Because I got married the week of Thanksgiving, I was not able to make a turkey. I probably could have, but the family decided to have pizza instead. Totally okay with it, but it is the first Thanksgiving I can remember that we did not eat turkey.
Speaking of my wedding, I was totally not a bridezilla like I thought I'd be... At least I don't think I was. Ask my sister if you want to know the truth. Anyway, everything turned out perfectly and the food was amazing. We had mac and cheese bites, crab cakes, and a station where you could eat brie cheese with fruits and crackers before the main course. There was a prime rib carving station, chicken wrapped roasted salsa verde something-or-another, wedge salad, cheese mashers, cornbread muffins, and roasted veggies. Mmm... It was all so good! You should have come!
Enough about me... Let's get talking about that bird. The first time I tried roasting a turkey, I was absolutely terrified. My mom or Nannah would always do it. So, when I found out that my mom wasn't going to be there for Thanksgiving, I knew I needed to step up and cook the bird. I remember studying for about a week on all of the cooking techniques, brines, and basting. I came across several different recipes and techniques, so I tried a little of each.
Sandra Lee had a pretty rockin' sounding
herb butter. It was so easy to make and it made the turkey very flavorful.
Alton Brown is the cooking master, so I decided to use his "
turkey triangle" technique and it browned the turkey evenly. It kept the white meat juicy and didn't dry it out.
And for the brine... Do whatever you feel. I just used extra ingredients I had around the house.
Recipe
Ingredients
1 turkey (duh!! I used a 15-pounder)
3/4 cup of butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons garlic herb sauce mix (recommended: Knorr)
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic
Celery
Carrots
2 large onions, diced
1 (32-ounce) container of chicken broth
Packet of fresh herbs poultry blend
1 lemons, sliced
Salt
Pepper
Brine:
2 gallons of ice water
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 lemons, sliced
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon of black peppercorn
(Add or subtract whatever you have or feel comfortable with)
Directions
- Brine: Get a bucket big enough that will fit your turkey. Pour the water into the bucket and stir in the salt until it's completely dissolved. Once dissolved, add the other ingredients. Add your clean, thawed turkey to the brine mix. If the water does not cover the turkey, add more ice water. Cover and put into your fridge for 9-12 hours.
- In a bowl, combine softened butter, poultry seasoning, garlic
herb sauce mix, and crushed garlic. Mix together until
well combined. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (until firm but not hard).
- Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Remove the bird from the brine and pat dry.
- Use tinfoil to make a triangle that will cover turkey excluding the legs (refer to video in recipe above to get a better picture).
- Put carrots, celery, 1.5 cups of the diced onions and chicken broth into the bottom of a roasting pan. Place your turkey on top of the veggies.
- Remove the butter from fridge and start to slice in thinner slices. Place half of the butter slices under the skin, distributing evenly. Use the rest of the butter to rub all over the rest of the turkey and inside the bird. Sprinkle salt and pepper to the outside of the turkey.
- Add the rest of your onions, lemon slices, and poultry herb blend to the inside of the turkey.
- Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and add your "turkey triangle." Cook for 2 to 2.5 hours or until the inside of the bird reaches 161 degrees. This will depend on your oven. I recommend using a pop thermometer or one of those digital ones that beeps after it hits a certain temperature.
