HACKED RECIPE
Basic Roasted Turkey - high heat - no baste Recipe
By callmechow
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Hacked from
Basic Roasted Turkey
Difficulty: Easy |
Total Time:
50 mins, plus overnight dry brining time, 3 hrs roasting time, and 30 mins resting time
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Makes:
6 to 8 servings
When it comes to turkey recipes, intricate techniques and exotic ingredients can just add to an already chaotic Thanksgiving Day. Make your life easier with a straightforward cooking method and only a few flavorful ingredients. Just because it’s basic doesn’t mean it won’t be delicious.
Special equipment: For this recipe you will need a large roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack, a brush or turkey baster, and a meat thermometer.
Game plan: Make sure your turkey is fully defrosted. If you bought a frozen bird, you’ll need to put it in the fridge 3 to 4 days ahead to thaw.
This dish was featured as part of our Thanksgiving for Beginners menu.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (12- to 15-pound) natural turkey
- Salt
- Vegetable oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 onion, quartered
- 1 celery stick, cut into 3 pieces
INSTRUCTIONS
- The night before you roast the turkey, remove the contents from the cavity. Discard the giblets (heart, liver, and gizzard) and reserve the neck. Rub the turkey all over with several generous pinches of salt, including a few under the skin covering the breast. Place the turkey in a dish or on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the next day.
- Heat the oven to 450°F and place a rack in the lower third.
- Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels and tuck the wing tips back and underneath. Rub a generous amount of vegetable oil inside the cavity and all over the outside. Season well with salt and pepper, including inside the cavity and under the skin.
- Break the butter into little chunks and place them under the skin covering the breast. Put the lemon, onion, and celery inside the cavity.
- Roast for 15-20 minutes at 450°F then lower heat to 350°F
Place the turkey, breast down, on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan and put the reserved neck in the bottom of the pan. Roast for 45 minutes. - After 45 minutes, flip the turkey onto its back, and cover with aluminum foil and roast for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- When a meat thermometer inserted into the inner thigh registers 170°F and the juices run clear, remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest 20 to 30 minutes before carving. (If you’re planning on making your own gravy, be sure to reserve the vegetables from inside the bird’s cavity.)
Member recipes are not tested by the CHOW food team.
