Thanksgiving Turkey

Ingredients and Notes

See the recipe card for the complete ingredient list and instructions.

• Dry Brine – I make an herbed salt by combining salt, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, and fresh sage. This infuses the turkey with flavor and is key to creating a crisp exterior.
• Compound Butter – Combine butter, brown sugar, lemon zest, and salt. I prefer unsalted butter, but salted will also work as long as you reduce the amount of added salt.
• Cooking Liquid – Combine compound butter, dry white wine, and salt to baste the turkey as it cooks. If needed, you can substitute turkey or chicken broth for the wine.
• Citrus – Lemon and orange add moisture to the meat along with a bright, slightly sweet taste.
• Vegetables – Rainbow carrots, leeks, and rainbow baby potatoes add flavor to the turkey and gravy. They’re also great for serving after roasting.
• Gravy – Make a rich, silky gravy with the reserved spine, giblets, trimmings, butter, flour, dry white wine, and remaining turkey stock.

How to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey

Brine the Turkey

• Prep the turkey. Remove the bag of giblets and trimmings from the cavity of the turkey. Then, use poultry shears to cut along both sides of the spine. Flip the bird over, and push in the middle to break the breastbone.
• Season the turkey. Blend salt and herbs in a food processor. Then, place the turkey on a sheet tray fitted with a wire rack, and rub the herbed salt all over. Refrigerate uncovered.

Prepare the Compound Butter

• Combine. Mix butter, brown sugar, lemon zest, and salt in a medium bowl. Chill. Wrap the butter in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Roast the Turkey

• Prepare the pan. Add lemon, oranges, carrots, leeks, potatoes, and the reserved spine, giblets, and trimmings to the bottom of a roasting pan or large casserole dish. Place the turkey on top, using the remaining citrus to prop the wings away from the breasts.
• Soak a cheesecloth. Microwave part of the compound butter in a small bowl, and combine it with the wine. Then, soak a large cheesecloth in the butter mixture.
• Butter the turkey. Gently separate the turkey skin from the meat, and rub the compound butter under the skin.
• Bake. Cover the entire bird with the soaked cheesecloth, cutting the cheesecloth into three pieces. Bake at a high temperature to brown the skin and lock in flavor and moisture.
• Baste. Reduce the oven temperature, and baste the turkey with the remaining wine and butter mixture. Repeat this process, basting the turkey with liquid from the bottom of the pan. Then, remove the cheesecloth from the top of the breasts, baste again, and continue to bake until the turkey is fully cooked.
• Rest. Remove the cheesecloth and transfer the Thanksgiving turkey to a cutting board to rest while preparing the gravy.

Make the Gravy

• Combine. Set the roasting pan over low heat on the stove. Add butter and flour, and whisk the mixture with the shredded turkey meat from the spine, along with the giblets and trimmings. Cook until a thick roux forms and the gravy has a nutty aroma.
• Cook and strain. Add the white wine, and cook until the mixture reduces and thickens. Pour the gravy through a fine mesh strainer, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Carve and Serve

• Carve. Separate the turkey breasts from the bone, and slice the breast meat into thick slices. Then, remove the thighs and drumsticks.
• Serve. Place the thighs, drumsticks, and sliced turkey breasts on a platter. Arrange the leftover fruit and veggies around the meat for a showstopping Thanksgiving centerpiece. Serve warm with turkey gravy and all your favorite sides, like cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green bean casserole for a complete Thanksgiving meal.

Tips for Success

• Use fresh herbs. These are best for maximum flavor, infusing the meat with a bright taste.
• Dry the bird. I recommend patting your turkey with paper towels before adding the brine. This helps dry the skin of the turkey and allows the herbed salt to stick.
• Don’t flip the bird when seasoning. This will cause the herbs and salt to fall off. Instead, carefully lift the wings and press the seasonings under the bird.
• Allow plenty of time for dry brining. For the best results, you’ll want to let your turkey rest uncovered in the fridge for 24-48 hours.
• Rest the turkey before carving. A 20-30 minute rest allows the juices to redistribute so the meat stays moist and tender.

Recipe Details

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Brining Time: 1 day

Total Time: 1 day 2 hours 45 minutes

Equipment

• Poultry Shears
• Large Cutting Board
• Food Processor
• Sheet Tray with Wire Rack
• Medium Mixing Bowl
• Plastic Wrap
• Roasting Pan or Large Casserole Dish
• Cheesecloth
• Small Microwave-Safe Bowl
• Turkey Baster
• Instant-Read Thermometer
• Fine Mesh Strainer
• Large Carving Knife + Tongs

Ingredients

For the Brine

• 1 (12 pound / 5 ½ kilogram) turkey, thawed
• ½ cup (120-140 gram) kosher salt
• ¼ cup (2 gram) fresh rosemary, stems removed
• ¼ cup (2 gram) fresh thyme, stems removed
• ¼ cup (2 gram) fresh sage, stems removed

For the Compound Butter

• 2 (1 cup / 226 gram) sticks butter, softened
• 2 tablespoon (25 gram) brown sugar
• Zest of one lemon
• ¼ teaspoon (0.7 gram) salt

For Roasting

• 1 lemon, quartered
• 1 orange, quartered
• 4 rainbow carrots, washed and sliced lengthwise
• 1 leek, cleaned and sliced into 1-inch rounds
• 1 pound (454 gram) rainbow baby potatoes

For the Cooking Liquid

• ¼ cup (57 gram) compound butter
• 2 cup (473 milliliter) dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon (2 ½ gram) pepper

For the Gravy

• Reserved spine, giblets and trimmings
• 1 tablespoon (14 gram) butter
• 3 tablespoon (24 gram) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (273 milliliter) dry white wine
• Remaining turkey stock

Instructions

For the Brine

• Remove the giblets and trimmings. Reserve. Lay the turkey, breast side down, on a large cutting board. Using poultry shears, cut along both sides of the spine. Reserve the spine, and flip the turkey over. Using both hands, firmly press in the middle of the breastbone to flatten the turkey and allow it to lie flat.
• In a food processor, combine salt and fresh herbs. Process the mixture until the herbs and salt are a coarse but homogeneous mixture.
• Place the turkey on a sheet tray fitted with a rack. Rub the salt brine all over the turkey. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours.

For the Compound Butter

• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, lemon zest, and salt.
• Measure ½ cup (57 gram) of the compound butter in the center of a medium piece of plastic wrap. Roll the plastic wrap around the butter. Gather the sides of the plastic wrap, and spin the wrapped butter to form a long cylinder. Refrigerate wrapped butter.

For Roasting

• Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). To the bottom of a roasting pan or large casserole dish, add two pieces of lemon, two pieces of orange, carrots, a leek, potatoes, reserved spine, giblets, and trimmings. Add the turkey on top of the vegetables. Use the remaining orange and lemon wedges to prop the wings away from the breasts.
• Remove the turkey from the refrigerator, and place it on a large cutting board. Using your fingertips, gently separate the skin from the breasts, thighs, and drumsticks. Measure out ¼ cup (60 milliliter) of compound butter from the remaining butter and set aside. Melt the remaining ¼ cup (60 milliliter) of compound butter, and mix it with white wine and pepper. Soak a large cheesecloth in the wine and butter mixture.