Thanksgiving Turkey
Thanksgiving is definitely my favorite time of year, the air gets cooler and crisper and the leaves begin to change color. All things that signal that Summer is coming to an end and harvest time is here. It is this time that I look forward to all year long.
We have a tradition that I have observed ever since I was a little girl, we go around the table and ask each person sitting with us what they have been most thankful for over the past year. The catch is that no one can have the same answer. There have been a number of years that we have taken the opportunity to remember past holidays and think about the family members that are still with us but also those who have passed on to heaven. I love seeing how each person remembers the past and I look forward to next year when we hopefully will get the chance to do it all over again.
Below you will find one of my favorite ways to prepare a turkey for the big day. I hope you enjoy it.
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
12-15 lb Turkey
1 ½ sticks of butter (softened)
1 T Fresh Rosemary chopped fine
1 T Fresh Thyme chopped fine
1 T Fresh Sage leaves chopped fine
1 medium onion peeled and cut into wedges
1 lemon washed and cut into wedges
3 large cloves of garlic peeled and crushed
2 sprigs each of rosemary,sage and thyme
2 t salt
2 t pepper
6 C of chicken stock
1 cheese cloth cut to cover entire top of turkey
Kitchen twine to tie legs of bird together
Instructions:
Mix the chopped herbs with the butter and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes so the butter absorbs the flavor of the herbs.
While you are waiting, loosen the skin on the breast of the turkey so that you can put half of the herb butter under the skin so that the turkey will stay nice and moist.
Rinse and drain the inside of the turkey and then liberally salt and pepper the cavity of the bird.
Stuff the inside of the turkey with the onions, garlic, lemons, herbs and 2 T of the herb butter.
Completely melt the rest of the herb butter and soak the cheese cloth in the butter.
Salt and pepper the top of the turkey and then place the butter soaked cheesecloth over the top making sure that the whole bird is covered with the cheese cloth, including the legs.
Take your kitchen twine and tie the legs together tightly.
Place the turkey on the rack of your roasting pan and pour the 6 Cups of chicken stock into the pan below the rack.
Bake 45 minutes at 400 and then lower the oven to 350 and bake for an additional 2-2 ½ hours until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey reads 160. Make sure not to let the thermometer touch a bone so that you get an accurate reading.
Baste your turkey every 20 minutes to ensure a nicely browned skin.
Notes:
The rule of thumb on cooking turkey is usually 15 minutes per pound. However oven temperatures can vary so be sure you have a meat thermometer and begin checking your turkey about ⅔ of the way into cooking your turkey.