Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey

Name: Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey
Prep time: 21 h 30 min
Cook time: 21 h 30 min
Total time: 21 h 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 710 milliliters apple cider; 5 whole bay leaves; 473 milliliters packed brown sugar; 2 sticks butter, softened; 3 Tbsps chopped fresh rosemary; 5 cloves garlic, minced; 177 milliliters kosher salt; 2 Tbsps orange zest, julienned; 1 large Peel of oranges, cut into large strips; 3 Tbsps tricolor peppercorns; 4 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped off; 1 whole fresh turkey or frozen turkey that has not been injected with sodium solution (I use a 20-pound turkey); 2 gallons cold water

Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey is a gluten free main course. This recipe serves 12. One portion of this dish contains approximately 48g of protein, 28g of fat, and a total of 633 calories. This recipe covers 27% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. It will be a hit at your Thanksgiving event. If you have rosemary, bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, and a few other ingredients on hand, you can make it. To use up the brown sugar you could follow this main course with the Brown-sugar Pound Cupcakes With Brown-butter Glaze as a dessert.

Instructions

Watch how to make this recipe.

Special equipment: brining bag or very large pot

Equipment you will use

Pot

Remove the turkey from its packaging and remove the bags inside that hold the neck and giblets. Rinse them and put them in a plastic bag in the fridge; you'll need them for the gravy. Rinse the turkey thoroughly with cold water.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Gravy

Water

Equipment you will use

Ziploc Bags

Place the turkey into a large brining bag or pot.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Equipment you will use

Pot

Pour in My Favorite Turkey Brine and place in the fridge for 16 to 18 hours so the brine can work its magic.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Brine

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Equipment you will use

Oven

After the turkey has brined, remove it from the brining bag and rinse the turkey thoroughly again inside and out. Soak the turkey in cold water for 15 minutes, and then rinse again and pat dry.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Water

Truss the bird or tuck the legs and wings however you like. Then place the bird, breast-side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Cover the whole pan, tenting the bird, with heavy-duty foil so that it's well sealed.

Ingredients you will need

Chicken Wings

Equipment you will use

Roasting Pan

Aluminum Foil

Place in the oven and roast the turkey for about 10 minutes per pound. (So for a 20-pound turkey, roast it at 275 degrees for about 3 1/2 hours. For a 15-pound turkey, roast it for 2 1/2 hours.) Note: there will still be more cooking time after this, but it'll be at a different temperature.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Equipment you will use

Oven

When it's time to remove the turkey from the oven, mix together the butter, rosemary and orange peel strips.

Ingredients you will need

Orange Zest

Rosemary

Butter

Whole Turkey

Equipment you will use

Oven

Remove the turkey from the oven and increase the temperature to 375 degrees F.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Equipment you will use

Oven

Remove the foil and set aside. (Put stuffing in the bird if you wish at this point.) Rub the butter mixture all over the skin of the turkey, getting in the crevices. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh, near the hip joint.

Ingredients you will need

Stuffing

Butter

Whole Turkey

Meat

Dry Seasoning Rub

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Thermometer

Aluminum Foil

Place the turkey, uncovered, back into the oven. Continue roasting the turkey, basting/brushing with the juices in the pan every 30 minutes until the thermometer registers 165 degrees F and until the juices are no longer pink. This could take another 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the bird.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Thermometer

Oven

Frying Pan

Remove from the oven and cover lightly with foil until you are ready to carve.

Equipment you will use

Aluminum Foil

Oven

Combine the water, cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, orange strips and rosemary leaves in a large pot. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, and then turn off the heat and cover. Allow to cool completely, and then place into the fridge to chill.

Ingredients you will need

Rosemary

Brown Sugar