Juicy & Delicious Thanksgiving Turkey

Serves

10-12

Total Time

4 hr

Difficulty

Hard

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Juicy and delicious thanksgiving turkey with sides.

Recipe-

Summary

okay, okay, i know… cooking a turkey is intimidating. i promise you can do this. moist, delicious turkey is all about the prep. just thaw, remove the innards, stuff, butter, and baste, then it’s all smooth sailing! don’t be scared- just trust the process!

Ingredients

FOR THE TURKEY

  • 1 (15-20 lbs.) turkey
  • ½ onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 1 lemon
  • ½ large apple
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 5 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 5 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 bunch fresh sage
  • 1 bunch italian parsley
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 ⅓ cups champagne (about ½ 750 ml. bottle)

FOR THE COMPOUND BUTTER

  • 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
  • 12 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • chopped herbs of choice (rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, or any other herbs)

Instructions

  1. before cooking, allow the turkey to thaw in the refrigerator for several days (typically, plan to thaw 24 hours per 5 pounds of turkey).
  2. once thawed, remove turkey from the fridge and place in a large roasting pan, tucking wings under the bird. remove the innards and discard (or keep them to make a delicious homemade gravy!). pat skin dry and let sit at room temperature for one hour before proceeding to the next steps.
  3. preheat the oven to 325°F. you may need to adjust the oven racks to accommodate the turkey.
  4. with a gloved hand, gently separate the skin from the meat (work slowly and carefully as the skin can easily tear during this process).
  5. roughly chop carrots, onion, celery, lemon, and apple.
  6. bundle together rosemary, thyme, sage, and parsley and secure with cooking twine. stuff the herbs into the cavity along with the chopped fruits and veggies.
  7. begin making the compound butter by stirring minced garlic into the softened butter. add in the herbs and seasonings. with gloved hands, mix until well-incorporated.
  8. under the loosened skin, take about half of the butter mixture and massage into the meat and around the cavity. use the remaining butter to coat the outside of the turkey, rubbing it into the skin thoroughly.
  9. pour the chicken stock and champagne over the turkey and cover with aluminum foil.
  10. place turkey in the preheated oven for 2.5 to 3 hours. remove the foil and baste with pan juices. return turkey to oven, uncovered, and continue roasting. baste at 10 minute intervals for an additional 30-45 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  11. remove from oven and let rest 20 minutes before carving.

Juicy & Delicious Thanksgiving Turkey