Perfectly Juicy Thanksgiving Roast Turkey
We need to admit, that Thanksgiving is all about the turkey. We can have a dozen of amazing dishes on the table, but they will be just a background for this masterpiece. I think that’s fine, as long as you can cook you turkey to perfection. That means golden and crispy skin, and tender, juicy meat. And that’s where the most problems start. Somehow the process of cooking turkey can scare the bejesus out of people. Well, I kinda get it because you have only one turkey on the table (most of the time), so the stakes are pretty high. You have a single try, and if you missed your chance, you’d have to wait the whole year to prove you can do better. That’s why I want to save your time, nerves, and effort. I’m presenting you my Perfectly Juicy Thanksgiving Roast Turkey recipe! I promise, it will make you a superstar among your friends and family.
The night before Thanksgiving I suggest you either brine your turkey or rub it with 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt mixed with 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh sage. Cover it with plastic wrap and leave in a refrigerator to absorb the salt and soak the herb flavor. About 1 1/2 hours before roasting remove the bird from the fridge, let it reach room temperature. Because of this small trick, the meat will be cooked more evenly. I had a relatively small bird – a little less than 8 lb. So, it took me 2 hours 40 minutes to cook it.
TIP: Roasting time for turkey – 20 minutes per pound in a 350 degree F oven for a defrosted turkey and 10 to 15 minutes per pound for fresh.
I know, I said that turkey the most important part, but you’ll have to remember about the right starter and complimentary sides. For the appetizer, I served Pear Goat Cheese Volovans, lightly drizzled with honey. Those tiny bites were a huge success. For the main part, I choose three good old Thanksgiving classics: creamy mashed potato topped with crispy onion, fried cauliflower with roasted almonds, and butter green beans.
As for the cranberry sauce, I cooked mine from fresh berries with orange zest strips and cinnamon stick.
Oh, I almost forget about dessert! This year I went crazy over the chocolate and baked something very cool: Pear Chocolate Cake and Easy Chocolate Tart.
If you’re looking for Thanksgiving decor inspiration check this post from my beloved LatteJournal.
Happy Thanksgiving guys! Hope my post was helpful and brought you a bit of inspiration!
Ingredients
- turkey - brined, or rubbed with salt and herbs (room temperature)
- chicken broth - 2 cups
- water - 2 cups
- oranges - 2-3
- sage - small bunch
- butter - 1 stick, softened
- orange zest - 1 tablespoon
- salt - 1 teaspoon
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pat the turkey dry and place it on a roasting rack, breast side up.
- Stuff the cavity with the bunch of sage and quartered oranges
- Cross the legs and tie them together with kitchen twine.
- In a big roasting pan combine the water and chicken broth.
- Transfer the roasting rack with the turkey onto the roasting pan.
- Cover the bird with foil, and place into the oven.
- In a small bowl mix the butter, orange zest, and salt.
- After 1 hour of roasting brush the turkey with 2/3 of butter mixture. Cover with foil and cook for another 40 minutes.
- Then uncover the turkey bush with the rest of butter mixture, and roast uncovered for 1 hour.
- Every 25-30 minutes brush the turkey with its own juice.
- Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.
