by Laura Depta
Thanksgiving is about family, gratitude and, of course, food. The centerpiece of any truly authentic Thanksgiving meal is a succulent, flavorful turkey — but preparing the bird takes more than just a pan and an oven. Here is our simple guide to achieving the perfect Thanksgiving turkey in four easy steps.
1. Buy
Before you start shopping for a turkey, consider how many people will be at the table. The average Thanksgiving bird runs about 14 to 16 pounds, but a 12-pounder could work for smaller groups. To guarantee the right size, order the turkey from a market or butcher one to two weeks in advance, and pick it up on Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
When it comes to the turkey itself, fresh is best. Fresh birds are slightly more expensive than frozen ones, but they tend to be juicer.
Sarah Stegner, co-chef and co-owner of the Prairie Grass Café in Northbrook, Illinois, believes in buying only the freshest ingredients and locally whenever possible.
“Look for a bird that’s hormone-free, antibiotic-fee and maybe free range,” Stegner says. “And if you can’t find it from a local source, you can still go and ask for these things from your butcher shop.”
2. Brine
There are different ways to prepare a Thanksgiving turkey for roasting – but the goal always is to make sure the breast meat doesn’t dry out.
“Typically, turkey breast meat is dry because the white meat is done before the dark meat is finished, and so it’s drying out the white meat,” says Diane Morgan, author of “The New Thanksgiving Table” (Chronicle Books, 2009).
Brining, or pre-soaking the turkey in a liquid-salt solution, helps to keep that breast meat moist and the turkey flavorful. According to Morgan, the key to brine is the salt. Salt can have different weights depending on the brand, and following the recipe precisely is critical.
“If you put a half cup of Morton’s iodized salt in a measuring cup and weighed it, it’s heavier than a half cup of Diamond kosher salt because it’s a flakier salt,” Morgan says. “So you’re actually getting a different proportion of salt to water.”
Morgan brines her turkeys in food-safe oven roasting bags and double bags for protection. From here her steps are as follows:
On Tuesday, remove the giblets and neck. Put the turkey inside the bags, pour the wet brine over, tie it up and leave covered in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours.
Wednesday night, take the turkey out of the bags, rinse it off, pat it dry and then leave uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. This will allow the bird to air dry and encourage a crisper skin on the finished product.
If using a kosher turkey, keep in mind that these birds have already been soaked in salt water to meet kosher standards, so brining is not necessary. Also, beware of brining a frozen turkey. Many brands are already brined, so make sure to read the packaging before getting started.
3. Cook
When the turkey is brined and ready to go, it’s time for the oven.
Rick Rodgers, a cooking teacher and author of “Thanksgiving 101” (William Morrow Cookbooks, 2007), uses a standard roasting pan and rack for the turkey, but he does suggest investing in something “heavy duty.”
Before placing the bird in the oven, Rodgers ties the wings down across the breast with a piece of string to hold them in place. He also loosely ties the end of the drumsticks together so the turkey will look compact.
When it comes to the actual roasting, Rodgers says, “I like 325 degrees throughout the entire period [of 3-4 hours]. It helps the turkey from shrinking too much, and you don’t have to worry about it not browning enough.”
Rodgers roasts his turkeys breast-up for the duration but covers the breast with foil to slow down the cooking in that area. With about an hour left, he removes the foil to let the skin brown.
4. Carve
Once the turkey is out of the oven, Drew McLachlan, a chef and director of retail development at 121 Restaurant Group in North Salem, New York, advises letting it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before carving. Use that time to finish prepping your other side dishes, McLachlan adds.
To carve the bird, use a sharp slicing knife with a thin blade. Place the turkey on a large cutting board with a moat – or a dip around the outside – so the excess juices will be retained.
“When it’s time to carve, first remove the legs and thighs in one piece,” says McLachlan. “Then separate the thigh from the drumstick and carve the meat off the thigh if wanted.”
From there, McLachlan’s strategy is to cut down the keel bone – the hard ridge that runs between the breasts at the top of the bird – and remove one side of the breast, and then the other.
Once each breast is removed, slice it into thick cross sections. McLachlan says this encourages the meat to retain more moisture. “The breast slices may be a bit untraditional,” he adds, “But the taste is better!”
At the end of the day, remember that Thanksgiving is more about family than about turkey. Try not to feel too much pressure, and take this advice from Rodgers:
“If you’re a beginning cook, remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Whoever taught you to make a turkey, they did not learn how to make it overnight. You learn as you go along. Take notes.”
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