How To Roast A Perfectly Moist Turkey

A whole turkey, perfectly cooked, juicy in thigh and breast and richly caramelized all over is a thing of beauty, but it is, indeed a rare bird. Turkeys are large, they have a big hole inside them. They are thick in some places and thinner in others. They have appendages that dangle about and can burn.

The Rockwell picture of the happy family gazing at the perfect bird is just that - Rockwell picture, an idealized view of Americana. If you can let go of that picture, there are a couple of ways that you can cook your turkey that almost ensure the perfect bird. It just won’t be a perfect whole bird. Open yourself up to the possibilities and let go of the iconic roast turkey. You and your guests will be glad that you did.

These techniques work especially well if you normally carve the turkey in the kitchen and plate it before bringing it to the dining table. Everyone knows what a classic Thanksgiving bird looks like but I’m sure they will be much happier to have carved moist turkey meat in exchange for a gorgeous looking dried out bird.

Option 1 - Spatchcocking
To spatchcock a turkey (or a chicken, for that matter), lay the turkey breast side down on a stable surface, and using heavy duty kitchen shears, cut along either side of the backbone, through the rib cage. This will take a little muscle. Once you have the backbone out, save it for soup or stock. Now, turn the turkey back over and press down hard on the breast bone. This will crack the bone, and you’ll be able to press the turkey flat.

What good does this do? Now, your meat is a much more even thickness. The legs and thighs will now be nicely exposed to the heat, and the breast meat will be a little protected. Now all you have to do is lay him out in a roasting pan - I usually set him on a “raft” I create by laying carrots and celery stalks in the roasting pan. This keeps the bird off the bottom of the pan and helps build wonderful flavor for your gravy.

Roast your bird at about 375º F, until the breast meat registers about 155ºF and the thigh reads about 175-180º F. Don’t worry; the temperature will continue to rise once the bird is out of the oven. The roasting time will be much less for a spatchcocked bird than for a whole bird. This is good, because your oven will be freed up for other items that need to be baked.

Start checking with an instant read thermometer at one hour for a 14 pound bird. Once the bird is done, take it out of the oven, remove it to a platter and cover with foil to rest for 20 minutes to half an hour while you make the gravy in the roasting pan.

Option 2 - Removing the Thighs and Drumsticks Before Roasting

Usually, the first cuts you make once the turkey comes out of the oven are the cuts to remove the thighs and drumsticks. Make these cuts before roasting, and roast the dark meat and white meat separately. Yes, in two different pans. (Again, the temperature will continue to rise while the turkey is resting).

You can build a vegetable raft, as above, or you can put a 1-2 inch layer of stuffing underneath the meat (if you don’t want the drippings for gravy-making purposes). With the two pan method, you can remove the white meat from the oven at 155ºF and the dark meat at 175ºF. Once the meat is done, cover and let it rest while you continue to cook the stuffing to a safe internal temperature and a crisp, brown crust.

Option 3 - Classic roasting of Bird With Protective Layer
If you absolutely can’t bring yourself to present anything other than a whole bird at your Thanksgiving table, help to protect the lean white meat by adding a layer of compound butter under the skin. While the turkey roasts, the butter will melt and keep the meat moist (not to mention add flavor to the pan for gravy) while the herbs will stay put, giving you a wonderful green layer of flavor between the caramelized skin and the white meat. It looks beautiful, and it is tasty, too. This is the compound butter you might try, but of course, you can use any combination of flavors that you would like.

Compound Butter

• 1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 1 small shallot, rough chopped
• 1 handful flat leaf parsley
• Leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh savory
• Leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh marjoram
• Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, or to taste

Spin everything in a food processor until all the ingredients are blended and the herbs are finely chopped. The butter should be a nice mostly-uniform bright green.

No matter how you choose to cook your bird, the number one reason people end up with dry turkey is that they wait until the white meat reaches 165ºF before taking it out of the oven. So, whether you spatchcock, cook the white and dark separately or roast whole, don’t forget that the temperature of the meat can rise another 10 to 15 degrees once it comes out of the oven. Don’t forget to compensate for carry over cooking, and you will be rewarded with a juicy turkey this Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Day Survival Help

I just posted a new page on my web site that includes links to most of the articles on www.reluctantgourmet.com about preparing the traditional Thanksgiving meal. In my opinion this festive occasion is the most cooking we will do at one time for the entire year. We cook more food for more people in the shortest amount of time. The articles listed on this Thanksgiving survival page should offer you some tips, techniques and help that will make your holiday just a little bit tastier.

How to Make Great Turkey Chili from Thanksgiving Leftovers

I know how it is. You buy a huge bird, you roast it, you feast and then you stare in dismay at all of the leftovers. Mentally, you try and calculate how many turkey sandwiches you can eat before running for the hills. I am here to help with an unusual but innovative way to use up your leftovers in a hearty and filling chili.

It may seem early to be talking about Turkey Day leftovers but Thanksgiving is fast approaching and you will probably be overwhelmed putting the meal together to be plan what to do with leftovers. This is a great recipe for cleaning out the refrigerator over the weekend. For another great turkey chile recipe, I recommend you check out my Deer Valley Chili recipe. It even has a photo of me during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Park City as a volunteer.

And if you really are a chili fan and can’t get enough on the subject, I highly recommend you check out my friend Chef Jenni Field’s Intuitive Chili lens at Squidoo. It is a chili fan’s dream of informative information, recipe links and photo’s put together by Chef Jenni. I know you will enjoy it.

Chili Wars

If wars haven’t been fought over chili, I bet there are friends haven’t who haven’t talked to each other for a few days after a great chili debate. Beans vs. no beans is a huge issue. As is tomatoes vs. no tomatoes. People have very strong opinions on what sorts of meats and vegetables should go into chili. At the end of the day, though, chili is a way to use up leftovers. And, as such, I respectfully ask everyone to just calm down and relax.

For me, chili is defined by the use of fresh and/or dried chile peppers as a main flavor component in the dish. I generally expect there to be some cumin as well as a bit of heat. I do not expect to see mushrooms, but I won’t be offended if you choose to add them. Chili is a one pot meal meant to warm you up and clear out your fridge, and what better time to do that than right after a big holiday.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup beer (or dry white wine)
• 1/4 cup jellied cranberry
• Chili powder, to taste - anywhere from 2 tablespoons to 1/3 cup
• Ground cumin, to taste
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• Ground coriander, to taste
• 3 cups chicken broth (or turkey broth, if you have any)
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano (crush in your hand to release the oils)
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning, or to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound leftover shredded turkey
• 6 oz. crumbled leftover cornbread stuffing
• Juice of 2 limes
• Fresh sage, chiffonade, for garnish

How to Make Homemade Chili

Over medium-low heat, sweat onion and garlic with a little salt and pepper in oil until softened and translucent. Turn up heat and cook until golden. Deglaze with beer or wine. Cook until evaporated.

Turn heat to medium, and add cranberry jelly. Stir well. Add spices and cook for another minute or two. Increase heat to medium high, and add broth, oregano and poultry seasoning.

Add shredded turkey meat, and crumbled stuffing. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Simmer and stir to break up the cornbread and dissolve it. (The cornbread will thicken your chili). Just before serving, squeeze in the lime juice and stir. Serve in heated bowls, and garnish with chiffonade sage.

I have given you measurements, but please don’t feel like you need to break out your scale and your measuring cups. Let your taste guide how much of each ingredient you add.

I asked a few of my favorite chefs for their advice on preparing the biggest meal of the year for most of us and put together this Top ? list to help make your holiday a little easier.

You can also check out my article called Let’s Talk Turkey or my blog post, Turkey Basics or head over to my new RG Cooking Community and check out some of the posts on Thanksgiving Day Dinner Tips. If you have some of our own, please sign up and post them.

Chef Introduction

First I would like to introduce the chefs who offered up their professional advice and thank them. If you click on their links, you can read all about them in my Novice2Pro interviews with them.

Chef David Nelson, Co-founder of Chef4Students.org

Chef Leslie Bilderback, Certified Master Baker & Cookbook Author

Chef Jennifer Field, Creator of PastryChefOnline

Chef Mark Vogel, Newspaper columnist

Here’s are some of their very helpful suggestions:

PREPARING YOUR MENU

Chef Field - “Make a chart listing all the dishes you plan to serve, prep time for each, whether it can be made ahead or not, etc.  Then, you can plan to get some things done on Tuesday or Wednesday (or even the weekend before, depending on what you’re making).  Spread out over a few days, Thanksgiving is much less daunting.

Oh, and set your table completely the day before, and according to your list. (If you’re passing 4 sides at the table, you’ll want to make sure you have the right serving pieces).

It seems like such a small thing, but it’ll save you from having to run around like a crazy person trying to find a pickle fork at the last second!”

HOW MUCH TURKEY SHOULD YOU BUY?

Chef Nelson - “3/4 of a pound will get the job done, but he recommends, “one pound of uncooked turkey per person, to ensure lots of choice and some leftovers.”

WHAT KIND OF TURKEY SHOULD YOU BUY?

Chef Vogel - “Wild turkeys are a little tougher, (although more flavorful), than commercial turkeys since they get considerably more exercise.  But that also means less fat and ergo, less succulence. Younger turkeys will be more tender than their older counterparts.  For the most tender, juiciest turkey, pick a young one that’s been cooped up in a pen.”

Chef Nelson - “Should I buy a Tom Turkey or a Hen for Tenderness? Age not gender, is the determining factor for tenderness in turkey. All domestic turkeys at the market are young, typically four to six months old. A hen will weighs less than 16 pounds and a tom is over 16 pounds.”

PREPPING YOUR INGREDIENTS

If there is one thing you can do to help make the day go smoother, it is get as much of the prep work out of the way as possible. Here are some suggestions from our chefs.

Chef Bilderback - “Make any yeast dough the night before and put in fridge for a slow, overnight fermentation.  Then bake in the morning. Also, chop onions and celery the day before and store in zipper bags in the fridge. Peel potatoes the night before and keep them in water. Saves time.”

Chef Nelson -  “I always start early preparing the stock. The stock is the key to a great Thanksgiving meal. You need it for the stuffing, the gravy and maybe for keeping the meat hot and juicy during service.

When I prepare turkey in large quantities, I break down the birds ahead of time. It is no secret that the breasts and the legs do not cook evenly and completely at the same time. So I break down the birds and cook the different parts separately so they are just cooked to perfection. This is fine in a restaurant kitchen, as you do not need to serve that big full bird as a centerpiece like you do at home.

Breaking the bird down into Breasts and Legs allows you to get all the remaining parts together to build your stock. Preparing the stock ahead of time allows you to prepare your turkey gravy ahead of time. It also gives you the critical ingredient to make your stuffing Over the Top.”

BRINING YOUR TURKEY

It is unanimous; all the chefs agreed you want to brine your turkey. Here is what they say,

Chef Field - “Brine your turkey!  It makes a huge difference in juicy, succulent goodness. It’s also a step that requires very little active time, and its worth it.”

Chef Vogel - “Brine your turkey. This is a direct way to make the meat juicier.  Brining is the process of soaking meat in a salt-water solution.  I recommend at least six hours for a whole turkey.

Brining works via the processes of osmosis and the tendency for adjacent mediums to equalize their level of salinity.  In a nutshell, the turkey will absorb some of the water and consequently will be moister.  For a 12 16 lb. turkey use two cups of kosher salt, or one cup of table salt for every 2 gallons of water.

Chef Nelson - “I always try to brine my turkey before roasting, smoking or frying. Brining the turkey adds flavor, moisture and improves tenderness and texture. A basic recipe for brine is 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of kosher salt, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar.

Combine the ingredients and stir to dissolve the sugars and salt. (NOTE: I keep a 1-quart size version of this recipe in my fridge at home for chicken and pork preparations.) You can add other ingredients to your brine right before you use, like sliced garlic, peppercorns, honey, fresh herbs, etc.

Cover the bird with brine in a non-reactive container of glass, plastic or stainless steel. A Coleman cooler works great. The bird must be kept cold during the brining process. A large turkey should sit in the brine for a good twelve hours. Birds need to be fresh of thoroughly thawed for brining. So plan ahead.

Very Important! Thoroughly rinse brined birds or pork before you cook them to remove the saltiness. And if you are frying that turkey, dry it off, inside and out very thoroughly before submerging it into the peanut oil.”

Chef Leslie - “Brine the Bird! It stays super-moist, and much more flavorful.  By far the best bird Ive ever had has been a brined bird. Brining is essentially a marinade, high in salt, with sugar, spices, and herbs.

Brining hydrates the cells of the muscle.  The salt content of the brine is higher than the muscle cells, and this saline contrast forces the salt into the cell by osmosis. The salt draws the water and flavorings in with it, resulting in a moist, flavorful bird. The salt also denatures the protein of the muscle, which essentially re-configures the protein to hold more water.”

COOKING THE BIRD

Chef Vogel - “Roast a turkey at lower temperatures, usually 325º 350º F.  Intense heat can overcook the outside before the center is completely done.

Many cooks will either start or finish the bird at high heat (400 degrees or more) to ensure a fully browned exterior and crisp skin.  I prefer the latter as it is easier to gauge how much additional browning is needed toward the end of the cooking process.

Also, don’t bother basting.  The meat, covered by the skin, will not absorb the juices.  Every time you open the oven door you’re allowing heat to escape and prolonging cooking time.”

IS MY TURKEY TIRED? NO BUT IT NEEDS TO REST

Chef Nelson - “It needs to rest after it comes out of the oven. A good rule of thumb is allowing it to rest for one minute per pound after cooking. This allows the juices in the bird to redistribute evenly through the bird.”

Chef Vogel “Allow the turkey to rest for 15-30 minutes before carving.  All roasted items should rest before being carved.  This allows the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat.

If you carve it immediately the juices will run out.  During this time the turkey will continue to cook due to carry over cooking.  Therefore, you should remove the turkey when it is about 10 degrees less than the target temperature.”

TURKEY GRAVY

Chef Field - “Please make your own gravy.  I roast the turkey on top of mirepoix (veggies: onion, celery and carrot) to start with nice, deep base flavors. Save some of the cooking liquid from your vegetables (starch from potato water adds to the thickening) and use chicken stock.

Leave some of those spent veggies in the roasting pan.  Build a roux right in your roasting pan by adding flour to the drippings (do this over 2 stove burners, on medium) and scraping up all the brown goodness from the pan (fond).

Cook the roux for about 5 minutes, then add your water/stock and cook until you have gravy.  You can hit it with an immersion blender the leftover bits of veggies will help thicken it then strain it (if you don’t want any lumps).  Season to taste however you like.”

Chef Nelson - “Thanksgiving Turkey Gravy has always been a high priority for me. If the gravy is not up to par everything you put it on is not up to par either. My Thanksgiving gravy is more of a demi-glace than a flour/roux thickened sauce or gravy.

It is made by roasting the bones, trimmings of the broken down birds with onions, carrots and celery and then simmering them in the stock pot overnight. The rich broth is then strained and further reduced until it is rich and the turkey flavor is intensified.”

RG - Check out my Turkey Gravy Recipe that I adapted from Cuisine.

MASHED POTATOES

Chef Field - “As far as I’m concerned, there must be mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. For the best-mashed potatoes, make sure you dry out your spuds before mashing.  Too much water in the potatoes will make them all stodgy.

After boiling, let them sit in the hot pan and release steam for a few minutes before mashing.  (Or try baking your potatoes before mashing instead of boiling.  You wont have as much of a water issue).

I also mash in the butter first, and then the dairy and salt and pepper.  They’re also really good with a heavy sprinkle of Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning Blend. (Notice, I don’t use it as a salt substitute, but as an addition to salt.

Add a whole head (or more, depending on how many potatoes you’re mashing) of roasted garlic.”

RG What is the best recipe for mashed potatoes?

CRANBERRY SAUCE

Chef Field – “Here is a short-cut sort-of recipe if you dont want to make/dont have enough time to make your own cranberry sauce.  Use Ocean Spray whole berry sauce.

Add in a little salt to taste, some orange zest and a splash of Grand Marnier (or Cointreau or Triple Secany orange liqueur will do) or a little OJ, for a non-alcoholic version.

You could also add a hit of Amaretto and some toasted, chopped almonds.  Or some Frangelico and some toasted, chopped hazelnuts. Easy and good.”

RG I have a Fresh Orange Cranberry Sauce recipe that’s pretty good too.

CLEAN UP

Chef Bilderback - “Make sure you’ve got someone ELSE lined up to do the dishes! Also, do NOT put a bunch of stuff down your disposal! Plumbers make a killing on Thanksgiving!

Start a compost pile instead and save our planet. They may just look like carrot peels, but with all the other stuff, it adds up, and your poor pipes wont hack it.”

I hope you enjoyed these tips and please post your own or go over to my new Cooking Community, sign up and post your favorite recipes.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone