Roast Turkey That Makes Memories Food

GOOD EATS ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Two to three days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
• Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
• The night before or early on the day you'd like to eat: Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
• Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
• Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

THE BEST ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Adjust a rack in the lowest position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove any turkey parts from the neck and breast cavities and reserve for other uses if desired. Dry the bird well with paper towels, inside and out. Salt and pepper the inside of the breast cavity and stuff the onion, garlic, herbs, and bay leaves inside. Set the bird on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan breast-side up. Brush generously with half of the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tent the bird with foil.
• Roast the turkey for 2 hours. Remove the foil and baste with the remaining butter. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the thigh of the bird, about 45 minutes more.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and set aside to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Carve and serve.

SIMPLE ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Remove the giblets from inside the turkey. Pat the turkey dry and place it on a roasting rack, breast-side up. Cross the legs and tie them together with kitchen twine. Tuck the wings under the bird and transfer the roasting rack to its pan. Season the turkey with salt and pepper. Cover the whole bird and pan with aluminum foil, tucking it all the way under the pan. Roast for the first stage for 10 minutes per pound, 3 to 3 1/2 hours for an 18- to 20-pound turkey.
• Meanwhile, place the butter, rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon zest and orange zest in a bowl. Mix together until combined.
• After the first stage of cooking, remove the turkey from the oven and remove the foil. The turkey will still be pale at this stage. Smear the butter mixture all over the skin and into the crevices of the turkey so that it is totally covered. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh and increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Return the turkey to the oven and roast, basting every 30 minutes, until the internal temperature on the thermometer reads 165 degrees F, an additional 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Put the turkey on a cutting board, cover loosely with fresh aluminum foil and rest for 25 to 30 minutes until you're ready to carve, saving the pan juices for gravy.

PERFECT ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.
• Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
• Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.
• Slice the turkey and serve.

CLASSIC ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put the onion and a large sprig of bay in the cavity between the legs. Now pack half the stuffing into the neck end, pushing it towards the breast. Secure the neck skin in position with skewers and tie the turkey legs together at the top of the drumsticks to give a neat shape.
• Weigh the turkey and calculate cooking time at 20 mins per kilo, plus 90 mins. (You may need to use your bathroom scales.)
• Put a large sheet of extra-wide foil in a large roasting tin, then put the turkey on top. Smear the breast with the butter, grate over half the nutmeg and season well. Cover the breast with bacon, pour over the wine, then loosely bring up the foil and seal well to make a parcel.
• Roast in the oven, then 90 mins before the end of cooking, open the foil, discard the bacon, and drain off excess fat from the tin. Leaving the foil open, return the turkey to the oven to brown, basting with the juices several times. Then 30 mins before the end of cooking, place pigs-in-blankets and stuffing of your choice around the turkey, or cook in a separate lightly oiled tin.
• To test whether the turkey is cooked, push a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh - the juices should run clear. If they are pinkish, cook for 15 mins more, then test again.
• Transfer the turkey, stuffings and pigs-in-blankets to a platter, cover with foil, then a couple of tea towels and allow to rest for up to 30 mins before carving. This gives the juices time to settle back into the meat, ensuring that the turkey will be juicy. Garnish with sprigs of bay.

NEXT LEVEL ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Up to 48 hrs and at least 12 hrs before cooking, loosen the skin over the turkey breast so you can get your hands underneath it. Season the bird all over, including under the skin, with 2 tbsp sea salt. Put the turkey in a large roasting tin, breast-side up. Leave uncovered in the fridge until ready to cook.
• Remove the turkey from the fridge at least 1 hr before cooking. Heat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Melt the butter in a pan set over a low heat, then add the garlic, chopped herbs and lemon juice. Sizzle for 1 min, remove from the heat and leave to cool a little. Remove the turkey from the tin and scatter in the onions, carrots, turkey neck and giblets. Put a roasting rack, trivet or ovenproof cooling rack in or over the tray and sit the turkey on top. Stuff the squeezed and whole lemons in the turkey cavity with the herb stalks and extra thyme. Lift the skin and spoon about 4 tbsp of the garlicky herb butter over the meat underneath, then massage the skin to spread it out. Brush most of the remaining butter all over the bird, reserving about 2 tbsp. For a neat finish, tie the wings and legs together.
• Put the turkey in the oven and reduce the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roast for 1 hr, then remove from the oven and brush with more of the butter. Turn the tin around and return to the oven for another 30 mins. Brush again with the butter and roast for another 30 mins. After the turkey has had 2 hrs in total, check its temperature with a probe thermometer. It's cooked perfectly when the thickest part of the breast reads about 65C and the thickest part of the thigh reads 75C. If the temperature is lower, return the turkey to the oven for periods of 15 mins until the temperature is reached. Cool for 10 mins on the rack, then transfer to a board and leave upside down - the turkey should rest for at least another 20 mins and will stay hot for at least 40 mins more.
• Meanwhile, make the gravy. If the roasting tin is flameproof, put it directly over a medium heat. If not, scrape the contents into a large, shallow pan. Scatter over the flour and stir to make a paste. Add the soy sauce and yeast extract, stir, then pour in the wine and combine to form a thick paste. Pour in the stock and turkey juices (if you aren't already cooking them in the roasting tin). Simmer for about 5 mins, stirring to make a rich gravy. Strain into a jug or pan to reheat when needed.
• Put the turkey on a platter, then serve with the gravy and other trimmings of your choice.