Fabulous Roast Turkey

The concept of fabulous roast turkey brings to mind a beautiful golden bird that, when carved, reveals flavorful, succulent, and juicy meat. But often, the skin never looks quite the way you wanted it to, the white meat is dry, and the flavor is minimal.

So, how do we get to fabulous?

People often wonder if brining is a necessary step. It is. Brining lets the salt get into the meat, rather than just sitting on top of it. It tenderizes the bird. And it gives you the opportunity to add beautiful flavors. So, even if you’re starting with a kosher turkey, you’ll leave out the salt (the definition of brine), but you still want to let it sit in that marinade overnight.

The quality of the turkey you buy also influences the finished product. A fresh turkey that’s never been frozen will give you succulent, tender meat. Freezing does affect the behavior of the proteins. A free range turkey that’s lived its life running around a barnyard will actually taste better than one that lived its entire short life being miserable in a cage. And while we can talk about the ethics of eating the fellow at all, it’s important to me not to eat torture. And yes, by the way, it’s more expensive. We do what we can.

My mother’s trick with all roasts, whether meat or poultry, was to poke tiny holes all around with the tip of a paring knife and insert small pieces of fresh garlic into each one. That way the garlic is in the meat, not just on it.

Finally, there’s the actual roasting. If you cook the turkey in an aluminum foil tent or in a bag, you’re steaming, not roasting. Just no.

You want to start with the oven at a high temperature to get the skin going, then reduce it to 350° for a slow roast.

Don’t stuff the bird. It will roast more evenly without stuffing, and roast a lot faster, too. And you don’t have to worry if all the stuffing has reached a high enough temperature to make sure its safe to eat. But what about the fabulous flavor the stuffing gets from all those turkey drippings? Just poke holes in your finished stuffing and spoon the drippings over the top.

Do fill the cavity with aromatics and herbs. You’ll have a more flavorful turkey.

Do make a compound butter for schmearing under the breast skin. It will help to keep the breast meat moist, as well as impart flavor—dark meat has more flavor than white meat. And yes…don’t fret…you can use pareve “butter.”

Be sure to let the finished turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. You want the juices to have time to redistribute themselves. Also, it will prevent your slices from falling apart.

Fabulous Roast Turkey

For the Turkey

Start with a fresh, organic turkey

Brine Ingredients:

• 2 cups apple cider

• ice cold water as needed

• 1 ½  cups kosher salt (leave out if using kosher turkey)

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 6 garlic cloves, smashed

• 1 tablespoon peppercorns

• 2 oranges

• 2 lemons

• 3 bay leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon allspice berries

• 1 tablespoon cardamom pods (lightly crushed)

• 1 cup brandy or bourbon

Method:

• Heat cider with salt and sugar until the salt is completely dissolved. Allow it to cool, then add the remaining ingredients.

• Put the turkey into a food-safe bag, a clean bucket, or a large stockpot with the brine ingredients and add ice water to cover. Allow to marinate for 18-24 hours.

• Remove the turkey, discard the brine, rinse inside and out, and blot dry with paper towels.

• Cut a few cloves of garlic into small pieces. Use a paring knife to poke a few small holes over each part of the bird—breasts, legs, thighs, the back, the meaty part of the wings…I think that covers it—and push a small piece of garlic into each one.

For the Compound Butter

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (or vegan butter), at room temperature

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

• the grated peels of 1 lemon and 1 orange

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and whoosh until it’s well combined.

Rub the compound butter under the skin of the breast, over the skin of the whole bird, and in the cavity. Sprinkle the turkey inside and out with a little garlic powder.

Aromatics

Peel and quarter the orange and lemon that you zested for the butter. Cut a small onion into chunks, smash a few cloves of garlic with the side of a heavy knife, break a stick or two of celery, and stick it all into the cavity of the bird with a few sprigs of Scarborough Fair herbs.

Sprinkle the turkey, top and bottom, with a little paprika for color.

Roast the Turkey

Preheat oven to 450°

• Line a large sheet pan with foil, put a rack inside the pan, and place the turkey on the rack, breast up. If your pan is very shallow, bring the foil up around the sides a bit to make a little wall around the turkey, to prevent juices from running off.

• Put the turkey on lowest level of the oven, close the door, and reduce temperature to 350°.

  The turkey is done when a thermometer inserted halfway into the thickest part of the breast registers 165° (A 22 lbs. turkey was done in 3 ½  hours)

  Allow the turkey to rest on a carving board, covered with foil to keep it warm for 30 minutes to an hour before carving.

  While the turkey is roasting, make the sauce (It can be made a day or two ahead).

Madeira Sauce

Make the Turkey Stock

• 2 quarts boxed stock (chicken or turkey)

• the neck and the giblets

• 1onion, roughly chopped

• a few cloves garlic

• 1/2 carrot, roughly chopped

• 1 bay leaf,

• a few peppercorns

• a few juniper berries

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a pot and simmer slowly for an hour or more, then strain and set aside. (The stock can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator)

For the Sauce

I must tell you, after the butter and flour I don’t measure. A splash of this, a splash of that… Just taste and adjust.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz butter

• ½ cup flour

• the turkey stock

• Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme

• Worcestershire sauce

• a squeeze of lemon

• a little orange juice concentrate. 

• salt and pepper to taste

• Madeira or brandy

Method:

• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and cook the flour, stirring, until it begins to color. Whisk in stock and add the remaining ingredients, except for the alcohol. Simmer until thickened and flavorful. (can be done a day or two in advance)

•  While the turkey is cooling, warm the sauce and whisk in the turkey drippings.  Add brandy, bring to a boil (to burn off the alcohol), and then taste for seasoning.

Serve the sauce with the turkey.