Picture Perfect Holiday Roast Turkey
This year serve up a beautiful, perfectly roasted, juicy turkey for the holidays. It's easier than you can imagine to cook up a Norman Rockwell picture worthy holiday bird using this easy method.
Equipment
- cheese cloth
- roasting rack
- large roasting pan
Ingredients
- 20 lb turkey
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 1 medium onion, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 6 stalks celery, cut into chunks
- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 6 stems thyme
- 1 stick butter
- cheesecloth
Instructions
The night before:
- Remove thawed turkey from the fridge.
- Remove turkey from plastic packaging and remove neck and giblets from the inside cavity of the bird. Set aside.
- Rinse turkey under cold running water in the sink.
- Pat dry with paper towels.
- Season the entire bird with Kosher salt, both the inside cavity and the outside of the bird.
- Place the salted turkey in roasting pan.
- Tie legs together with twine, tuck wings underneath the bird and pull skin down over neck opening.
- Cover pan with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
The day of:
- Remove turkey from the fridge and set it on the counter for 1½ hours to allow it to come to room temperature.
- In a large saucepan heat chicken broth, onion, garlic, thyme, and butter. Bring mixture to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow mixture to come to room temperature.
- Place oven rack at lowest setting in the oven and preheat to 425℉.
- Remove plastic wrap from turkey and drain off any excess liquid that has accumulated in the bottom of the pan, and discard.
- Place a roasting rack in the bottom of a large roasting pan.
- Place carrots and celery in the roasting pan and place the turkey on top.
- Season turkey liberally with pepper.
- Dip cheese cloth in cooled basting liquid until fully saturated.
- Drape cheesecloth over the entire bird tucking it in along the legs and down the sides of the bird.
- Pour the remaining liquid over the cheesecloth on the bird.
- Place the turkey in the oven and cook for 45 minutes at 425°.
- Reduce heat to 375℉, and continue to cook bird until it reaches an internal temperature of 165° F when pierced at the breast.
- Roast bird for approximately 15 minutes for each pound, about an hour for every 4 lbs.
- Remove cheese cloth during the last 10 minutes of cook time to brown the skin.
- Remove bird from the oven and tent loosely with a lenght of aluminum foil. Allow bird to rest for 45 minutes before carving.