Cooking Classics
The Technique
How To Roast A Turkey
Roasting a turkey still remains to be one of the most intimidating processes to many. Whether it’s your first attempt to prepare one or you are a well seasoned cook, everything you need to know in order to serve a beautiful looking & tasting turkey can be achieved in your own kitchen. With a few valuable pointers, hosting a festive gathering can be manageable & enjoyable with a little planning & forethought so that everything runs smoothly. From equipment to safely serving guests, learn the basic fundamentals of roasting a turkey when entertaining.
Apple-Bourbon Herb Roasted Turkey
makes 8 servings
Allowing the turkey to refrigerate overnight with the herb mixture over it will deepen the flavors as well as save valuable time & energy on a busy Thanksgiving day.
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
4 garlic cloves, pressed
The zest & juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 celery ribs, trimmed
1 medium yellow onion, cut into eight wedges
1 {8 to 9-lb} turkey, thawed
1 quart pure, naturally sweetened apple juice
1/2 cup bourbon
Combine the oil, the sage, the thyme, the rosemary, the garlic, the lemon zest, the lemon juice, the salt & the pepper in a small bowl. Set aside. Place the celery & the onion in the bottom of a lightly greased roasting pan. Set aside.
Remove the items that may be inside the cavity of the turkey & discard. Rinse the turkey under cool water & gently pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey on a half sheet pan. Rub or brush the herb mixture over the entire surface of the bird. Place the turkey over the vegetables in the roasting pan plus any juices from the sheet pan. Loosely cover the turkey with plastic wrap & chill 8 hours or overnight.
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator & let stand 30 minutes. Remove one of the oven racks, if necessary. Position the remaining rack in the lower third portion of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap from the turkey & discard. Pour the apple juice & the bourbon in the bottom of the roasting pan. Bake the turkey 1 hour & 15 minutes. Baste the turkey with pan drippings, add 1 cup water to the pan & return the turkey to the oven rotating the pan for even browning. Bake an additional 1 hour & 30 to 1 hour & 45 minutes or until a thermometer registers 180 degrees, shielding the top loosely with foil if necessary to prevent over browning.
Meanwhile, discard the celery. Pour the drippings through a fine wire mesh sieve. Discard the onions. Use 3 cups drippings to prepare the Apple-Bourbon Herb Roasted Turkey Gravy as directed. Let the turkey stand 30 minutes. Place the turkey on a serving platter. Garnish, if desired. Carve the turkey & serve with the gravy. Cover & refrigerate any remaining turkey within 2 hours.
FROM THE KITCHEN OF BUTTERMILK LIPSTICK
{testing notes}
How To Roast A Turkey
Roasting a turkey is one of the easiest main dish items that can be prepared when entertaining for a large gathering. You do need a few pieces of equipment to make the task easy & less cumbersome & conversely, there a few traditional tools & techniques that are not necessary. The key to preparing a beautiful bird lies in a little planning & preparation so once the turkey is ready to roast, it’s just a matter of placing it in the oven.
The Technique
When roasting turkey, time & temperature are key. The technique isn’t much different from preparing a roasted chicken. The process more than likely gets a bad reputation due to the massive quantities of food we like to serve along side the bird that are fighting for your time, attention & oven space at the same time. Be certain you pick up a few essentials well in advance & get ready to make your best roasted turkey to date. Here’s what you should know.
No. 1
The Turkey Logistics
The Planning & The Purchasing
Choose a turkey size that will accommodate the number of people you plan to serve. Account for approximately 1 pound per person as this amount will include the bone weight of the bird that is inedible leaving plenty of meat to serve each guest. If you use a frozen turkey, it must be purchased well in advance, at least 4 to 5 days before you plan to prep & cook it. Do not try to roast a frozen bird.
The Trussing
Trussing is a process that prepares a bird for roasting to ensure it cooks evenly. It tucks away the wing tips & secures the legs in place which also makes for a pretty presentation table side. The good news is that most turkeys available for purchase are close to being oven ready directly from the packaging. Notice how the turkey legs are contained & secure so you do not have to do it yourself. With a few additional simple preparations, there is no need for butcher twine.
No. 2
The Preparation
Begin the preparations by chopping & measuring items before you handle the turkey for the sake of food safety. Fresh rosemary, sage & thyme offer pretty color & delicious flavor once the turkey has been roasted. Olive oil doesn’t seize over the cold bird like butter & you’ll get that rich flavor once the gravy is prepared. Set aside the herb blend & attend to the turkey.
No. 3
The Turkey Roasting Procedure
Remove the turkey from the packaging. There will be several items inside of the cavity. Be certain to remove them & discard them as well. It is generally not recommended to rinse poultry before cooking for the sake of food safety, however I do in the case of turkey preparation. A completely thawed bird may still have a few icy patches that can simply be rinsed away. Just be certain to clean up the work space well once the task is complete.
The Apple-Bourbon Herb Roasted Turkey will need to be prepped the day before you plan to serve it. The recipe is designed to make the day you plan to roast & serve it easier when entertaining a large crowd. Place the turkey on a half sheet pan. Tuck the wing tips under the shoulders of the bird. They will stay secure without the need of any butchers twine.
3a
Spread the fresh herb blend over the entire surface of the turkey. Use a spoon or your hands.
3b
Flip the bird over to ensure all sides are evenly coated with the mixture. Wash your hands well with hot, soapy water before proceeding.
3c
The celery & the onion will not only perfume the drippings as the bird cooks but it will serve to lift the turkey from the bottom of the roasting pan. Place the celery in a lightly greased roasting pan to form a rack & sprinkle the onions over the bottom of the pan. Place the herb coated turkey, breast side up, over the celery & the onions in the roasting pan. Top it loosely with plastic wrap & place it in the refrigerator overnight.
3d
Pure apple juice without any additional sweeteners & bourbon offer lovely flavor to the turkey during basting & reduce down during the roasting process. The seasonal notes add irresistible flavor to the gravy later during the process. If you add enough to the pan from the start, it will not be necessary to add tons of additional liquids during the process to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pan as well as the need to make up the difference to prepare a delicious gravy. Portion these ingredients before proceeding with the turkey preparations.
No. 4
The Roasting
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you plan to roast it. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap. While the turkey stands, the chilled olive oil will become fluid again. Pour the apple juice & the bourbon into the bottom of the roasting pan around the vegetables.
4a
Roast the turkey as directed according to the recipe instructions. There are a few key points to consider while roasting a turkey. Do not open the oven door excessively during the process as you loose valuable heat & extend the cook time. You can baste the turkey once or twice & that is all that is necessary. It will be moist if you cook it to the proper temperature. Toss the traditional basting tool away. It’s cumbersome & ineffective. A simple ladle will complete the task so it can be placed back in the oven quickly. During the basting process, the many of the herbs pressed into the surface before baking will end up in the bottom of the pan seasoning the drippings further. There will still be plenty over the surface for a pretty presentation. Since the turkey bakes at 325 degrees, you more than likely will not need to shield it with foil but if you find that it browns excessively, tent a piece loosely over the top of the bird.
Use a digital read thermometer to guide you to determine when the turkey has been fully cooked. Probe several spots around the bird to get an accurate reading. According to Butterball, the breast portion should register at least 165 degrees while the legs & thighs should register 180 degrees. Allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes once it has been removed from the oven. In the meantime, the Apple-Bourbon Herb Roasted Turkey Gravy can be prepared with the pan drippings so be certain to look for additional detailed instructions & photos to guide you.
No. 5
The Presentation & The Serving
A beautiful presentation is easy to achieve by simply drawing from items used in the recipe. Fresh thyme, rosemary & sage loosely scattered around the base of a serving platter is the perfect invitation for a roasted turkey. Have extra lemons & fresh cranberries available as they offer rich color to the platter. Sprinkle a smattering of kosher salt & freshly ground pepper over the turkey just before presenting it to guests.
The turkey can certainly be carved table side but realistically, you may want to account for a little additional time in the kitchen to carve the bird on a cutting board using the proper tools & essentials. Sharpen knives well in advance so they are ready to use. A quality carving knife is ideal, however a good chef knife will get the task complete as well. The turkey slices can be arranged on the same platter for an equally eye-catching presentation.
To slice the breast portion of the turkey, make a cut horizontally at the base of the breast portion. It can then be cut into thin slices vertically. If you want to remove the breast entirely & slice it on the board, make an additional cut in the center of the bird. If those two cuts are made, the breast portions will essentially come free in the shape of a wedge. The legs, thighs & wings can all be removed at the joints. Have a pair of kitchen shears available, if necessary.
The Tune
“It Had To Be You” Billie Holiday
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