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FOOD
Thanksgiving Recipes

Martha Stewart’s perfect roast turkey recipe for any holiday dinner

Grateful

Golden, delicious and moist, this perfect roast turkey, inspired by Martha Stewart, will certainly turn heads this Thanksgiving. By using Martha Stewart’s foolproof method for brining and roasting, your T-day turkey will be the showpiece it’s supposed to be.

Eliminate the dry turkey this Thanksgiving by using this brined turkey recipe. And yes, we acknowledge that brining a turkey takes (extra) time, but it is so worth the effort.

Brining is the process of soaking meat in a salt-water solution. The salty bath locks moisture into the meat. This method yields tender and tasty turkey, with a crispy golden skin.

HOW TO: Make amazing turkey gravy for Thanksgiving

Your turkey definitely will be the showstopper for Thanksgiving this year when you follow with this brined turkey recipe.

Perfect roast turkey

This Martha Stewart inspired roast turkey will certainly turn heads on Thanksgiving.

Makes: 16 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
  • 5 cups sugar
  • 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
  • 2 medium leeks, white and pale-green parts only, rinsed and coarsely chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 fresh whole turkey (18 - 20 pounds), rinsed and patted dry, giblets and neck reserved for gravy
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), melted, plus 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
  • Small fruits, apples, fresh rosemary sprigs, and fresh sage, for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Place salt, sugar, onions, leeks, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, peppercorns and 10 cups water in a large stockpot. Stir mixture and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Set brine aside until it is cooled completely.
  2. Add turkey, breast side down, into the brine. Cover with foil. Place in refrigerator for 24 hours.
  3. When ready to roast, remove turkey from brine and place on a large cutting board lined with paper towels. Pat dry completely with paper towels. Allow turkey to stand uncovered at room temperature for an hour, up to two hours.
  4. Thirty minutes before putting turkey in oven, preheat oven to 425F. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position of the oven.
  5. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter and wine, mixing well. Fold a very large piece of cheesecloth into quarters so that it is large enough to cover the turkey breast and halfway down the sides. Immerse cloth in butter-wine mixture. Allow cloth to soak for 5-10 minutes.
  6. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan. Fold wing tips under turkey. Sprinkle one teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Fold neck flap under; securing it with toothpicks if needed.
  7. Rub turkey all over with softened butter; season with additional salt and pepper.
  8. Remove cheesecloth from butter mixture, gently squeezing any excess into the bowl. Reserve butter mixture for use in brushing on turkey.
  9. Lay cheesecloth over turkey.
  10. Place turkey, legs towards back if possible, in oven. Roast 30 minutes.
  11. Brush cheesecloth and exposed turkey with butter mixture. Reduce temperature to 350F. Roast, brushing every 30 minutes for 2 1/2 hours more. You can cover the turkey with foil if browning too quickly.
  12. After three hours total cooking time, remove turkey and discard cheesecloth. Rotate pan 180 degrees. Baste turkey with pan juices. Roast, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180F, about one hour.
  13. Transfer to a platter. Allow turkey to stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Set pan with drippings aside for gravy.
  14. Carve and serve.

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