Friday, December 4, 2009

Thanksgiving Turkey

I know this is a little late, but I have to share my success this Thanksgiving. I always try to pawn the regular turkey onto a guest, and I do a smoked turkey (because they are fool-proof). I have never had success with a regular turkey. It turns out way too dry every time, even though I try different methods. This Thanksgiving was different.

My friend, Michelle, is from a long line of native Texans, and she taught me how to make a traditional turkey. It was actually very easy, and turned out fantastic!

  1. Remove giblets and neck from cavities of thawed turkey
  2. Rinse and pat dry.
  3. Sprinkle outside and inside generously with salt.
  4. Place turkey in a roasting pan breast side down.
  5. Cover with foil.
  6. Cook overnight in the oven at 225 F.
  7. After carving the turkey, baste slices with turkey drippings, if necessary.

I put my 21 lb turkey in the oven at about 10pm, and it was ready around 11am. The turkey, even the white meat, was moist and delicious.

1 comment:

Liz Johnson said...

You know, it makes a LOT of sense to cook it breast-down now that you mention it. YUM. That sounds delicious! If/when I ever make a turkey, I'm definitely trying this.