Back in 2009, I had to prepare a Christmas dinner for about 18 people, including mom and dad and my hubby's family, who were visiting from Germany. I had made roasted turkey before but this time I really wanted to make an impression! I found this amazing recipe on Rouxbe Online Cooking School:
I wasn't too sure about immersing my turkey in salted water at first but I trusted their knowledge and it paid off. My turkey was flavorful, tender yet with a crispy golden skin and most important, it was juicy!
By the way, putting the turkey in a solution of water, pepper and salt is called brining. After testing it myself, I can say that this simple technique makes a huge difference.
So, to make the brine, you'll need 2 quarts of cold water, 1 sliced onion, a bunch of fresh thyme, a pinch of whole black peppers and salt. Put everything into a medium pot and let it boil for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool. In the meantime, clean the turkey and remove the neck and giblets. It's important to keep the neck because you will use it to make the short stock and gravy. As for the giblets, I usually keep them to make a for a Brazilian dish called "Farofa", but you can use the giblets in the stuffing or otherwise, discard them. Using your fingers, carefully loosen the skin from the chest of the turkey. Be careful not to stretch it too much; you don't want it to rip. Rinse the turkey with cold water.
If you have a container that is large and deep enough to fit the turkey, the brine and additional water, use it. If you don't have such utensil, you can use the largest container you have, put the brine mix in and then the turkey with the chest down. Cover with as much cold water and ice cubes as you can and then cover with foil or clinging paper before placing it in the refrigerator. Brine the turkey for at least 10 hours, but no more than 24 hours.
Another great idea in this recipe, that enhances flavor and helps moisten the turkey is the compound butter. Just add salt and ground black pepper to 1/2lb of unsalted butter. Then add 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped thyme and rosemary. Mix everything until you reach a smooth paste.
After the 10 or so hours, get the turkey, drain it and pat it dry with a kitchen cloth. Let the turkey "rest" for about an hour so it can reach room temperature. By doing this, you make sure your turkey is not cold when it gets to the oven. Cold turkey in the oven means more roasting time and more roasting time can affect how moisty your turkey will be. So, let the turkey rest and in the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Next, you'll make the short stock, which is what later will become your delicious gravy! To make the short stock, chop 1 onion, 1 large carrot and place them into a bowl. You can add chopped celery if you want to (since celery is a no-no for my hubby, I leave it out). Set aside. Chop the turkey neck. Be careful when handling the knife and try to cut in between the "joints".
Preheat a large pan on high heat. Once it is sizzling hot, add the oil and half the neck. Let it caramelize. This is what ultimately defines the color and richness of your gravy. If you don't brown it well enough, the gravy will be a pale brown color and have a milder flavor. Add half of the veggies and et it get some color too. Add 1 cup of white wine and "wash" the pan by scraping the bottom with it (this is what they call deglazing in culinary school). Empty the frying pan into the the roasting pan and repeat the whole process with the other half of the ingredients. Making this in small batches prevents the formation of water and will allow the ingredients to caramelize properly. Add the second half to the roasting pan.
Position the V-rack over the caramelized veggies and neck, then cover the rack with foil. Drizzle the foil with olive oil and make a few holes to let the juices from the turkey run through. Hmmm...I'm so ready for Thursday! Set aside and let's get back to the turkey!
Season the turkey with a pinch of salt and pepper, 4-5 cloves of crushed garlic, a few sticks of fresh rosemary leaves, and 2 bay leaves. Insert a bunch of fresh thyme, 1 onion and 2 carrots in the turkey cavity. Rub the outside skin of the turkey with olive oil (this results in that nicely golden color). Don't just drizzle the oil, really rub it so it's evenly coated. Insert 1/3 of the compound butter underdeath the loosened skin of the turkey chest. Next, position the turkey (breast down) onto the v-rack and into the oven for one hour.
Melt the compound butter in the microwave for about 20 seconds. With two dry cloths, flip the turkey so the breast is facing up. You can use the turkey forks, but that will make holes on the turkey and you will loose some precious juices. Quickly brush the turkey breast and legs with more compound butter and return to the oven for another hour.
Then, again, carefully brush the turkey with more compound butter and let it roast for another hour. At the end of this third hour, is time to check if your turkey is ready! Using a thermometer, check the temperature of the inside part of the bird's thigh. It should read 165F to be perfectly cooked. If the temperature is higher than that, it means that the turkey is overcooked. You can also poke a hole on that spot with a wooden skewer, if you don't have a thermometer. If the juices are clear, it's good to go but it comes out pink, then you probably will have to roast it for a little more. In this case, brush it with the remaining compound butter and return the turkey to the oven for about 15-30 minutes.
I wasn't too sure about immersing my turkey in salted water at first but I trusted their knowledge and it paid off. My turkey was flavorful, tender yet with a crispy golden skin and most important, it was juicy!
By the way, putting the turkey in a solution of water, pepper and salt is called brining. After testing it myself, I can say that this simple technique makes a huge difference.
So, to make the brine, you'll need 2 quarts of cold water, 1 sliced onion, a bunch of fresh thyme, a pinch of whole black peppers and salt. Put everything into a medium pot and let it boil for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool. In the meantime, clean the turkey and remove the neck and giblets. It's important to keep the neck because you will use it to make the short stock and gravy. As for the giblets, I usually keep them to make a for a Brazilian dish called "Farofa", but you can use the giblets in the stuffing or otherwise, discard them. Using your fingers, carefully loosen the skin from the chest of the turkey. Be careful not to stretch it too much; you don't want it to rip. Rinse the turkey with cold water.
If you have a container that is large and deep enough to fit the turkey, the brine and additional water, use it. If you don't have such utensil, you can use the largest container you have, put the brine mix in and then the turkey with the chest down. Cover with as much cold water and ice cubes as you can and then cover with foil or clinging paper before placing it in the refrigerator. Brine the turkey for at least 10 hours, but no more than 24 hours.
Another great idea in this recipe, that enhances flavor and helps moisten the turkey is the compound butter. Just add salt and ground black pepper to 1/2lb of unsalted butter. Then add 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped thyme and rosemary. Mix everything until you reach a smooth paste.
After the 10 or so hours, get the turkey, drain it and pat it dry with a kitchen cloth. Let the turkey "rest" for about an hour so it can reach room temperature. By doing this, you make sure your turkey is not cold when it gets to the oven. Cold turkey in the oven means more roasting time and more roasting time can affect how moisty your turkey will be. So, let the turkey rest and in the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Next, you'll make the short stock, which is what later will become your delicious gravy! To make the short stock, chop 1 onion, 1 large carrot and place them into a bowl. You can add chopped celery if you want to (since celery is a no-no for my hubby, I leave it out). Set aside. Chop the turkey neck. Be careful when handling the knife and try to cut in between the "joints".
Preheat a large pan on high heat. Once it is sizzling hot, add the oil and half the neck. Let it caramelize. This is what ultimately defines the color and richness of your gravy. If you don't brown it well enough, the gravy will be a pale brown color and have a milder flavor. Add half of the veggies and et it get some color too. Add 1 cup of white wine and "wash" the pan by scraping the bottom with it (this is what they call deglazing in culinary school). Empty the frying pan into the the roasting pan and repeat the whole process with the other half of the ingredients. Making this in small batches prevents the formation of water and will allow the ingredients to caramelize properly. Add the second half to the roasting pan.
Position the V-rack over the caramelized veggies and neck, then cover the rack with foil. Drizzle the foil with olive oil and make a few holes to let the juices from the turkey run through. Hmmm...I'm so ready for Thursday! Set aside and let's get back to the turkey!
Season the turkey with a pinch of salt and pepper, 4-5 cloves of crushed garlic, a few sticks of fresh rosemary leaves, and 2 bay leaves. Insert a bunch of fresh thyme, 1 onion and 2 carrots in the turkey cavity. Rub the outside skin of the turkey with olive oil (this results in that nicely golden color). Don't just drizzle the oil, really rub it so it's evenly coated. Insert 1/3 of the compound butter underdeath the loosened skin of the turkey chest. Next, position the turkey (breast down) onto the v-rack and into the oven for one hour.
Melt the compound butter in the microwave for about 20 seconds. With two dry cloths, flip the turkey so the breast is facing up. You can use the turkey forks, but that will make holes on the turkey and you will loose some precious juices. Quickly brush the turkey breast and legs with more compound butter and return to the oven for another hour.
Then, again, carefully brush the turkey with more compound butter and let it roast for another hour. At the end of this third hour, is time to check if your turkey is ready! Using a thermometer, check the temperature of the inside part of the bird's thigh. It should read 165F to be perfectly cooked. If the temperature is higher than that, it means that the turkey is overcooked. You can also poke a hole on that spot with a wooden skewer, if you don't have a thermometer. If the juices are clear, it's good to go but it comes out pink, then you probably will have to roast it for a little more. In this case, brush it with the remaining compound butter and return the turkey to the oven for about 15-30 minutes.
When you reach the right temperature, cover the turkey with foil while you prepare the gravy. Make sure you poke some holes on the foil and don't put it too tight. You want the steam to escape so you don't loose "crispiness" of the skin.
For the gravy, strain the juices from the roasting pan and skim off the fat with a spoon. Don't throw the fat away, place it in a separate bowl because you will use 3/4 of this fat to make the roux. Pre-heat a sauce pan. Add the fat. When hot, add the 1 cup of all-purpose flour and stir continuously for about 15 minutes. Stirring is important because although you want it brown, you don't want to burn the flour. Add 1/3 of the stock and stir until everything is mixed and smooth. Add the rest of the stock and check the consistency. Cook it until desired consistency, adding more stock for more liquid gravy or letting it simmer for a more thick gravy. Taste it and add black pepper and salt if needed. I always add a bit more of black pepper. Reserve until serving.
Note: This recipe was based on a 15 pound turkey. I adapted and added some stuff to the recipe, but if you want to see the full original recipe and learn more techniques such as "how to carve a turkey", go to Rouxbe Online Cooking School.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving!
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