A simple method for roasting a turkey during the holiday season.
The secret to cooking a whole turkey is really no secret at all. Imagine you're baking a really big chicken. If you can bake a chicken, you can bake a turkey. I'm willing to bet that if you can't bake a chicken, you can still bake a turkey. Just follow along and I'll show you how to successfully cook a turkey, fit for any Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
You'll need a turkey. I usually buy a 10-12 pound turkey, but any size can be cooked using this method. If it's frozen, you'll need to thaw it in the refrigerator for about 3 days before you cook it. So plan ahead to allow plenty of thawing time. There are ways to hurry the thawing process that include thawing it under cold, running water. But, it's really best to just allow it to thaw in the refrigerator so that you don't have to be concerned about maintaining the less than 45 degree temperature for food safety.
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So, let's begin with a thawed turkey.
You can buy a fresh turkey, or a frozen turkey and thaw it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days prior to cooking it.
Remove the wrapper, reach inside the body cavity and pull out the giblets and the neck. You can use those for giblet gravy, boil them to make turkey broth or just toss them. You can leave the plastic leg holder on during cooking.
Wash the turkey and pat it dry,
You'll need about 1/2 cup of turkey rub or seasoning blend and 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of butter. I use different seasonings every time I roast a turkey, so I haven't included a recipe for the seasonings because I don't remember what's in the bowl! I did this demonstration a couple of years ago for a friend and I pulled it out to share with you guys.
Loosen the skin to expose the breast and legs.
Then make some small cuts.
It's okay to wear your housecoat while prepping the turkey.
Liberally rub the seasonings under the skin and into the meat.
Cut the stick of butter into manageable slices. About 1/2 tablespoon size slices should be fine. Now, poke butter slices into the cuts that you made. You don't have to have enough cuts for all of the butter. Some of the slices will just be placed under the skin.
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Season and butter the outside of the turkey, also.
Put the turkey in an oven-safe turkey baking bag. Follow the instructions on the box for preparing the bag and baking times. The turkey bag seals in the juices and holds in the heat to cook the turkey evenly without drying it out.
I like to cook my turkey until the legs fall off! That's the sign of a fork tender, juicy turkey. Now, it might not be a "pretty" turkey. But, it's a delicious turkey and you'll be lucky to have any leftovers at all.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Holler if you have any questions. I'll help if I can!