Simmering and cutting a turkey doesn’t need to be threatening. Utilize these tips to make the best Thanksgiving supper, from prep to plate!
Thanksgiving is an exceptional occasion. Every one of the side dishes and treats and, obviously, the meal turkey itself. There are different proteins you can serve, yet the turkey is the masterpiece, correct?
The expected issue, obviously, is that poultry, if not appropriately prepared as well as left unattended, can without much of a stretch dry out in the stove.
Around 3 to 5 days before you will cook it, remove it from the cooler and spot it on the base rack of your fridge to defrost.
As a rule, the heavier the turkey, the more it will take to thaw out.
Whether or not it’s new or frozen, you’ll need to eliminate the additional organs (neck, giblets, and so forth) that are commonly gotten into the hole of the bird.
Ingredients
- 15 lb turkey (See Note 3)
- 8 oz compound herb butter
- 1 lemon quartered
- 1 medium onion quartered
- several sprigs each thyme, sage and rosemary
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Place the turkey on a clean surface. Remove the bag that contains the neck, heart and gizzard from inside the turkey (See Note 1). Rinse the turkey both inside and out with cold water. Dry thoroughly with paper towels all over.
- Using one hand push your fingers under the skin and move gently on top of the meat to separate skin from meat all over as best you can. Take the compound butter in small amounts and generously slather under the skin, pressing on top of skin to move the butter and cover all over turkey breasts and legs as best you can.
- Add the quartered lemon, onion and herb bundle inside the turkey cavity. Slip the leg ends back into the (typically provided) heat proof plastic connector to keep the legs together or tie the legs together with kitchen twine to hold everything inside. This is called trussing.
- Pull the wing tips forward and tuck the tips inward and behind the bird’s back. This prevents the tips from burning during cooking. (See Note 2). Liberally season with kosher salt and pepper all over.
- Spray a roasting rack set inside a rimmed roasting pan with cooking spray or oil. Lift the turkey onto the roasting rack. Cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil (shiny side up) for most of the roasting time. I remove it one hour prior to being done to brown the skin.
- Roast for 3.5 hours at 400°F. See Note 1 for other cooking times and weights of turkey. The turkey is cooked when it reaches an internal cooking temperature of 165°F.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest, tented with foil, for at least 20 minutes prior to carving.
Notes
- keep neck, heart and gizzard from inside the turkey and use in your gravy if preferred. Typically the stock is used as well as any meat from neck and diced heart and gizzard.
- Tucking the wing tips under the turkey helps so they don’t burn.
- Cooking Times by Weight, Temperature and Time (by Epicurious)
- If your turkey weighs 12 to 14 pounds, roast it at: 425°F for 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours, 400°F for 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours, 350°F for 2 3/4 to 3 hours, 325°F for 3 to 3 3/4 hours
- If your turkey weighs 15 to 16 pounds, roast it at: 425°F for 3 to 3 1/4 hours, 400°F for 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 hours, 350°F for 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 hours, 325°F for 3 3/4 to 4 hours,
- If your turkey weighs 18 to 20 pounds, roast it at: 425°F for 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 hours, 400°F for 3 3/4 to 4 hours, 350°F for 4 to 4 1/4 hours, 325°F for 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
- If your turkey weighs 21 to 22 pounds, roast it at: 425°F for 4 to 4 1/4 hours, 400°F for 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours, 350°F for 4 1/2 to 4 3/4, 325°F for 4 3/4 to 5 hours
- If your turkey weighs 24 pounds, roast it at: 425°F for 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours, 400°F for 4 1/2 to 4 3/4 hours, 350°F for 4 3/4 to 5 hours, 325°F for 5 to 5 1/4 hours
Nutrition
Calories: 1064kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 131g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 496mg | Sodium: 880mg | Potassium: 1398mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1047IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 5mg
