Turkey Day

     Thanksgiving is tied with Christmas for my favorite holiday. Time with family, the cool weather, and the abundance of food make it something to be cherished. Growing up, Thanksgiving was always just with my immediate family and I loved that. My mom and I would spend all day in the kitchen perfecting our feast. I think it took us 4 or 5 years to finally get our turkey right. But the last year I lived at home, we perfected it! I have done my own turkey the last two years but still follow the method of preparation my mom and I discovered before I left for culinary school. We discovered the art of brining, the stuffing with citrus, and the butter-under-the-skin trick. I want to share our tips and tricks with the hope that you will put your own touches on this to make it a part of YOUR family feast.

I'm sorry I don't have pictures! I will be adding them as I complete my Thanksgiving dinner preparations. 

Even if you do nothing else to your turkey, brine it! Brining breaks down the fibers in the bird and gives it its best chance to be moist. Two things you MUST have to brine a turkey: lots of ice and a large pot (or clean sink). The ice is not so necessary if you have a large refrigerator and a pot that will contain your bird as well as enough liquid to cover said bird. I do NOT have a pot NOR do I have a large enough refrigerator. So I will be using my sink and a lot of ice. Also, this is to be done overnight so give yourself the proper amount of time.

What you will need:

2 cups Sugar
2 cups Kosher Salt
1/2 cup Whole Peppercorns
3 Bay leaves
1 large Onion, quartered
1 head of Garlic, halved across the equator
3 Tbsp Mustard seeds
2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar

In a large bowl or pot, mix together all the ingredients. You may need to alter the recipe depending on the size of your turkey but this will work for anything from 12-20 lbs. If you do alter it, just be sure to use equal parts sugar, salt, and vinegar. 
Place the turkey in whatever you will be keeping it in for the next 24 hours. If you are using a sink, be sure to stop it up. Pour the brine over the turkey and cover the rest of the way with COLD water. If you are not using the refrigerator you will need to periodically add ice to keep the bird from getting too warm and becoming unsafe to eat.

When you are ready to cook it, remove the turkey from the brine and dry it off with paper towels. Discard the brine; clean the sink with bleach before returning it to its regular duties. Not it's time to stuff the cavity.

What you will need:

1 Orange, halved across the equator
1 Lemon, halved across the equator
1 Onion, quartered
1 head Garlic, halved across the equator
1/2 bunch Thyme
1/2 bunch Sage
1/2 bunch Parsley

Place all the ingredients inside the cavity of the turkey. (Don't forget to remove the 'goody' bag.)

I know what some of you are thinking. Why not stuff the bird with the classic bread stuffing to be consumed later? I'll tell you why not. Because the stuffing has been in contact with the turkey, it needs to be cooked to 165 degrees. By the time the stuffing has reached a safe temperature you have cooked every last drop of moisture out of the meat! The stuffing may taste yummy but you will have a turkey resembling the meal from 'Christmas Vacation'. Stuffing it instead with citrus and aromatics adds moisture as well as another layer of flavor from the inside. Because you are not going to eat the stuffing, all you have to worry about is the turkey being cooked, maximizing the amount of scrumptious juices remaining in the finished product.

Once it's stuffed, it is time to love your turkey. Give your dinner a little butter massage and you will be the one feeling the love.

What you will need:

1 stick Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 bunch Thyme
1/2 bunch Sage
1/2 bunch Parsley

Salt and Pepper

Chop the herbs and mix them together with the butter. Place on a piece of plastic wrap and twist shut into a cylinder (picture a giant Jolly Rancher made of butter). Place the butter in the freezer for about 10 minutes to let it stiffen. Remove it from the freezer and massage  approximately 2 tablespoons at a time under the skin of the turkey breast. You can easily loosen the skin buy going in above the cavity and gently pulling it away from the meat. It's okay to have some bulges of butter; they will melt and even out. Generously salt the outside of the turkey and massage 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture over the entire turkey.

Now it's time to cook! Follow the instructions for time and temperature listed on the package for the turkey. Generally speaking, 1 hour for every 4 pounds at 350 degrees is a good guideline. Be sure to check it often after about 2.5 hours to be sure it is not overcooking. I always turn the oven up to 425 for the last 45 minutes to crisp the skin. Keep a meat thermometer on hand, but a good indicator that turkey is fully cooked is if you can twist the leg easily off the body. If that happens, be sure to take the temperature. Always check for doneness in the THIGH, not the breast! 

This is a tried and true method for a moist and flavorful turkey. It is a little more work than just placing it in the oven, but it is well worth the effort.