Hi, Trudy here and I want to tell you that last year the turkey was a total disaster. I tried some trendy new recipe and it took forever (I forgot to thaw the frozen bird... Anyway...We didn't eat until 7 pm so, this year I even though I love the trends I am sticking with a Martha Stewart Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe! After all Martha reminds us that the turkey takes the center stage. and if you want to soak your bird in her suggested brine you have to start NOW! A full 24 hours of brining results in wonderfully juicy and flavorful turkey. The turkey skin turns out crispy and deep golden-brown thanks to the butter-soaked cheesecloth that covers the breast during the first half of roasting time.
Martha believes in the brine so brine your turkey for 24 hours, so leave plenty of time for this recipe. If you don't brine yours, skip steps 1 and 2. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends cooking the turkey until the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees. For a moister bird, we cooked ours to 165 degrees; it will continue to cook outside the oven as it rests.
Ingredients
• 3 cups coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
• 5 cups sugar
• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 medium leeks, white and pale-green parts only, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns, plus freshly ground pepper
• 1 fresh whole turkey (18 to 20 pounds), rinsed and patted dry, giblets and neck reserved for gravy
Directions
1. Put salt, sugar, onions, leeks, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and 10 cups water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat; let brine cool completely.
2. Add turkey, breast first, to the brine. Cover; refrigerate 24 hours. Remove from brine; pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Stir together melted butter and wine in a medium bowl. Fold a very large piece of cheesecloth into quarters so that it is large enough to cover breast and halfway down sides of turkey. Immerse cloth in butter mixture; let soak.
4. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan. Fold wing tips under turkey. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Loosely fill body and neck cavities with stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Fold neck flap under; secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey all over with softened butter; season with salt and pepper.
5. Remove cheesecloth from butter mixture, squeezing gently into bowl. Reserve butter mixture for brushing. Lay cheesecloth over turkey. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Roast 30 minutes. Brush cheesecloth and exposed turkey with butter mixture. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Roast, brushing every 30 minutes, 2 1/2 hours more; cover with foil if browning too quickly. If making gravy, add giblets and neck to pan 1 1/2 hours after reducing temperature; roast 30 minutes, and reserve.
6. Discard cheesecloth; rotate pan. Baste turkey with pan juices. Roast, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees and stuffing reaches 165 degrees, about 1 hour. Transfer to a platter. Set pan with drippings aside for gravy. Let turkey stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes. Garnish, if desired.
Add giblets and neck to the pan with the turkey one and a half hours after the oven temperature is reduced to 350 degrees in step 5 of the Perfect Roast Turkey recipe.
Read more at Marthastewart.com: Perfect Roast Turkey - Martha Stewart Recipes
Martha's Perfect Gravy
Makes about 4 cups
• Giblets and neck from Perfect Roast Turkey
• 5 whole black peppercorns
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 fresh or dried bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 leek, white and pale-green parts only, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup dry white wine or turkey stock
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
1. Trim fat and membranes from giblets. Rinse giblets; pat dry. Add giblets and neck to pan with turkey. Roast until browned, about 30 minutes. Set aside.
2. Make a bouquet garni: Tie peppercorns, thyme, parsley, rosemary, and bay leaf in a square of cheesecloth. Set aside.
3. Make the stock: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add vegetables. Cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 7 to 10 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to medium; add giblets, neck, bouquet garni, and 1 quart water. Cover, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, uncovered, until reduced to about 3 cups, 50 to 60 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a clean medium saucepan. Keep stock warm over medium-low heat. Roughly chop giblets; shred meat from neck with a fork. Set aside. Discard other solids.
5. Transfer turkey to a large platter. Reserve 3 tablespoons drippings from pan. Pour remaining drippings into a gravy separator; let stand until separated, about 10 minutes. Discard fat.
6. Deglaze roasting pan: Place roasting pan over 2 burners. Add wine; bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits on bottom of pan. Reserve deglazed liquid.
7. Make the gravy: Put the reserved 3 tablespoons pan drippings from turkey in a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat until hot. Add the flour, whisking vigorously to combine. Cook, whisking constantly, until fragrant and deep golden brown, about 9 minutes. Whisking vigorously, slowly add hot stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
8. Stir in reserved deglazed liquid and separ
Happy Thanksgiving