Thanksgiving turkey 2022

Name: Thanksgiving turkey 2022
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 turkey (fresh or fully-defrosted); 1 3/4 cup unsalted, room temperature butter; 1 tbsp ground black pepper; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed; 1 shallot, peeled and halved; 1 tbsp dried summer savory; 2 tbsp Maggi seasoning

Robert Gonzal @robert

Vancouver BC

Posting recipes during the holidays is always challenging. Not only is there the rush to get all the dishes prepped and cooked (and often, transported, as a lot of our gatherings take place at my parents' house), but it's also difficult to convince a crowd of hungry extended family to wait while you try to take a half decent photo of your creation. Sometimes, like today, the best you can do is snap a pic of a turkey, still in its roasting tray, while relatives clamor behind you to plate and carve the darn thing already. Ah, well. Pictorial challenges aside, this year's bird turned out great. I took a slightly different tack than last time, and left the turkey both untrussed and unstuffed. While this meant the turkey wasn't perfectly held together and was more "splayed out" (I prefer to think of it as relaxed), it had the benefit of marginally speeding up cooking time (about 11 1/2 to 12 min/lb instead of the usual 13). To ensure the best bird possible, I also dry-brined the turkey the night before, then used a super-tasty baste to keep it moist while cooking. The end result was a juicy, delicious, golden brown turkey that was a real crowd pleaser.

Robert Gonzal @robert

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Ingredients

1turkey (fresh or fully-defrosted)
1 3/4 cupunsalted, room temperature butter
1 tbspground black pepper
1/4 cupextra virgin olive oil
4 clovesgarlic, peeled and crushed
1shallot, peeled and halved
1 tbspdried summer savory
2 tbspMaggi seasoning

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Steps

1

The day before, dry brine the turkey. First, pat it dry with some paper towel, then give it a liberal sprinkle of kosher salt. Be sure to salt everywhere, including the inside. Leave the turkey uncovered in your fridge overnight. This will allow the salt to penetrate deep into the flesh, while also drying out the skin.
2

Pull the turkey out of the fridge 1 hr before cooking. Some liquid will probably have pooled beneath it, so pat the turkey dry again. Turn your oven on to 425 F and remove all the racks except for one, second from the bottom.
3

Mix 3/4 cup butter and the pepper together until combined, then rub the mixture all over the outside of the bird. Put the turkey on a rack inside a roasting tray, then pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the tray. Pop the turkey into the oven for 45 minutes. About halfway through, turn the tray 180 degrees, and add more water if needed.
4

After 45 minutes, the turkey should be well on its way to golden. Turn the temperature down to 350 F and continue roasting.
5

Add the remaining ingredients to a small pot on medium heat. Let cook about 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to minimum just to keep it warm.
6

Pull the turkey out of the oven (remember to close the oven door so the heat doesn't escape) and give it a baste. Put it back in the oven, rotated 180 degrees from how you pulled it out. Repeat this step every 20 to 30 minutes until the turkey is cooked. Look for 155 F internal temperature, measured at the thickest part of the breast as well as the thigh. Let the turkey rest for 1 hour before carving (very important).