How To Roast The Perfect Turkey

With holidays around the corner, many people start planning out their Thanksgiving meal. Along with planning comes a little bit of stress and fear about overcooking the turkey while making the sides on time.

I’ll address multi-rack cooking for the sides in a separate article, but for now, I’m going to explain how to roast the perfect bird.

It’s pretty straightforward culinary wise, but it does take some time to get right.

In this article, you will learn step-by-step how to achieve the perfect results for your turkey without the stress or hassle.

How To Roast The Perfect Turkey

Preparing Your Turkey

Let’s start with the prep. If you are lucky enough to get a fresh turkey, then less pre-planning is required.

However, most will be buying frozen turkeys, and if that’s the case, you need to thaw your turkey before you can begin prepping.

Also, make sure your turkey is not pre-seasoned, pre-salted, or self-basting.

Thawing will need to be done for a couple of days, depending on the bird’s size. The average defrosting time in your fridge is about 24 hours for every 5 pounds.

Alternatively, you can also thaw the turkey in a cold water bath, as long as the water is changed every 30 minutes to prevent bacteria from growing.

Lastly, if you have an extra-large capacity steam oven, you can use this to defrost your large turkey in a matter of a couple of hours. If you have a smaller bird, you can use a regular steam oven for defrosting as well.

Once your turkey is completely thawed out, give it a good rinse. Remove all the extras from the cavity like the giblets and neck, then pat it completely dry and prepare it for brining.

How To Brine Your Turkey

Traditionally, there are two ways to brine a turkey, the wet brine or dry brine. I prefer the dry brine, which is essentially pre-salting and seasoning your turkey, but it requires extra time to infuse the herb into the meat.

This is the process of osmosis, where the salt pulls the moisture out of the meat, and then, if it sits long enough, it gets reabsorbed back in, with all the beautiful flavor of the herbs and other aromatics/seasoning.

The longer it sits like this, the better.

The wet brine method uses the same science; however, it’s a lot more involved, requires more fridge space for storage, and gets very messy. Plus, the skin remains wet, which prevents it from getting that beautiful crispy brown color.

For the dry brine, I recommend at least one tablespoon of Kosher salt per every 5-6 lbs of meat, plus a medley of herbs such as sage, rosemary, thyme, and freshly ground pepper.

It’s very important to use Kosher salt over table salt.

Kosher salt is much coarser and can be absorbed slowly into the meat. Table salt is very fine and will end up getting absorbed too quickly. If table salt is all you have, then adjust your quantity accordingly. Think less is more.

You can also add some citrus zest into the brine for a little freshness or save it for the aromatics in the cavity.

Mix everything together and set it aside.

Next, separate the skin from the flesh in the turkey’s breast area and around the legs and thighs.

If you are having a hard time doing this by hand without breaking the skin, try using the handle of a wooden spoon.

Next, take the dry brine mixture and spread it evenly under the breast’s skin and the legs and thighs as best you can.

Afterwards, take the remaining brine mixture and spread it evenly over the rest of the turkey from the bottom to the top and all around.

Make sure to tuck the wings back behind the breast to keep everything neat and tidy.

Most importantly, you should keep your turkey on a rack to prevent the bottom from sitting in any juices or liquid as it brines.

Place the turkey in your fridge, uncovered for at least a day, or up to 3 days for maximum flavor.

Keeping the bird uncovered ensures a nice and crispy skin. This helps to dry it out gradually.

Before Placing Your Turkey In The Oven

On the day you will roast, remove the turkey from the fridge at least 1 hour before it’s going into the oven to take the chill off and get it close to room temperature.

You also want to make sure the oven racks are properly placed, remove the top 2 racks, and place the bottom rack into the lower third of the oven.

Now, preheat your oven to 500 F or 450 F convection roast.

Before you place your turkey in the oven, measure a piece of foil that will fit just over the turkey breast, spray with cooking spray or coat with oil, and set aside.

Meltdown one stick of butter, and fill the cavity with some aromatics. I used half a head of garlic, half an onion, half a lemon, and a whole medley of herbs like parsley, thyme, and rosemary.

Once the butter has melted, use a pastry brush and thoroughly coat the entire outside of the bird evenly.

If you have an oven with a built-in temperature probe, place your temperature probe into the thickest part of the meat in the breast area, then plug it into your oven and program the probe to 165 F.

Don’t forget to truss the turkey. Use kitchen twine, and tie the legs together.

Use a pan with a roasting rack or wire rack instead of a deep roasting pan. This will allow more air to circulate the turkey, cooking the bottom more evenly and quickly.

Now place your turkey in the oven at the high temperature (500 F/Convection Roast 450 F) setting for 30 minutes to “sear” the outside and lock in the juices.

After 30 minutes, drop the temperature to convection roast 325 F or 350 F, and place the foil tent on top of the breast.

Allow the turkey to finish roasting low and slow at this temperature for another couple of hours.

The approximate cook time is around 10-15 minutes for every pound of meat.

Key Takeaways

Roasting the perfect Thanksgiving turkey shouldn’t be stressful or difficult.

If you prepare ahead of time and follow the steps, it will come together very easily.

Sourcing a good locally raised turkey will also ensure you have the best flavor.

This usually has to be pre-ordered from a special farm or your CSA. Make sure you have plenty of herbs, salt, fresh ground pepper, and those aromatics!

Once the turkey is cooking in the oven, it’s time to focus on the rest of the meal!

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Is it better to roast a turkey covered or uncovered?

The first 30 minutes at 500 F/convection roast 450 F should be uncovered, then drop the temp to 350 F/convection roast 325 F with the breast only covered

2. How do I keep my turkey moist?

The brining will help keep your turkey moist. Also, searing it at the beginning will help lock all the moisture in.

3. How do you cook a turkey without drying it out?

Brining is the best method, also using a probe will ensure that your turkey cooks to temperature instead of having it overcook and dry out.

4. Should I roast my turkey at 325 or 350?

Start at 500 F/convection roast 450F, then drop to 350 F/convection roast 325 F

5. How long do I cook a turkey per pound?

Approximately 10-15 minutes per pound, if the turkey has been brined, it cooks a little faster. I always recommend using a probe.

6. Should I put butter or oil on my turkey?

I prefer butter for flavor, but if you need it to be dairy-free, go with a neutral oil like canola or vegetable.

7. Why is my turkey always dry?

It’s very lean meat, with little fat. If it’s overcooked, it will dry out very easily.

8. Should I put water in the bottom of my turkey roasting pan?

No, this will create steam and will prevent it from getting crispy skin.

Grilled Fish Tacos topped with a Charred Corn and Red Pepper Salsa

 

1 lb cod fillet
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbl olive oil
canola oil for pan
Charred corn and Red Pepper Salsa
1 tbl canola or vegetable oil
1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
1 whole red pepper, minced small
1 jalapeno, minced small
1 shallot, minced
juice of half of lime 
1 tbl minced cilantro

Garnish
minced Cilantro
lime wedges
sliced avocado
Corn tortillas

Directions:

Slice the cod fillet into small 2 inch pieces, coat with olive oil, spices, salt and pepper.  Allow the flavors to marinate in the fridge for around 20 minutes, but not much longer than that.
While the fish marinates, assemble to corn and pepper salsa.  Heat a medium cast iron or heavy skillet to medium high temperature.  Place canola or vegetable oil in the pan, once it shimmers, add the corn, and allow it to char in the pan for 5-8 minutes.  Now add in the shallots, red pepper, jalapeno, and sautee for a couple of minutes.  Once the vegetable have softened slightly, remove the pan from the heat, add the lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper.  Set aside.

Pre heat a grill pan, and coat lightly with canola or vegetable oil.  Grill the fisj fillets, use a fish spatula to flip them, they will be delicate and trick to flip otherwise.  While the fish is grilling, heat up the tortillas on the open gas burner or in the cast iron pan.
Now assemble, in the tortillas, place a couple pieces of fish, charred corn and red pepper salsa, sliced avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.  Enjoy!

Festive Flatbread

Festive Flatbread

Large store bought flatbread base or Naan 1 cup lightly packed baby kale/baby spinach 1 cup roasted butternut squash cubes 1 cup shredded Fontina 1/3 cup shredded brussel sprouts 2 tbl Pancetta, crisped Sliced red onion (optional) 2 tbl pomegranate seeds 1-2 tbl olive oil 1-2 tbl grated Parmesan Drizzle of pomegranate molasses

Preheat your oven on the “Stone” setting or Bake at 450 F with a pizza stone or inverted sheet tray on the bottom rack for at least 30 minutes.

Set your flatbread base on your pizza peel.  In a small bowl toss the greens and Brussel sprouts with a light drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Spread evenly on the flatbread.  Next sprinkle the Fontina cheese all over.  Now dot the butternut squash all around, followed by the rest of the ingredients, with the exception of the pomegranates and pomegranate molasses. 

Transfer to the oven by sliding the flatbread off the pizza peal and onto the hot pizza stone/inverted sheet tray.  Cook the flatbread for 8 minutes until the cheese melts and the crust is nice and crispy all around.  Use the pizza peel to remove the flatbread from the oven.  Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and drizzle with pomegranate molasses, cut and serve!

Lime Custard Tartlets

Lime Custard Tartlets

Tartlets                       1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)            1/2 cup fresh lime juice, plus zest from two limes            2 Tbsp. powdered sugar            4 egg yolks   1 tsp vanilla bean paste           2-3 packages frozen store bought mini phyllo tart shells                    Whipped Cream          2 cups cold heavy cream          1 tsp vanilla bean paste          2 tbl powdered sugar

Candied Lime (optional)                         1-2 limes, sliced into thin rounds            1 cup sugar            1 cup water            ¼ cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to convection 350 F degrees.

For Garnish (can be made ahead of time):

Combine water & 1 cup sugar in a small pan. Bring to a simmer & add lime slices. Simmer for 20 min.

Drain & spread out on a rack to dry for at least 1 hour

Put ¼ cup sugar in shallow bowl or tray. Once the limes are dry, coat both sides of the lime slices with the granulated sugar and place back on the rack. Cut the rounds into desired size for garnish (I usually quarter them)

For whipped cream

Chill the bowl and whisk attachment of your stand mixer.  Once chilled transfer the cold heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla bean paste into the bowl and whisk on high speed until soft peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag with star tip, and chill

For tartlets:

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, sugar, vanilla bean paste and lime zest until smooth and blended.

Scoop the batter generously into the mini phyllo tarts. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until custard has set. Remove and let cool to room temperature.

Lastly top with whipped cream and candied lime quarters. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Bread Pudding

As seen on The Hub Today, NBC, Boston: 

1 loaf crusty (day old) Italian bread, cut into crouton sized pieces 1 medium butternut squash, cubed into 1” pieces 5 oz Baby Spinach 1-2 tbl olive oil 4 cups whole milk 2 cups heavy cream 4 eggs 4 Cups of shredded cheese (I used Fontina, Pecorino, Mozzarella, and Parmesan) 1-2 tbl fresh sage, minced Pinch of nutmeg Salt and pepper

Ramekins or casserole dish Nonstick cooking spray Freshly grated Grana Padano

Set the oven to 375 F on convection mode and spray the ramekins/casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside on a sheet tray.

Toss the butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread flat on a parchment lined sheet tray. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25 minutes or until nicely caramelized. 

While the squash is roasting, prepare the custard base.  In a large bowl, combine the milk, cream, eggs, and spices, whisk together.  Add the cubed bread and set aside.  Allow the bread to absorb as much of the custard as possible.

Bring a saute pan to a medium high temperature, and 1 tbl olive oil.  Once the oil is glistening, add the spinach plus a little salt and pepper.   The spinach will wilt quickly, remove it from the heat and set aside.  

Once the butternut squash has been removed from the oven and cooled slightly, add to the bowl with the bread and custard along with the spinach and sage.  

Lastly, add the cheese and mix all the way through. 

Transfer the bread pudding to the ramekins or casserole dish and transfer to the oven on the sheet tray (to catch any spillover).  The ramekins will cook in 25 minutes, the casserole dish will take around 45-50 minutes.  Remove from the oven and grate fresh Grana Padano cheese on top. Allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.  ENJOY!

Gingerbread Spiced Egg Nog

2 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 cinnamon stick Pinch of Kosher salt 6-8 egg yolks (more or less depending on how rich you would like it) ½ cup sugar ¼ tsp ground cloves ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp vanilla bean paste 1 tbl dark molasses 1 ½ oz Rum Chata (Optional) ½ oz Ginger Brandy (Optional)

Fresh made whipped cream (for Garnish) Gingerbread cookies (for Garnish)

Combine the milk, cream, and cinnamon stick into a saucepan and bring to just under a boil.  While that comes to temperature combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk until you achieve a pale yellow color and the sugar has dissolved. 

Once the milk/cream mixture heats up, add the spices, vanilla, salt, and molasses, mix through.

Now temper the eggs by slowly ladling the milk/cream mixture into the sugar/egg yolk mixture by whisking vigorously and pouring slowly. This step will prevent the eggs from scrambling.

Next transfer the mixture back into the saucepan, and bring the temperature up to 170 F whisking periodically through the process.  A digital or candy thermometer comes in handy for this step.  Now remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl.  Chill and serve with fresh whipped cream and gingerbread cookies.  Happy Holidays!

Ahi Tuna Poke Wonton Cups

Tuna Poke 1LB large sashimi grade Ahi tuna steaks cut into 1/2 “cubes (Whole Foods sells this frozen) 1 shallot, sliced (rinsed in cold water) 1/2 cup chopped green onion 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp rice vinegar 1 tsp Sambal (chili garlic sauce) 1 tbl toasted sesame seeds 1 tbl black sesame (for garnish) 1-2 tbl chives (for garnish Wonton Cups Nonstick Cooking Spray Wonton Wrappers Sea Salt Mini Muffin Pan

Directions:

Pull the tuna from the freezer and allow to thaw slightly on the counter top.

Preheat the oven to Convection 375 degrees F. Spray 2 mini-muffin tins with cooking spray.

Place each wrapper into a section of a mini-muffin tin. Press each wrapper into the tin and arrange so that it forms a cup shape, gently so the wrapper does not rip. The wrapper will overlap and stick up out of the cup. Spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and bake for 6-8 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove from the tin and allow wrappers to cool.

Tuna Poke:

In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sambal, whisk to combine, then fold in shallots, green onion, and toasted sesame seeds. Season with salt to taste.  

When the tuna has thawed a bit, but is still firm, cut into (1/2”)cubes. This texture makes it easier to cut. Now transfer to the bowl with the dressing. Toss together and season to taste.  Use immediately or cover and chill. 

Fill the wonton cups with 1-2 tbl of tuna poke, garnish with black sesame seeds and chives.  Enjoy!

Lamb Meatballs with *Greek Goddess Dip

Preheat oven to Convection 350 F

For the Dip:

Place all the herbs plus garlic, scallions, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple of times until finely chopped. 

While the motor is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.  Next add the feta and pulse until well combined.  Now add in the yogurt until you achieve a nice smooth consistency.  Add the lemon juice and season with more salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

For the Meatballs:

Line a half sheet pan with a silpat or parchment paper. 

Heat your small skillet to a medium temperature, and add the olive oil.  Once the oil is hot add the onions, spices (oregano, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon).  While the spices bloom and the onions sweat, place the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl (ground lamb, egg, panko bread crumbs, salt, pepper).  Once the onions have softened and spices have melded, add to the bowl.  Using your hands, mix all the ingredients thoroughly. 

Using a cookie scooper or a spoon, portion out 24 meatballs and place them on the lined sheet pan.  Transfer to the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes.  Alternatively you could sear/brown the meatballs in a large skillet on the stove top. 

Once the meatballs are cooked through, transfer them to a platter and serve with chilled Greek Goddess Dip.  Enjoy!

 *Adapted from NY Times recipe