Perfect Roast Turkey
It’s a safe bet that every cook will be called upon to roast a turkey at some point in his or her life. Since it’s usually a once-a-year endeavor, there’s not much room for practice. Instead, rely on proven methods and plan carefully. This is one instance where making sure you have the right equipment (a pot large enough to hold the brining turkey, plus a spot in the refrigerator to place it; a heavy roasting pan; cheesecloth for “basting” the bird as it cooks; and an instant-read thermometer) and sufficient time (a day for brining and then at least 5 hours for bringing the bird to room temperature and cooking it) is crucial. Also, take care of as much as possible in advance, such as preparing the stuffing the day before and refrigerating it overnight, while the turkey is brining. Then it will be much easier when the time comes to focus on the task at hand: roasting the perfect turkey. Brining the meat ensures that the turkey will be tender and juicy. The brining solution contains aromatics for more flavor, but you could forgo those and simply use a mixture of salt, sugar, and water. For food safety reasons, it’s essential that you let the brine cool completely before adding the turkey. Before being put in the oven, the brined bird should sit at room temperature for 2 hours; once it’s out of the oven, let it rest for 20 minutes. For a moister bird, cook to 165°F; when taking the temperature, remember that the roast will continue to cook after being removed from the oven. One more safety note: Never stuff a turkey ahead of time. Warm stuffing should not be put into a turkey until just before roasting. If the stuffing contains warm ingredients, such as sautéed onions or celery, get it into the bird and into the oven as soon as possible. Chilling warm stuffing before cooking it in a turkey is not as safe because the stuffing will, through cooling and heating, spend too much time at temperatures at which bacteria thrive (between 40 and 140°F).
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 12 to 14
Ingredients
For brine
For turkey
For garnish
For serving
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare brine Combine 2 quarts of the water with remaining brine ingredients in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved completely. Transfer to a large pot (at least 5-gallon capacity) and add remaining 4 quarts water. Let cool completely.
Step 2
Brine turkey Lower turkey, breast first, into the brine. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours. Remove from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Meanwhile, heat oven to 425°F with rack in lowest position.
Step 3
Prepare cheesecloth Stir together melted butter and wine in a medium bowl. Fold a very large piece of cheesecloth into quarters so that it is large enough to cover breast and halfway down sides of turkey. Immerse cloth in butter mixture and let soak.
Step 4
Stuff turkey Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a large roasting pan. Fold wing tips under and season cavity with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper, then fill loosely with stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Fill neck cavity loosely with stuffing, and fold neck flap under, securing with toothpicks. Pat turkey dry and rub all over with softened butter and generously season with salt and pepper.
Step 5
Roast Remove cheesecloth from butter mixture, squeezing gently over bowl to remove excess liquid. Reserve butter mixture for brushing. Lay cheesecloth over turkey. Place turkey, legs first, in oven and roast 30 minutes, then brush cheesecloth and exposed turkey parts with butter mixture and reduce temperature to 350°F. Continue roasting, brushing every 30 minutes, for 1 1/2 hours more (tent with foil if browning too quickly). Discard cheesecloth and rotate pan. Baste turkey with pan juices and continue to roast, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165°F. This will take 1 to 2 hours more (start taking temperature after 2 1/2 hours total cooking time).
Step 6
Serve Transfer turkey to a platter and garnish with apples, sage, and chestnuts, if desired. Set pan with drippings aside for making gravy, if desired. Let turkey stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes before carving (see instructions on pages 152–153).
Ingredients
Step 7
A fresh turkey is preferable to a frozen one, but if you have to resort to frozen, here’s how to defrost it properly: Leave it in its original wrapper, and place it breast side up on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any juices) in the refrigerator. Be sure to plan ahead. Allow 1 day of thawing per 4 pounds of turkey.
