Turkey for Thanksgiving

4h 30m
Serves 1
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Directions

  1. 1Chop celery.
  2. 2Brine the turkey overnight in apple cider, salt, oranges, rosemary, peppercorns, bay leaves, brown sugar, and crushed garlic.
  3. 3Bring the brine mixture to a boil until everything melts.
  4. 4Add about 12 cups of ice water to cool the brine down immediately.
  5. 5Pour the cooled brine and turkey into a big pot or an oven bag and let it rest in the fridge overnight.
  6. 6Discard the brine and remove the turkey from the fridge about two hours before cooking to come to room temperature.
  7. 7Prepare the compound butter by adding fresh rosemary and thyme to softened butter.
  8. 8Grate in two large cloves of garlic into the butter.
  9. 9Add onion powder, garlic powder, Tony's seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper to the butter mixture.
  10. 10Mix all ingredients to form the compound butter.
  11. 11Pat the turkey completely dry with paper towels.
  12. 12Lift the skin of the breast up and loosen it before applying the butter.
  13. 13Shove the compound butter underneath the skin of the turkey breast.
  14. 14Rub the compound butter all over the surface of the turkey, including the backside and inside the cavity.
  15. 15Transfer the buttered turkey to a baking dish.
  16. 16Chop carrots, celery, onion, and garlic for the base of the baking dish.
  17. 17Season the vegetables with oil, salt, and pepper.
  18. 18Melt one more stick of butter for injection.
  19. 19Inject the melted butter into various parts of the turkey.
  20. 20Stuff the cavity of the turkey with citrus, garlic, and herbs (rosemary and thyme).
  21. 21Tie the legs of the turkey up and tuck the wings underneath to prevent burning.
  22. 22Stick a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, making sure not to touch any bone.
  23. 23Add some broth to the bottom of the baking dish.
  24. 24Add a little bit of oil to the turkey.
  25. 25Pop the turkey in the oven at 350°F.
  26. 26Bake the turkey 13 to 15 minutes per pound, basting and re-injecting with its juices every 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  27. 27Pull the turkey from the oven and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
  28. 28Carve the turkey.
  29. 29Pour gravy made from turkey drippings over the carved turkey.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups apple cider
  • 12 cups water
  • 2 large oranges
  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 2 Tbsp peppercorns
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1.5 cup brown sugar
  • 1.5 cup coarse salt
  • 13 lb turkey
  • 3 sticks unsalted butter softened
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • 2 garlic cloves grated
  • 1 Tbsp Tony's or Creole seasoning
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 onions
  • 4 carrots
  • 4 celery stalks
  • 1 head of garlic
  • olive oil
  • broth

Equipment

knifecutting boardlarge potmeasuring cuproasting panoven baggratermeat injectorkitchen twinemeat thermometer

Tips

  • Pat your turkey completely dry or the butter will not stick.
  • Don't be intimidated by injecting the turkey, just follow the three B's: brine, butter, BBL (Brine, Butter, Baste/Bake/BBL).
  • Let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes after baking to lock in juices.