Let’s talk turkey
since the turkey won’t offer much flavor of its own.
Heritage: Heritage turkeys are old-fashioned varieties of birds that were once common in the United States. They have a richer, more distinct flavor, more like a game bird, and have a greater proportion of dark meat. Breeds include Narragansett, Jersey Buff, Standard Bronze, Bourbon Red and White Holland.
Wild: It is against the law in the United States to sell a truly wild turkey that’s been shot by a hunter; thus most “wild” turkeys on the market are pasture-raised — often free-range heritage birds. To procure a truly wild turkey, you will need to either shoot one yourself or befriend a hunter.
Self-basting: These turkeys have been injected with a solution generally consisting of butter or oil and salt, and sometimes herbs, spices and preservatives. Self-basted turkeys are sometimes not labeled as such, so make sure to check the ingredients list. If you see anything other than “turkey,” chances are it is a self-basting bird. Do not brine it.
Preparing the turkey for roasting
Roasting a turkey can be confusing — there are so many options for how to prepare the bird. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s how to do it, step by step.
Unwrap: You’ve bought your turkey, and it’s a few days before Thanksgiving. After you remove the turkey from its plastic bag, do not wash it; just pat it dry with paper towels. Place it on a platter, and put it in the refrigerator, where the air will dry its skin tight.
Remove gizzards: Be sure to pull out the sack containing the neck and innards from the cavity. Reserve them for stock if you like. If the bird is frozen, defrost for one day, and then you should be able to pry them out. (Beware: Sometimes the giblets are under the neck flap, not in the cavity. Check the turkey thoroughly.)
To brine or not to brine
For many, the answer is no — at least, not a wet brine. Wet brining — the process of submerging a turkey in a salt-and-aromatic solution — is the messiest and least convenient way to ensure moist and evenly seasoned meat.
Instead, many cooks prefer to season the bird all over with a salt rub — technically, a dry brine — and letting it sit for a few days, or even hours, before roasting. It’s much easier to keep a salted turkey in the fridge rather than having to figure out where to store a bird covered in liquid.
For a dry brine, combine 1/2 teaspoon salt per pound of turkey (use coarse kosher or sea salt) with whatever aromatics you want to mix into it. Rub the mixture all over the bird and refrigerate for up to three days. In a pinch, you can season the bird just before cooking, though the skin will be saltier than the flesh.
For a wet brine, it’s important to find a recipe for brine and stick to it, without making substitutions. For instance, different varieties of salt have different volumes; if your recipe calls for 2 cups kosher salt, don’t substitute table salt or else you’ll have an inedible bird. (Never brine kosher or self-basting turkeys, both of which already have been salted.)
The safest way to brine is to submerge the turkey in the salt solution, cover it, and leave it in the refrigerator. If you don’t have room, you can also try brining in a cooler (as long as the turkey can fit, completely covered by the solution, with the lid on). You’ll have to be vigilant about maintaining the temperature of the solution. Check it with a kitchen thermometer at regular intervals to be sure it stays between 26 and 40 degrees. To keep it cool without diluting the salt, place ice cubes sealed in plastic bags into the brining bath, replacing the cubes once they melt. Or, if you live in a cold climate, place your cooler outside.
Stuffing
Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, the savory bread mixture that you may or may not cook inside your turkey is an integral part of the Thanksgiving meal. Generally speaking, stuffings are cooked inside the bird, while dressings are baked in a casserole dish on the side, but the words are often used interchangeably. Both methods have their merits.
Last steps
You’ve bought, defrosted and seasoned your turkey, which means you’re more than halfway to a golden, glorious centerpiece for the feast. But there’s still a little more to do. We’ll walk you through these final steps so you can put the bird in the oven (and take it out) with confidence.
Add flavor to the pan
To add flavor to both the turkey and the gravy, if you’re using pan drippings, you’ll want to add aromatics to the turkey cavity and to the bottom of the pan. Some combination of herbs, peeled garlic cloves, quartered onions and lemons, apples, mushrooms, celery, carrots and bay leaves can be used in both places. Then cover the bottom of the pan with 1/4-inch of liquid (wine, cider, beer, broth, water) so the drippings don’t burn.
But don’t baste (unless you want to)
Some people swear by basting, but it isn’t necessary. Every time you open the oven door to baste, you let the heat out. Basting also gives you a less crisp skin. Instead of basting, rub fat (butter, olive oil or coconut oil, for example) all over the bird just before you tuck it into the oven. Then leave it alone until it’s time to check for doneness.
How to tell when the turkey is done
Start taking the turkey’s temperature at least 15 minutes before you think it might be done. To check its temperature, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and under the wing, making sure you don’t touch any bones.
Your bird is done when its internal temperature hits 165 degrees. Don’t worry if the thigh meat near the bone still looks pink. Some turkeys are naturally pinker than others, and a fully cooked bird will often have that color.
Let it rest
Once your turkey is cooked, let it rest out of the oven, covered loosely with foil, for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.