Roasted Turkey

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Introduction

This roasted turkey recipe is great for a Thanksgiving turkey or a delicious family dinner any time of the year.

Roasted Turkey

Roasting a turkey is a great way to make sure your Thanksgiving meal is delicious, but it’s also one of the most intimidating things you’ll ever do. Here’s how to get started:

• Preparing the bird. Start by removing any packaging and plastic from your bird; make sure its skin is dry, then pat it down with paper towels until all moisture has been removed. If possible, cook at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes before proceeding with other steps in this process; if not, heat as directed below.
• Stuffing and roasting: Using an injector or syringe (not a needle!), inject flavor into each cavity—if there are two cavities per side, stuff each one separately so that when you’re done stuffing them together later on in cooking time they’ll be evenly cooked through! Make sure not only that there isn’t too much liquid inside but also that there aren’t any air pockets between ingredients like breadcrumbs or rice flour—this can lead directly into overcooked meat when roast reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (75 degrees Celsius). Add spices such as sage if desired prior to closing up opening above breastbone area where wing meets body; alternatively just omit seasonings altogether because these tend not interfere with taste too much anyway! Once finished injecting poultry mix up some melted butter/gravy mixture over entire surface area before placing whole thing under oven broiler set at high setting for 20 minutes total until golden brown exterior turns crisp brown color (use toothpick test here).

This recipe is great for a Thanksgiving turkey or a delicious family dinner any time of the year.

Roasted turkey is the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. It’s easy to make, it tastes great and you can use any leftover meat from other dishes to make it even better!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• One whole (or two small) Turkeys
• 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of turkey
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil per pound of turkey (or as much as will fit in the pan)

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients

• 1 pound of turkey breast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste (optional)
• 1 teaspoon pepper, or more to taste (optional)
• ½ cup water * If you have time, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

1 (12-pound) fresh turkey, neck and giblets reserved

• 1 (12-pound) fresh turkey, neck and giblets reserved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme or oregano leaves, crushed in a mortar and pestle with a little bit of water (optional)

2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

The first thing to do is season your turkey with 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning. This will help draw out moisture and make sure that the bird is fully covered in salt. You don’t have to use all of it—just enough so that when you rub it into your turkey skin and meat, it will be evenly distributed throughout the bird.

Kosher salt is coarser than regular table salt, which can be difficult for some people who are used to using finer granules (like me). If your family enjoys eating things like pickles or olives on their sandwiches instead of just lettuce leaves with mayo spread inside them then this might not work well for them since we’re talking about adding something like 1/4 cup total per pound of meat here! But if none of those things sound appealing then go ahead and add some more kosher salt anyway because its great quality makes up for any difference between how they taste when compared with regular table salt.”

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

• To grind pepper: Use a small amount of the peppercorns that you have and give them a rough chop. Place in a spice mill or mortar and pestle, then crush into smaller pieces with your fingers or the back of a spoon until it resembles coarse sand. This will help evenly distribute the spices on your turkey breast.* How much pepper to use: For 12 pounds (5kg) of turkey breast, use about 1 teaspoon per pound (450g). If you want more flavor than just this amount but less than what you would get from using French-style green peppercorns (which are also known as “black” or “horse”), then use half as much—or even less if desired!

3 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered (12 quarters)

• Peel and quarter the onions.
• Place the quartered onions in a roasting pan with the turkey.

3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (6 ounces)

3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (6 ounces)

• Use a sharp knife to cut the carrots into 2-inch pieces. Don’t use a vegetable peeler—the skin will get stuck in your food processor and make it hard to get out again.

6 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces (8 ounces)

Roasted turkey should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, which is the temperature that it will be safe to eat. To ensure you are cooking your turkey properly and safely, use a digital thermometer to monitor the temperature of your bird throughout cooking. If you don’t have one, use these guidelines:

• Insert thermometer into thickest part of breast or thigh (you may be able to insert it into the meatiest part without piercing through).
• Leave oven door slightly open so that steam can escape from beneath bird and help keep it moist as it cooks.

1 lemon, quartered lengthwise

• Pre-heat your oven to 450°F.
• To make the brine, combine salt and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the salt has dissolved, then remove from heat and set aside until cool. Place turkey in a large bowl with lemon halves, beer or water (or combination thereof), thyme sprigs and sage leaves; mix gently but thoroughly so that all pieces are coated with brine mixture.* Set aside to marinate while you prepare other ingredients for roasting.*

1 bunch fresh thyme (about 0.5 ounce), divided into sprigs

1 bunch fresh thyme (about 0.5 ounce), divided into sprigs

Thyme is a perennial herb with gray-green leaves and a woody stem. It’s used to flavor many dishes, including soups, stews and salads. Thyme also has medicinal properties that can help improve digestion and lower cholesterol levels in the body. The flavonoids in thyme may also help protect against heart disease by reducing inflammation from atherosclerotic plaques on artery walls

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (32 fluid ounces), preferably homemade

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place a roasting rack in your pan.
• Carefully remove the giblets from inside your turkey, making sure that you don’t cut through any of them (this will cause them to leak). Save these for another use!
• Pour 2 cups of water into a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat; add salt and pepper to taste if desired (I like this step because it helps season my pan drippings as well). Bring this mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half or until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes total cooking time depending on how much liquid has evaporated off when cooked down completely—this is where you’ll want some additional moisture added later on if needed so don’t overcook it!

PREPARATION

• First, remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. Rinse the bird under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Set your roasting pan on a burner over medium-high heat so that you can add enough oil to coat your turkey once it’s in there. Brush it all over with oil, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper (1 tsp each).
• Add 4 cups of water to a pot on top of your stovetop burner or in a saucepan on its own burner; bring this up to a boil while you work on step 2 below!

Conclusion

Roasting a turkey is an easy and delicious way to prepare a whole turkey for your family. With only a few ingredients, you can make this dish with little fuss! Once your turkey has been roasted, there’s no need to defrost it before cooking because the meat will be ultra-tender. Frozen chopped apple chunks, cranberries or raisins give this recipe its unique flavor while providing extra fiber and antioxidants which will help keep your digestive system healthy.