Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I have a binder that is specifically for this day and houses, recipes, tips, seating charts, furniture layouts and even my annual turkey day pre-meal running mileage log. I start fantasizing about my menu 6 months in advance and literally (every year) start dreaming at night about cooking my turkey a month or so before the big day.
Anyway, in honor of my favorite day, here is the turkey recipe that I've used for the last 3 years! It has been adapted from Bon Appetit magazine (Nov. 2009 edition).
Sage Butter Roasted Turkey
16-18 lb turkey - rinsed and patted dry with all the goodies removed from the inside (I've used smaller and larger birds and adjust the ingredients as necessary)
3 TBS course kosher salt
1 TBS dried sage (I used dried from my dad's garden)
1/2 stick butter (don't skimp on the butter...after all, this day only comes once a year)
1/4 C fresh, chopped sage (I pick it from my dad's garden the day of)
3/4 C fresh apple cider or apple juice
*****Do this the night before*****
Mix salt and dry sage together and sprinkle evenly all of the turkey (make sure the bird is already in the roasting pan). Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
*****The day of*****
Preheat the oven to 375 and while it's getting to the proper temperature, take your beautiful birdie out of the fridge and tuck those delicate little wing tips under and tie the legs loosely together. Then either mix the chopped fresh sage with the cold butter and rub UNDER the skin or melt the butter and mix with fresh sage then brush all over the turkey. (I've tried both ways. I happen to like the cold butter under the skin method best but both work.)
Once you've slathered a year's worth of butter calories onto your fowl (seriously, remember this is a special occasion...it's all about moderation ya'll) nip it into the oven, basting after an hour.
Now, turn the heat down to 350 and roast for another 45 minutes. At this point pour 3/4 c. apple cider and turn the pan around in the oven. Continue to roast until the meat registers 165 turning and basting periodically for even cooking. It pays to have a thermapen for this part!
Once it reaches the appropriate temperature, loosely tent (there is some debate about the effectiveness of this method...I'm not here to quarrel about it) and allow to rest 30-45 minutes. Now carve and devour with your favorite gravy and fixin's!
(Here is an action shot of me prepping the bird. It's a nice pre-coffee, pre-run and pre-fancied up picture. All I can say is that game day means bird before beauty!)
Mix salt and dry sage together and sprinkle evenly all of the turkey (make sure the bird is already in the roasting pan). Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
*****The day of*****
Preheat the oven to 375 and while it's getting to the proper temperature, take your beautiful birdie out of the fridge and tuck those delicate little wing tips under and tie the legs loosely together. Then either mix the chopped fresh sage with the cold butter and rub UNDER the skin or melt the butter and mix with fresh sage then brush all over the turkey. (I've tried both ways. I happen to like the cold butter under the skin method best but both work.)
Once you've slathered a year's worth of butter calories onto your fowl (seriously, remember this is a special occasion...it's all about moderation ya'll) nip it into the oven, basting after an hour.
Now, turn the heat down to 350 and roast for another 45 minutes. At this point pour 3/4 c. apple cider and turn the pan around in the oven. Continue to roast until the meat registers 165 turning and basting periodically for even cooking. It pays to have a thermapen for this part!
Once it reaches the appropriate temperature, loosely tent (there is some debate about the effectiveness of this method...I'm not here to quarrel about it) and allow to rest 30-45 minutes. Now carve and devour with your favorite gravy and fixin's!
(Here is an action shot of me prepping the bird. It's a nice pre-coffee, pre-run and pre-fancied up picture. All I can say is that game day means bird before beauty!)
Perfectly crisped skin, MOIST meat...as Hank Hill would say while pretending not to cry, "It's so daggum beautiful".
This is a sneak peak at my Tday binder...I read it like a book throughout the year. I don't know if that's normal.
...And now having written the longest Foodie Friday post ever, let me leave you with a funny story.
I used to work with some Austrians when I lived in Jersey. At Thanksgiving the American team sent around an email that said "Happy Thanksgiving...Gobble Gobble!" One of the Native Austrians popped out of his office and asked..."Vat ess gooble gooble?" Someone replied, "that's the sound a turkey makes." The Austrian shook his head and said, "that's not the sound a turkey makes in Austria!!"
I for one am quite glad you are obsessed with t-day! Now I am hungry. Gobble, gobble!
ReplyDelete