Herb Roasted Turkey
Equipment
- roasting pan
- baster
- oven thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 turkey
- 4 quarts water
- 1 cup kosher salt (5% salt by weight)
- Bay leaves, peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp fresh sage
- 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
- 2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley
- 1 stick butter
- Salt and pepper
- Turkey stock (for basting)
- 4 cups chicken stock w/ herb sprigs
Instructions
- Dissolve salt in 1 quart of warm water. Let it cool and pour over turkey.
- Pour the rest of the water over turkey.
- Add aromatics and submerge turkey in brine for 24 hours.
- Remove turkey from brine, rinse in cool water, and pat dry. Air dry in refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Process herbs and butter until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Rub herb butter between the skin of the turkey and the meat and inside the cavity.
- Rub outside of skin with butter.
- Stuff turkey and truss. Place on roasting rack over chicken stock in roasting pan.
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Roast until golden brown.
- Turn oven down to 350 F.
- Baste with warm turkey stock (turkey neck and giblets, onion, carrot, celery, herb sprigs, pepper, salt) every 15 min.
- Roast until a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone reads at 160 F (~2.5 hrs).
- Let turkey rest for 20 minutes.
Notes
If the pan dries out, add more chicken stock. If the skin browns too quickly, cover with foil and/or pivot.
Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 cup turkey drippings
- Flour
- 1/4 cup fat
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 to 2 cups broth
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In the 20 minutes the turkey is resting, add a cup of broth to the pan to get all the drippings and set in a bowl to separate the drippings and the fat.
- Warm fat in a pan. Add the flour to form a thin paste. Cook until bubbly.
- Add in drippings and whisk with roux to form a thick paste.
- Add broth and whisk.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
If less than 1/4 cup, add butter. If more, remove some fat.
For a smooth gravy, strain drippings before adding.