Roasting the perfect turkey is an art that combines the right techniques with quality ingredients to create a centerpiece that’s both juicy and flavorful. Whether you’re preparing a Thanksgiving feast or a special family dinner, mastering the art of roasting turkey ensures a delicious meal that everyone will enjoy. Here, we provide you with essential tips, benefits, and techniques to help you achieve the perfect roasted turkey every time.
The Benefits of Brining Your Turkey
Brining is a fantastic method to ensure your turkey is both flavourful and moist. By soaking the turkey in a saltwater solution for 18-24 hours, you allow the meat to absorb and retain moisture, preventing it from drying out during roasting. This technique enhances the turkey’s natural flavours and results in juicy, tender meat, even in the white meat, which is often prone to drying out.
Tips for a Successful Roast Turkey
- Choose the Right Turkey: Opt for a free-range fresh turkey if possible. These tend to have better flavour and texture compared to frozen turkeys.
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Incorporate fresh herbs and citrus fruits into your brine and stuffing. Fresh rosemary, oranges, and lemons add a delightful aroma and depth of flavour to the turkey.
- Prepare the Brine Properly: Ensure your brine solution is cooled completely before submerging the turkey. This prevents premature cooking of the meat and allows for better absorption of flavours.
- Resting the Turkey: Letting the turkey rest after roasting is crucial. It allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making each slice succulent and tasty.
Roasting Techniques
Roasting your turkey breast-side down initially helps keep the breast meat moist, as the juices from the fat in the back and dark meat trickle down. After 40 minutes, flipping the turkey breast-side up ensures even cooking and a beautifully browned skin.
Healthier Options
For those following specific dietary guidelines such as Whole30, omit the honey from the brine. The turkey will still be flavourful and satisfying without compromising your dietary goals.
Essential Tools for Turkey Roasting
- Brining Bag or Large Pot: For submerging the turkey in the brine solution.
- Roasting Pan and Rack: Ensures even cooking and allows juices to drip away from the turkey.
- Meat Thermometer: Essential for checking the internal temperature to ensure the turkey is cooked through without being overdone.
Conclusion
Roasting the perfect turkey doesn’t have to be intimidating. By following these tips and techniques, you can prepare a delicious, moist, and flavourful turkey that will impress your family and guests. Whether you’re a novice or experienced cook, brining and proper roasting methods will elevate your turkey to new heights. Enjoy your feast!
Perfect Roasted Turkey
Ingredients
Brine (for a 20 lb turkey, adjust as needed for your size bird)
- 2 gallons Water
- 4 cups Apple Juice or Apple Cider, no sugar added, just fruit juice
- 4 leaves stems Fresh Rosemary, only
- 3 Tbsp Oranges, peel only -or- 3 Minced Orange Peel
- 1 1/2 cups Sea Salt
- 5 cloves Garlic, minced or sliced
- 1 cup Honey
- 3 Tbsp Peppercorns
- 5 Leaves Bay, whole
Roast Turkey
- 1 lb Free-Range Fresh Turkey, 15-20
- 1 Yellow Onion, quartered
- 1 in Orange, cut half
- 1 in Lemon, cut half
- 2 Celery Stalks, cut into thirds
- 4 Tbsp Grass-Fed Butter or Ghee
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Allow to cool completely
- Place your turkey into a large brining bag (or pot, if you can't find a bag) and cover with the brine solution. Refrigerate for 24 hours (or 12 hours if using a thawed frozen turkey).
- When your 24 hours is over, remove the turkey from the brine. Discard brine.
- Submerge the turkey in a sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside.
- Remove turkey from clean water and pat dry.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Place turkey in a roasting pan (or an a rack in a large pan), breast side up.
- Put 2 tablespoons of butter/ghee under the skin on each turkey breast. Flip the turkey in the roasting pan to be breast side down. Put the onion, orange, lemon, and celery in the cavity. Lace up the cavity to keep the produce in there when you flip it.
- Roast for 40 minutes, basting with pan juices at 20 minutes and 40 minutes.
- After 40 minutes, flip the turkey breast side up. Continue roasting according to the time chart that came with your turkey (about 15 minutes per pound). Internal temp (of thigh meat, stay away from the bone) should read 170F when the turkey is done.
- Remove from oven and let rest 20-30 minutes before carving.
Notes
** Leave the honey out of the brine if you want to make this Whole30 compliant
Katie
Wednesday 18th of November 2020
Not sure if you're still keeping track of comments on this one, but... Maybe I'm not thinking straight? but "3 Tbsp Oranges, peel only -or- 3 Minced Orange Peel" in the ingredients list has me a bit confused. Does this just mean 3 tbsp orange peel?? Or... minced orange peel from 3 oranges...?
Kendra Benson
Monday 23rd of November 2020
Yeah, looks like the wording got jumbled when we transferred to a new recipe card plugin. It the zest from 3 oranges or 3 Tbsp.