Turkey and Thanksgiving go together and a roasted turkey is the centerpiece of my holiday feast. I kind of made this recipe up based on my own trial and error over the years. A friend gave me her turkey roaster when she moved and it is the one piece os special equipment for this recipe. It isn’t a requirement, but turkeys cook a lot faster in it and they are alway moist and tender.
Ingredients
12-20 pound turkey
1 bottle white wine
6 sprigs fresh sage
6 sprigs fresh rosemary
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1-2 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
Method
1. Thaw the turkey. I normally set a frozen bird in the refrigerator for no less than a week to thaw.
2. Preheat oven to 325?
3. Prep the bird Remove from packaging. Remove the neck from the body cavity and the giblets package from the neck cavity. Rinse the body cavity.
Spray the turkey roasting pan with PAM to help prevent sticking.
Place the bird in the turkey roasting pan.
4. Stuffing the bird If you are stuffing the bird now is the time. Using a spoon and/or your hands fill the body cavity (and the neck cavity if you want) with the already prepared stuffing. Nice and tight.
There is usually either a plastic or skin method of securing the legs. Use it now.
5. Seasoning Drizzle the olive oil over the bird.
Sprinkle the salt and pepper. If you are using grinders, just grind the salt and paper directly onto the turkey.
Rub the slat, pepper and olive oil in with your hands.
Place the fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme sprigs across the top and legs of the turkey.
Pour the entire bottle of wine around the turkey (not over the top or you will wash off all those seasonings).
6. Roasting Put the lid not the roaster and then place the roaster and bird in the oven. Check on the bird every hour.
On the hour use a laddel to baste the bird with the juices from the bottom of the pan
AND
Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the turkey and the stuffing. You want the breast to be at 160? and the thigh and stuffing to be 180?