Thanksgiving Turkey Done Right!

Now for something a little different!

I don't generally use this blog for recipes, but with the holidays quickly approaching, I thought I would share this amazing process of cooking a turkey.

When turkeys are dirt-cheap around Thanksgiving, you will want to buy several and keep them in your freezer because you'll be craving this savory dish all year long.  I cooked one using this method just last month and had some friends over for dinner.  My friend said she didn't like white meat because it's always too dry.  I convinced her to just try a bite.  The look of shock on her face when she started chewing it is one that I have seen many times before.  People can not believe how tender and juicy my turkeys are.  I'm sharing my secrets with you in this post.  I learned some of these techniques from Grandma, but many of them were developed by me.

I fully admit that this recipe is not a simple one, but it is worth the work.   I wouldn't suggest you attempt it unless you have some experience in the kitchen.  However, one thanksgiving my sister cooked it as I coached her through text messages.  And my sister known for her culinary disasters.  The turkey turned out perfect, and now she likes to call this HER turkey recipe.  Nice try, Becky.

Be sure to read over this entire recipe before you begin.  There are several steps to the process, and you will want to get the big picture clear in your mind.

Here is what you will need for the brine:

• 3 gallons of cold water (approx)
• 1 1/2 cups salt
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 oranges, quartered
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 large sprigs fresh rosemary (gently rubbed to release oils)
• Heavy duty trash bag
• Ice chest (with ice)

Here is what else you will need:

• 1 Turkey (thawed, if previously frozen)
• 1 pound butter, melted
• 2-3 cups white wine
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• Cheesecloth
• cotton string
• Pastry brush
• meat thermometer

Prepare the Bird

Store-bought poultry is mechanically plucked and prepared.  Machines are not as meticulous about removing all the little pinfeathers as we were sitting around my grandmother's kitchen table with tweezers, cleaning the birds we had just brought in from the yard.

Wash the turkey thoroughly and pull out all of the pinfeathers and feather scraps.  I also trim off any excess skin and remove the two fatty deposits at the entrance to the body cavity.

    

Brine the Turkey

I always cook a large turkey, so I have to do the brining process in a thick trash bag inside an ice chest with enough ice to keep it cold.  If you are cooking a small turkey, you could just do this in a large stockpot inside your refrigerator.  

Place the trash bag inside the ice chest and add the cold water.  Dissolve the salt and brown sugar in the cold water.  Then add the citrus fruit (give them a squeeze as you do) and the herbs.   

   

Place the bird into the brine (BREAST DOWN) and close the bag and the ice chest. 

   

Now forget about it for 18 to 24 hours.   That's right.  Let it sit in the brine for a day.  You need to give the brine time to do it's magic.  

What is it doing during this time?  Muscles (meat) are made up of cells that are held tightly by protein shields.  Moisture can't get inside there to make the meat moist.  But salt works on those muscles during the brining process.  A solution of salt will unravel the proteins that make up the shield around the muscles. Then more moisture (and your citrus and herbs) can get into the meat. Also, the unraveled protein shields contract much less as they cook, so they squeeze out much less moisture.  (That's for you science geeks.)

Roast the Turkey

Preheat oven to 450ºF (You will lower it later).

Rinse the brined turkey with cool water and dry with paper towels. Salt and Pepper the bird inside and out. Sprinkle poultry seasoning inside and out.

If you are stuffing the turkey, do it now.  

For this demonstration, I didn't make stuffing.  So I pierced the rind of a whole orange and placed inside the cavity.  This will slowly release moisture during the cooking process.  I have also done this with a whole onion.  Both work well.

Tie the legs together (one over the other) with cotton string.  This keeps the turkey in a compact ball and holds in the stuffing.

   

Fold the tips of the wings behind the neck of the turkey.  This prevents them from burning and allows the sides of the breast to get even heat.  Now your turkey is ready to be cooked.

 

You will notice I don't use a rack under the turkey.  This is because I always carve the turkey right in the pan, and serve the meat already sliced.  Sometimes I will line the bottom of the pan with slices of onion before I put the turkey on it.  The onion caramelizes and adds a savory flavor to the gravy I make with the drippings.  The decision to rack or not to rack is completely up to you.  

Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl.  

I am not a wine connoisseur, as you can tell by my selection.  Use whatever white wine you like.  Mix the wine and butter together until blended.

 

You can get cheese cloth in the baking section of most grocery stores.  We will use this to wrap the turkey so that it looks like a mummy.  This will keep in moisture, but it will also allow the bird to cook thoroughly without burning the outside skin.

 

Cut the cheese cloth into large pieces. You will want a lot of these so that you can cover the bird in several layers. I used the entire package.

Dip the pieces of cheesecloth in the wine/butter solution.

Cover the entire turkey with soaked cheesecloth. Use several layers so that you can’t see any skin showing.  You don't have to cover the back of the bird.

 

Place in oven and roast 30 minutes at 450ºF

After 30 minutes, brush all of cheesecloth the wine/butter mixture.  The cheesecloth will be turning brown at this point.  That's normal.  It's doing it's job, taking the brunt of the heat.

Reduce the temperature to 350ºF and continue roasting for another 30 minutes.  Then baste it again.  

Do this process every 30 minutes (use a pastry brush to baste the cheesecloth with the wine/butter mixture.) Basting should be done as quickly as possible so the oven temperature doesn't drop.  The cheesecloth will get quite dark.

When there is about and hour left of cooking time (depending on the size of your turkey) baste cheesecloth completely so that it is moist. Then carefully remove and discard the cheesecloth.

  

Now baste the bare turkey with the PAN JUICES, taking care not to tear the skin.  Return it to the oven.

After 30 minutes, baste it again with the pan juices.

Continue basting every 30 minutes until it is done.  If you have trouble judging if it is done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding the bone.  When the temperature reaches 165 degrees, the bird is ready.  Don't overcook it.

Let the turkey rest for a few minutes before carving.  Serve with your favorite traditional sides.  

Enjoy watching the looks of amazement on the faces of every who tastes it!