Recipe: "Delectable Turkey of Gratitude"
Nov. 17th, 2009 03:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithHere is the recipe I devised several years ago for cooking a Thanksgiving turkey. Feel free to link back to this if you know other folks who might enjoy it.
Ingredients:
1 (9-pound) whole turkey, thawed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, quartered
1 medium red onion, quartered
Directions:
Preheat roaster oven to 325ºF.
To make the herbal rub: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, thyme, tarragon, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for gravy or stock if desired. Wash the turkey in cold water, then pat dry.
Use fingertips to loosen the skin from the breast (without removing skin entirely) and spread about a tablespoon of the herbal rub on the meat under the skin.
Spread more of the rub inside the neck and body cavities. Apply the remaining rub to the entire outside of the turkey.
Cut the onion and the lemon into quarters. Stuff the quarters into the body and neck cavities. (Usually one lemon quarter will fit in the neck cavity, and the rest in the body.)
Secure the neck skin to the back with toothpicks. Fold the wing tips under the turkey’s back. Tuck or bind the legs in place. (The turkey may be prepared to this point, then covered and stored in the refrigerator for several hours.)
Place turkey, breast side up, on the rack and lower into the roaster. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, taking care to avoid the bones.
Roast the turkey in a preheated 325ºF roaster oven for about 2-1/2 hours (15-20 minutes per pound). Baste turkey every half-hour. If there are not enough pan juices at first, use an extra tablespoon or two of olive oil for basting. When the turkey is browned as much as you want, cover it with a loose tent of aluminum foil to prevent over-browning; lift foil to baste. Continue to roast turkey until the meat thermometer reads 165ºF. in the thigh.
Turn roaster off and remove lid; allow turkey to sit for about 5 minutes. Using the rack, lift turkey from oven; set rack and turkey onto a platter and allow to rest for 10 more minutes. Remove rack, position turkey on platter, and carve. Makes about 10 servings.
Notes:
This recipe should work for any small to medium turkey, cooking for 15-20 minutes per pound. A whole turkey feeds slightly more than 1 person/pound.
Turkey meat is not terrifically juicy to begin with and dries out easily. Food manufacturers often attempt to solve this by lacing turkey with salt water, various fats, and other additives. The olive oil in this recipe keeps the turkey moist, improves flavor, and is health-friendly. The frequent basting also helps.
Ordinary savory stuffing (based on breads or grains) packed in a raw turkey can impede the cooking of both the stuffing and the turkey. Instead, pack the raw turkey with chunks of juicy fruits or vegetables which can be discarded later; this adds moisture and flavor while helping the bird keep its shape. Savory stuffing can be packed into the cavity before serving the turkey.
Turkey is usually served by carving the meat off the bones, so at the end of the meal, you have most of a carcass left on the platter. Pick the remaining meat off the bones and store it for use in sandwiches, dumplings, or other recipes. Do not leave a turkey at room temperature for hours on end; lukewarm meat can grow germs. Process leftovers and put them away promptly after the meal.
Save the turkey bones, skin, and attached scraps for making stock. A whole turkey carcass will fit into a large crock pot and is enough to make one batch of turkey stock. Add the giblets if you didn’t use those for gravy. If you have leftover vegetables, dump those in too; otherwise you can use some fresh onions, carrots, peas, etc. for extra flavor. Add water almost to the brim of the crock, cover, and cook on Low for 8-12 hours. Strain out the solids, then put the stock in containers and freeze for later use.
Delectable Turkey of Gratitude
Ingredients:
1 (9-pound) whole turkey, thawed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, quartered
1 medium red onion, quartered
Directions:
Preheat roaster oven to 325ºF.
To make the herbal rub: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, thyme, tarragon, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for gravy or stock if desired. Wash the turkey in cold water, then pat dry.
Use fingertips to loosen the skin from the breast (without removing skin entirely) and spread about a tablespoon of the herbal rub on the meat under the skin.
Spread more of the rub inside the neck and body cavities. Apply the remaining rub to the entire outside of the turkey.
Cut the onion and the lemon into quarters. Stuff the quarters into the body and neck cavities. (Usually one lemon quarter will fit in the neck cavity, and the rest in the body.)
Secure the neck skin to the back with toothpicks. Fold the wing tips under the turkey’s back. Tuck or bind the legs in place. (The turkey may be prepared to this point, then covered and stored in the refrigerator for several hours.)
Place turkey, breast side up, on the rack and lower into the roaster. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, taking care to avoid the bones.
Roast the turkey in a preheated 325ºF roaster oven for about 2-1/2 hours (15-20 minutes per pound). Baste turkey every half-hour. If there are not enough pan juices at first, use an extra tablespoon or two of olive oil for basting. When the turkey is browned as much as you want, cover it with a loose tent of aluminum foil to prevent over-browning; lift foil to baste. Continue to roast turkey until the meat thermometer reads 165ºF. in the thigh.
Turn roaster off and remove lid; allow turkey to sit for about 5 minutes. Using the rack, lift turkey from oven; set rack and turkey onto a platter and allow to rest for 10 more minutes. Remove rack, position turkey on platter, and carve. Makes about 10 servings.
Notes:
This recipe should work for any small to medium turkey, cooking for 15-20 minutes per pound. A whole turkey feeds slightly more than 1 person/pound.
Turkey meat is not terrifically juicy to begin with and dries out easily. Food manufacturers often attempt to solve this by lacing turkey with salt water, various fats, and other additives. The olive oil in this recipe keeps the turkey moist, improves flavor, and is health-friendly. The frequent basting also helps.
Ordinary savory stuffing (based on breads or grains) packed in a raw turkey can impede the cooking of both the stuffing and the turkey. Instead, pack the raw turkey with chunks of juicy fruits or vegetables which can be discarded later; this adds moisture and flavor while helping the bird keep its shape. Savory stuffing can be packed into the cavity before serving the turkey.
Turkey is usually served by carving the meat off the bones, so at the end of the meal, you have most of a carcass left on the platter. Pick the remaining meat off the bones and store it for use in sandwiches, dumplings, or other recipes. Do not leave a turkey at room temperature for hours on end; lukewarm meat can grow germs. Process leftovers and put them away promptly after the meal.
Save the turkey bones, skin, and attached scraps for making stock. A whole turkey carcass will fit into a large crock pot and is enough to make one batch of turkey stock. Add the giblets if you didn’t use those for gravy. If you have leftover vegetables, dump those in too; otherwise you can use some fresh onions, carrots, peas, etc. for extra flavor. Add water almost to the brim of the crock, cover, and cook on Low for 8-12 hours. Strain out the solids, then put the stock in containers and freeze for later use.
