Food

Roast Turkey

We brine our bird, which ensures a moist, tasty treatment for a fowl that's traditionally big on size, but not on flavor. I brine ours in a square three-gallon Rubbermaid bin that holds a 22-pound turkey and fits on the bottom shelf of my refrigerator. Check our chart to see how long it will take to thaw your turkey. This will need to brine overnight or at least several hours.

The turkey can be cooked up to two days in advance and refrigerated, by the way. You won't get the Norman Rockwell turkey-at-table moment, but who cares?

Brine

½ cup kosher salt
½ cup molasses or brown sugar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
5 bay leaves
a dash or two or three of Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine the brine ingredients in the bottom of your brine container with enough water to dissolve the sugar and molasses. Remove the giblets and neck from your THAWED turkey; rinse the turkey under some cold water, then pop it in the brine box. Add enough water to cover the turkey, then put the container in the 'fridge. Turn the turkey a time or two to ensure even brining.

To cook:

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and the brine at least 45 minutes before you want to put it in the oven. Rinse the brine off the turkey and set it in the roasting pan. It will cook more evenly — and quicker — than if you take it straight from the refrigerator to a hot oven. I stuff the cavity of the turkey with an onion, peeled and quartered, two ribs of celery, an apple cut into quarters and a lemon cut in half. Throw away the brine.

The cooking method I stole shamelessly from Alton Brown on Food Network. It never fails to turn out a perfect turkey. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Yes, 500.

Rub the turkey with a light coat of vegetable oil. Cut off a double-layer piece of foil that will be large enough to cover the turkey to keep it from becoming too brown during the final stages of cooking. I cook the turkey with the legs toward the rear of the oven, because it takes longer for them to cook, and the back of the oven tends to be hotter than the front.

Roast turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with that double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2½ hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for at least 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

— Laura Tutor

Stuffed Turkey with Savory Stuffing

1 pound fully cooked sausage links or Polish kielbasa sausage, removed from casings, if desired, and chopped
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onions
1 (12-ounce) box (containing two 6-ounce bags) seasoned dressing or stuffing mix
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
¾ to 1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Pepper OR garlic pepper to taste

In a large skillet, cook sausage, breaking into small pieces, along with celery and onions, until sausage is browned. Drain off excess fat (you can keep a small amount for added flavor).

Turn dry dressing into a large bowl. Add sausage mixture, butter, chicken broth, parsley and pepper to taste, tossing together until well mixed. Stuffing mixture should not be too moist or wet. Use to loosely stuff a large turkey (you'll have some leftover to bake). Bake according to chart at right.

NOTE: Try different additions, such as dried cherries, raisins, sauteed leeks, corn, mushrooms, nuts, etc., if desired. Delete sausage and use cooked chopped ham, crisp, cooked, crumbled bacon or pancetta pieces instead, if desired.

Turkey

Thawing times

You can thaw the holiday bird in the refrigerator if you have time, or speed things up by submerging it in cold water that you change every 30 minutes, according to the USDA. Do not thaw the turkey on the counter at room temperature. If thawing in the refrigerator, place the turkey on a tray or pan to contain any liquid that may drip. Here are some guidelines.

In the refrigerator (about 24 hours per 4 pounds):

8-12 pounds:

2-3 days

12-16 pounds:

3-4 days

16-20 pounds:

4-5 days

20-24 pounds:

5-6 days

In cold water (about 30 minutes per pound):

8-12 pounds:

4-6 hours

12-16 pounds:

6-8 hours

16-20 pounds:

8-10 hours

20-24 pounds:

10-12 hours

— Source: www.fsis.usda.gov

Turkey

Roasting times

Because today's standard turkey is younger and more tender than in the past, it cooks more quickly. Use these up-to-date USDA recommended times instead of those found in older cookbooks and references. Cook at 325 degrees. A whole turkey is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees as measured with a food thermometer, according to the USDA. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. If cooking stuffing inside the bird, make sure the center of the stuffing reaches 165 degrees. Even if your turkey has a "pop-up" temperature indicator, the USDA recommends checking the internal temperature with a food thermometer.

(by raw weight)

8-12 pounds: unstuffed, 2 3/4 to 3 hours; stuffed 3 to 3 1/2 hours

12-14 pounds: unstuffed, 3 to 3 3/4 hours; stuffed 3 1/2 to 4 hours

14-18 pounds: unstuffed, 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours; stuffed 4 to 4 1/4 hours

18-20 pounds: unstuffed, 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours; stuffed 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours

20-24 pounds: unstuffed, 4 1/2 to 5 hours; stuffed 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours

Carving tips

• Give it a rest: When you take the turkey out of the oven, tent it with foil and let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to be absorbed into the meat, making for juicier turkey.

• Stay safe: To keep your cutting board from slipping while carving, place a dampened paper towel or thin kitchen towel under the board. Use a cutting board with grooves to catch juices.

• Sharpen your knife: A sharp knife is a must. You can tell if your knife is sharp by using it to cut paper. It should slice, not tear the paper. If it's not sharp, use a sharpener to produce an edge that's better than the alternative.

• Saw, don't rip: Carve with long, light strokes. Bearing down will shred meat rather than cutting it cleanly.

• Finally: Neat rows of sliced turkey, artfully arranged, sets up your bird as the luscious star of the table. Keep the platter decoration simple; perch a bowl of roasted fruit or herbs to one side and call it done.

Turkey emergency?

Fear not. Trusted resources are just a mouse click or phone call away. For specific instructions for roasting a whole bird, or just a turkey breast or drumsticks, visit the magazine's Interactive Roasting Guide at BHG.com/roastingguide. Or visit eatturkey.com, the National Turkey Federation's site, or butterball.com. Call the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, 800/288-8372, or the USDA Meat and Poultry Hot Line, 888/674-6854.

Answers to common turkey dilemmas

Fresh or frozen?

It all comes down to personal preference. Some people like the flavor of fresh turkey. Others don't notice a flavor difference. Fresh birds don't need to be thawed, but may be pricier. Frozen birds can be purchased in advance, but need up to one week to thaw in the refrigerator.

Can I roast the turkey in advance?

Yes. Roast and carve per directions in this guide, then cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. For moist, make-ahead turkey, pour turkey or chicken broth over slices then cover and refrigerate. Before serving, reheat, covered, in the microwave.

How long can I keep leftovers?

First step is to cover and refrigerate meat within 2 hours of cooking. Then eat it within 2 days. Otherwise freeze it for up to 6 months.