Dear Friends,
Believe it or not, this next part is only on making the turkey and
starting the gravy. If you've never done a turkey before, don't be
scared--think of that big ol' thing as just a big chicken. This
simple recipe will show you how.
Love, Leanne
Simple Roast Turkey & Pan Gravy
Serves 12 (with leftovers!)
1 15 pound turkey (at least, I will probably go bigger for more
leftovers)
one stick of unsalted butter, softened
salt and pepper to taste
1 recipe Muzzie's Fabulous Stuffing (see recipe)
(un-stuffing option: one carrot, one stalk of celery, an onion, a
green apple, some thyme)
thyme
sage
You will usually find a package of giblets (innards) in the neck
cavity of the turkey. Remove those, place in the fridge and I will
tell you what to do with them later. Right now, it's bath time for
old tom. Rinse the cavities (the neck and bottom) and outside of the
bird with cool water then pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the
cavity of the turkey lightly with salt if desired. If you are not
stuffing the bird, throw a washed carrot cut in half, a large onion
cut in half and a celery stick cut in half into the cavity, sprinkle
a little thyme and some salt and pepper. You can also add a half a
green seeded apple, quartered if you like. I would also throw a
little sage and thyme in there and mix everything up with my hand
(about 1/2 a teaspoon each). This will just help to flavor the
drippings, which in turn will help you make scrumptious gravy. Do not
salt the cavity if you will be stuffing the turkey.
If you will be stuffing the bird, don't do it now. Wait to do that
till just before she hits the oven. Remove a rack from the oven, and
position the last rack to be the second to the bottom ledge (in other
words, not the very bottom). Turn on the oven to preheat, 500
degrees. (that's not a typo)
Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan
(the rack will help the whole turkey brown). Rub your bird down
(using your hands) with a cube of softened unsalted butter (this
isn't one of those calorie conscientious meals). You will want to get
under the skin and over the skin too (unless putting your hand under
the turkey's skin creeps you out). Put half a cup of water on the
bottom of the pan. If you are using a meat thermometer (which is
advised) place the thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh
muscle, but do not allow it to touch the bone or you will get a false
reading.
NOW, stuff the bird if you are going to stuff. I have recently become
a dressing convert after years of stuffing my bird. I used to stuff
and I love the stuffing, but I have found that stuffing the turkey is
one of the reasons the turkey dries out so my stuffing has become
dressing now. A part of me mourns the loss of that delectable
stuffing that came out of my turkey, but the other part of me is
thrilled with the moist results of my turkey.
Place the turkey in a preheated 500-degree oven for a half hour. Set
your timer! The reason for the intense beginning heat is that this
will allow the fat under the skin on the bottom of turkey (remember-
you've got her sitting on a rack in the roasting pan) to melt and
help brown the skin on the bottom. No more mush bottomed turkeys!
Also, the turkey will begin to turn bronzy brown, which you want.
After the initial 500-degree zapping, turn your oven down to a
respectable 325 degrees. Do you feel better now?
Follow the timetable (below) for approximate roasting time. Place a
tent of foil loosely over the turkey when it begins to turn golden
brown, exposing only the drumsticks to the oven. Roast the turkey
until the meat thermometer reads 180 degrees (for a whole turkey) and
the juice is no longer pink when you cut into the center of the thigh
(it should be clear). The drumstick should move easily in the socket
when lifted or twisted. When the turkey is finished roasting, remove
it from the oven and let it stand at least 1/2 hour for easiest
carving. However, it's even better to let it rest an hour. That way
you can count down the rest of the meal (Timeline to follow). Keep
the turkey tented with foil so it will stay warm.
CHART FOR COOKING YOUR BIRD
The national Turkey Federation recommends you should cook your turkey
until the temperature reaches 170 degrees in the breast and 180
degrees in the thigh (watch out for the bone) when a meat thermometer
is inserted. A meat thermometer is distinctly different than a candy
thermometer! (I tried to use one, once a upon a time LOL)
STUFFED TURKEY
8 to 12 pounds 3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds 3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds 4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours
UNSTUFFED TURKEY
8 to 12 pounds 2 3/4 hours to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds 3 to 3 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
20 to 24 hours 4 1/2 to 5 hours
24 to 30 pounds 5 to 5 1/4 hours
Right about now, you're probably wondering where the basting
instructions are. Personally, I don't baste. Why? Because basting
actually dries out the bird! Every time you open the oven door, you
lose 25 degrees of heat. What does this do? Because you to lose heat,
you to have to cook the turkey longer. Longer cooking time means a
drier turkey, period. (Yeah, yeah, I know you have been basting birds
for a hundred years in your family and everyone swears by basting). I
too was in the basting camp till one year I was overwhelmed with all
I had to do (in typical SHE fashion, I was doing everything last
minute) and we had the best, juiciest turkey ever. So my advice is
don't baste.
Once the turkey is finished with its roasting, remove it from the
oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes in the pan. Then remove
your bird from the pan to a cutting board and again, allow it to
rest, at least 20 minutes; but an hour is better (and like I said
earilier, it gives you a sense of a timetable to finish up the rest
of dinner. Just put a little foil "jacket" on old tom to keep him
warm). This is important because it will retain its juiciness if
given the proper "nap".
Roast Turkey Pan Gravy
Let's face it: lumpy gravy just screams amateur. It doesn't take
gourmet chef cooking skills to make a lump-less gravy, nor is it
rocket science. But for all the mixing, whisking and fussing, good
gravy is a mystery. To do it yourself, you just need a few well-kept
secrets given to you. So here you have it, once and for all: gravy
demystified.
Here are the ingredients you will need to make gorgeous gravy:
Turkey broth (recipe of sorts, included. Keep reading)
Wondra flour (yes, buy this)
White pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Remember I promised you I would tell you what to do with the giblet
pouch? Now is the time. In that drippy bag, you are going to find a
big old turkey neck, the heart, gizzard and liver. The heart, gizzard
and liver are great treats for the dog, but unless giblet gravy is
your heart's desire (sorry, couldn't help myself), in my opinion,
they have no place in a gravy boat.
First off, get your turkey neck, a half a carrot, celery stalk and a
half an onion, quartered. Throw them all together into a medium sized
saucepan and fill about three quarters of the way up with cold water.
Put the pan on a medium high heat, bring to a boil, then lower the
temp and allow to simmer for about an hour or so. Throw a lid on the
top and turn it down even lower and allow it to cook for another
hour. Strain broth from solids (toss the solids) and set aside for
later gravy making. If it is hours away from that event, refrigerate
the broth.
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