin foil tightly over the roasting and put in the fridge for 7 hours.
7. After 7 hours, flip the bird over in the brine. This ensures that all areas of the bird get equal time sitting in the flavorful juices. Let rest for another 7 hours in the fridge.
8. Once 14 hours in total have passed (7 on both sides) pour off the brine. This can be trashed, you are not using it again.
9. Pat the bird completely dry, removing all excess brine. Place on elevated rack above roasting pan and let sit uncovered in the fridge for an hour. Longer is fine, but if the bird is sitting for over 3 hours in the fridge re-cover with tin foil.
B. Prepare the Bird
10. Prepare the roasting pan for cooking. Remove the turkey and wipe out all excess liquid. Place roasting rack on bottom of the pan, if you do not have roasting rack crumbled tin foil also works. Place one chopped up onion on bottom of pan to raise the bird even more. Drizzle bottom of pan with olive oil to prevent sticking.
11. Set oven to 325 degrees F, place one rack on the lowest possible setting.
12. Make butter rub. Combine all ingredients below:
- 2 soft sticks salted butter
- 1 tbsp ground parsley
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tbsp ground basil
- 1/2 tbsp paprica
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp ground oregano
- 1 tbsp adobo seasoning
13. Make sure bird is completely dry, then massage the butter rub all over bird. Get both sides, in the cavities and even under the skin. Place the bird in the roasting pan curve side up.
14. Stuff the bird with aromatics listed below, be sure to adequately stuff both crevices. All that does not fit can be scattered in pan. Reserve some of the thyme, garlic, and rosemary.
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary
- 1 whole head fresh garlic, cloves removed
- 2 onions, quartered
- 2 lemons, quartered
- 1 apple, quartered
15. Toss reserved thyme, rosemary and garlic over bird to garnish. Drizzle olive oil over roast turkey.
C. Roast the Bird
16. Place bird in the pre-heated oven at 325, uncovered. Let cook without checking temperature about 3 hours, basting with mixture below every 45 minutes:
- 1 stick melted, salted butter
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
17. At 3 hour mark, check the temperature in 2 places. Thigh meat should be 180 degrees F, breast meat should be at 170 degrees F. Check every 20-30 minutes until adequate temperature is reached. If the turkey is getting too brown loosely cover with foil.
18. Once adequate temperature is reached, remove roast from the oven and cover tightly with tin foil. Let sit on counter for 30 minutes to an hour so that the bird can rest and retain juices.
D. Make the Gravy
19. Pour pan drippings into heat resistant plastic ziplock baggie. Let gravy settle so oil is on top and drippings is on the bottom (about 1 minute).
20. Once gravy is settled, slice small hole in the drippings side of the baggie and pour into saucepan. Stop the oil from going into the pan. The gravy will be rich enough without, and no one wants greasy gravy. This is my favorite method of ensuring this.
21. Let drippings come to a simmer in the saucepan and then add the following:
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 bouillon cube
22. Whisk quickly and consistently so the gravy does not get chunky. Reduce heat and continue to let simmer about 5 minutes. DO NOT stop whisking. You may adjust the consistency by adding in more flour or water. The mixture should be brown like a roux thick enough to stick to the back of a wooden spoon.
D. Serve the Bird
23. You’re done! Enjoy your hard work. Slice meat off roast turkey and serve with gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and all the Thanksgiving fixings that we know and love. If you’re like my mother and hate wasting food, use the leftover bird carcass and meat to make some roast turkey soup.
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