To start, remove the turkey from the brine and let it drain briefly before placing onto a tray. Discard the brine and pat the turkey dry. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 350° degrees Fahrenheit. Let the turkey sit at room temperature for one hour.
Meanwhile, you can prepare the short stock. Also, now is a good time to take the compound butter out of the fridge.
To make the short stock, first prepare your mise en place. Chop the onions, carrots and celery. Place into a bowl and set aside.
Using a heavy knife, carefully chop up the bones, including the reserved turkey neck. You could also ask the butcher to do this for you.
Preheat a large, stainless-steel fry pan over high heat. Once hot, add the oil and half of the bones. Let the bones brown and caramelize before adding half of the vegetables. Let the vegetables caramelize slightly. Deglaze with half of the white wine, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Transfer to the roasting pan and repeat with the second batch.
Once done, add the stock to the roasting pan. Place the V-rack over top and cover with foil. Poke a few holes to let the juices run through. Coat the foil with a bit of oil then set the pan aside while you prepare the turkey.
To season the bird, have your mise en place ready. Season the cavity with the salt and pepper and add the vegetables and herbs. Rub the outside skin with a bit of oil. Then add about a third of the compound butter just underneath the skin. Place the turkey, breast-side-down onto the v-rack, and transfer to the oven. Set your timer for one hour.
Now, you have a whole hour to prep the potatoes.
To start the potatoes, peel and remove any eyes. Rinse the potatoes, cut in half lengthwise and dice into 1 1/2" -inch cubes.
Place the potatoes into a pot. Cover with cold water.
Now that the turkey has been in the oven for one hour, let's flip it over.
Before you remove the turkey from the oven, melt the compound butter. Then, using two cloths, carefully flip the turkey over. Brush the top with some of the melted butter and return to the oven. Set the timer for hour number 2.
Now, we have an hour to make the stuffing.
To prepare the stuffing, first finely dice the onions. Melt the butter in a large fry pan over medium-low heat. Start to sweat the onions while you finely dice the celery and carrots. Add these to the onions. Chop the fresh sage and thyme. Add all of the herbs and spices and let cook until the onions are translucent.
Once done, add the vegetable mixture to the bread. Toss to combine. Whisk the eggs and stock together. Pour this over the bread and toss again. Butter a large casserole dish. Add the stuffing and cover.
You can just set this aside, while you check the turkey. This is also a good time to take out the cranberry sauce.
Quickly brush the turkey with a bit more butter and set your timer for the third hour.
If you have used the apple cider brine, the sugar in the brine will make the turkey color a lot faster. If this happens, just cover it with foil to prevent the skin from over-browning.
TIMING NOTE: At the 2 hour 30 minute mark of the turkey roasting, place the stuffing into the oven alongside the turkey.
Then start to cook the potatoes.
Add the salt and bay leaves to the potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim occasionally, and as soon as the potatoes come to a boil, turn the heat down and let simmer for about 15 to 17 minutes.
Test the potatoes for doneness. Once they’re done, remove the bay leaves and drain. Return the potatoes to the pot and mash while they are still hot. Cover and set aside, while you heat up the butter and cream.
But first, check the turkey again.
At the 3-hour mark, test the turkey for doneness by inserting a thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Then test the same area from the inside of the cavity. The inside reading will always be lower, so this is where you should take your final reading from.
Brush with the remaining butter and return to the oven for about 15-30 minutes. Because all ovens cook differently, and your turkey may be slightly bigger or smaller, the timing now will all depend on the reading you get from your turkey.
TIMING NOTE: Now is a good time (30 to 45 min. before cooking) to take the Brussels sprouts out of the refrigerator, so they are not stone cold going into the oven.
Now, let’s finish the mashed potatoes.
In a small pot, heat the butter and cream over medium heat and let come to a gentle boil. Whisk in the salt, pepper, nutmeg and set aside. Add the cream, a little bit at a time, and mix together. The potatoes should be a little bit wet. As they sit, they’ll absorb some of the liquid. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like.
Place thin slices of butter over top and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Cover and let sit until ready to serve.
Now, check to see how the turkey is doing.
Test the turkey again. The inside of the thigh should read 165° degrees Fahrenheit, which is perfect. Loosely tent with vented foil to allow the steam to escape. Let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.
Remove the lid from the stuffing and move on to the yams.
To bake the yams, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the yams and evenly spread them out. Return the top rack to your oven, and bake the yams for about 15 minutes.
As the yams bake, you can make the gravy.
To make the gravy, strain the liquid from the roasting pan and let the fat rise to the top. Skim off the fat into a separate bowl and reserve.
Measure the liquid equal to 6 cups. Take 3/4 cup of the reserved fat and pour into a large sauce pan over medium heat. Once the fat is nice and hot, add the flour and stir continuously. As the roux cooks, it will turn from a light tan color to a nice rich brown. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes but the end result is well worth it.
Add about 1/3 of the stock and stir constantly. Stir and continue to add the stock until smooth. Once the 6 cups of stock have been added check for consistency, keeping in mind it will continue to thicken after you turn off the heat. If you like a thinner gravy you may want to add up to another cup of stock.
For a super-smooth gravy, strain again. Cover and keep the gravy hot while you finish up the vegetables.
Also, check to see how the yams are doing.
Toss the yams and continue to bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until fork tender.
Place the Brussels sprouts into the oven with the yams and stuffing and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
Now it’s time to put everything on the table while you set yourself up to carve the turkey. Here is where you call in the troops and put some people to work. Take the cheesecake and/or pumpkin pie out of the fridge. Place a bowl and whisk in the fridge to later make the maple-whipped cream.
Once the Brussels sprouts are warmed through, take them out of the oven and set on a hot plate. By now, the stuffing should be hot and have a nice golden crust. Place this on the table and check the yams. Once fork-tender, transfer them to a serving dish.
Then turn off the oven and heat up your plates for a few minutes. Just leave the door open a crack to let out some of the heat. Remember to use oven mitts when removing, as they’ll be hot.
Finish up by removing the plastic wrap from the potatoes and stir in the melted butter. Transfer to a serving dish, and make sure the gravy is nice and hot. And don’t forget about the cranberry sauce!
There are two ways to carve a turkey. In either case, make sure to hone your knife so it’s nice and sharp.
The first method is carving at the table. Start by slicing off the wing, then slice the meat off the breast. Cut off the drumstick and thigh, then continue slicing along the breast.
To carve in the kitchen, remove the whole breast by cutting along the rib cage. Place the breast onto a cutting board and slice vertically against the grain. Next, cut off the thigh and drumstick. Cut between the knuckle of the thigh and the drumstick and continue to carve.
After all of that work, you can now enjoy a fabulous dinner!
Add the cream to the chilled bowl and whisk just a bit before adding the maple syrup. Continue to whisk until you reach soft peaks. Slice the pie and serve with a dollop of the maple-whipped cream.
To serve the cheese cake, slide a knife around the edges one more time. Remove the ring and gently lift the cheesecake onto a cutting board. Use a flat spatula to loosen the paper, then slide the parchment out from underneath.
To cut the cheesecake, place a long knife into hot water. Wipe dry before slicing. Do this each time you make a cut, and you will end up with perfect pieces every time. This cheesecake is great on its own or it can be served with a dollop of whip cream.
Enjoy dessert and hope you had a great meal overall!
Purchasing the Turkey
If you can, buy a fresh turkey. The flavor is great and it’s worth the extra cost. If buying frozen, thaw it properly in the fridge, on a try and in its plastic. For every pound of turkey, plan for about 5 hours of thawing.
10 pound turkey: Approximately 50 hours (just over two days)
15 pound turkey: Approximately 75 hours (just over three days)
20 pound turkey: Approximately 100 hours (just over four days)
A thawed turkey can be kept in the fridge for up to two days before cooking.
What is brining?
Brine is a salty solution. The salt deeply penetrates the meat tissue, opening the pores and actually unlocks the fibers. Not only does it trap water molecules and keep the flesh juicy and moist, it seasons the flesh throughout, adding a lot of flavor.
How much salt should I use?
A moderate brine is approximately ½ cup of Kosher salt per 3 quarts of water.
Salt equivalents
Table Salt (without iodine) – 1 cup (10 ounces)
Morton Kosher Salt – 1-1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) so you'll need to use 1.5 cups in total
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (half as potent as regular table salt) – use 2 cups (5 ounces per cup)
When using other salts, such as sea salt, pickling salt, or other brands of Kosher salt, simply weigh out 10 ounces on your kitchen scale to find its equivalent of table salt.
Create different brines by adding herbs, spices, and brown sugar, honey or molasses. Apple juice, cider, apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, stock, tea, beer, wine, or other liquids can replace some or all of the water.
Always start with a cold brine
For food safety reasons, the brine must be cold (40° degrees Fahrenheit, 4° degrees Celsius) to ensure the meat stays at proper refrigerator temperature. If you need to heat the brine mixture to dissolve the salt, make sure you cool the brine down before using. The food must be completely submersed. Refrigeration is absolutely required during brining. The meat and brine solution must be kept below 40° degrees Fahrenheit at all times. If you can’t find a large enough container, fill a cooler with ice.
Brining time
The turkey should sit in the brine for at least 10 hours. It can process for as much as 24 hours but the turkey will have absorbed all the brine it needs in 10 hours. The amount of brining time is not set in stone. Even a little brining is better than none. Brining for too long can ruin the flavor as well and make it too salty. If you are using a small turkey, cut down on the brining time, or reduce the amount of salt in the brine.
Once the meat is removed from the brine, you can rinse off the excess salt from the surface and pat dry. You can also air-dry poultry in the refrigerator overnight. Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet and rest the poultry on top. By letting the moisture evaporate, it is easier to achieve crispier skin.
Make sure to discard used brining liquid. It has been contaminated with raw food and cannot be reused.
Stuff or not to stuff?
Don’t stuff your turkey. Stuffing acts as insulation and makes cooking the turkey that much longer, creating dry breast meat. Hot air cannot get inside the turkey and can’t cook the meat closest to the bone, which is the area that takes the longest to cook. Simply season the turkey extremely well with salt and pepper and let the hot oven air do its work.
Preparing your turkey
Season the cavity and underneath the skin. Rub butter underneath the skin and make sure to start with a short stock for added flavor. Place the turkey on a V-rack, so it’s not in contact with the juices in the pan. The steam from the juices will keep the turkey nice and moist during the slow, long cooking time. A V-rack guarantees a moist turkey and the beginnings of a delicious gravy.
Make sure you don’t put a cold turkey in the oven. It will take that much longer to cook, and longer cooking time means dry meat. Let the turkey sit at room temperature for up to one hour before roasting.
Ideal oven temperature
The ideal oven temperature is 350º degrees Fahrenheit.
To baste or not to baste?
If you over-baste, you lower the oven temperature and the temperature of the turkey, making the cooking time longer. You create a baste by slipping butter underneath the skin. Baste another 1-2 times, but don’t get carried away.
Which way is up?
If you brine your turkey, it will be juicy any way you place it. However, if you don’t brine, start with the breast side down. The gentle steam from the pan will keep the breast meat nice and moist. At half way point, turn it over so you end up with crispy skin.
When is it done?
Turkey needs to reach an internal temperature of 165º degrees Fahrenheit; higher than this will produce dry meat. Use a thermometer, and insert it into the thickest part of the thigh. Test both thighs for accurate readings. If you don’t have a thermometer, stick a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh, making sure you hit bone; if the juices run clear, it’s time to take the turkey out.
Why rest?
Resting any kind of meat, before carving, is essential. It allows the muscles to relax and heat distribute evenly. It makes it easier to carve, and the meat will be nice and juicy. Rest a large turkey for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Tent with foil and make sure to poke holes in the top. The steam must be able to escape so the skin doesn’t get soggy.
For additional information, visit:
USDA Poultry Preparation and The National Organic Program
Two important things when cooking potatoes: 1) don’t over cook them; and, 2) drain them right away. If they are left to sit in the water, they’ll become waterlogged and you will end up with watery mashed potatoes.
Feel free to put them through a ricer or food mill. The reason we don’t here is there are simply too many. It would take a long time to rice them all, and they would cool down considerably. By all means, rice potatoes when making them for a smaller crowd. Ricing ensures light, fluffy and ultra-smooth mashed potatoes.
The options for flavoring mashed potatoes are endless. Add different spices and things like bacon bits, minced chives or green onions, truffle oil, different cheeses, cream-cheese, sour cream, and cream; or keep them low-fat and use skim milk.
To reduce the cooking time for the stuffing, simply put it into a shallow and wide baking dish.
Add your own flair and favorite flavors to this simple stuffing, by incorporating items such as Italian sausage, chestnuts, mushrooms, and different vegetables. Just make sure the ratio is about 1 part vegetables/meat to 2 parts bread.
For a vegetarian version, simply use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
These Brussels sprouts can be prepared in advance, then covered and stored in the refrigerator until the next day. Just take them out of the refrigerator at least 30 to 45 mins. before cooking so they are not so cold going into the oven.
This cranberry sauce gets substantially thicker as it cools and can be made up to a week in advance.
It's best served at room temperature, so be sure to take it out at least an hour before dinner.
Break the tradition of having raw dough in your pumpkin pie, by fully blind-baking the crust.
It is important to have all of your ingredients at room temperature. Mix the cream cheese just until there are no lumps. If you try to cheat and use cold cream cheese, you will wind up incorporating too much air by overbeating. This may form unattractive air bubbles on the surface of your cake. Once the eggs are added, mix just until combined. Again, don’t overbeat the mixture and incorporate too much air. This could make the cheesecake fall during baking. If you do wind up with lumpy batter, press the mixture through a sieve to obtain a smoother batter, rather than overbeating.
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I'd like to thank you for helping me make the best Thanksgiving dinner ever. I've brined a turkey before, but it never was to my liking. With your instructions and great recipes, I really wowed them.
I've learned so much since joining Rouxbe, I can't thank you enough. Your Thanksgiving Meal Planner was my Thanksgiving dinner, the only thing I added were the wonderful Roasted Glazed Carrots...none left! I used the planning list, printed everything off, and reviewed the videos, whew...taking a few days away from the stove!
Hi Linda, glad to know that all went well for you and that perhaps we were of some assistance. Now enjoy your time away from the kitchen and get ready for the next big holiday, which is surprisingly only around the corner.
I have never made anything on Thanksgiving before, let alone plan the whole day's meals for 2 families at our house. It was a fabulous success and I had a blast doing most everything!
I was trying to find the best place to post my feedback on this whole meal, so here it is. I printed off all the recipes, watched all the videos... a couple times. I followed the instructions as close as I could as a hobby home chef.
My turkey came out incredible! I never liked turkey before, but when it is cooked well, I guess I do like it. Same goes for the cranberry sauce and Brussels sprouts.
Everything down to the wine pairings were incredible. I had such a wonderful day planning, cooking and hosting Thanksgiving. One additional note, with all of the detail from Rouxbe, I had zero stress. The whole day went smooth and I got to enjoy the meal and some football. Thanks Rouxbe!
You have no idea just how great that makes us feel to hear this...in all honesty, we actually got tears in our eyes when we read your comment (maybe too much information, but it's true). We just want to teach people to cook with confidence and to have success in the kitchen.
We are very happy to hear that you had a super Thanksgiving with your family, after all that's what it's all about!
It truly was great Dawn. I would never have even attempted the task without the planning and forethought available on Rouxbe. It gave me such confidence, just by following the step by step instructions. I'm learning SO much from this site, and appreciate everything that goes on in the background of this site to make it what it is. The quality and detail is unlike anything I've ever seen on TV or online. Thanks!
I wasn't planning on cooking Thanksgiving dinner at my house until Monday night. After the initial panic subsided, I went to Rouxbe.com. The shopping list and the videos were extremely helpful! I pulled off a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner (my very first one) and I couldn't have done it without you! Thank you!!!
Being from Ireland, we do not celebrate Thanksgiving but I will follow your ideas for Christmas Dinner As I Will possibly be cooking for 12 or so people , usually I get the timing slightly wrong, but hopefully using the above methods will help. I will Keep you Posted
thanks
Bill Barrett
I am cooking abone in trukey breast only. Where should I test for doneness and what shoul the thermometer read
To check the breast insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. When the temperature reaches 165°F (or 75°C) it's done. Cheers!
I was very disappointed yesterday when the turkey (fresh) did not turn out as i was hoping it would.
I followed the recipe to the dot, brining a 10 lb turkey using the moderate brine for 12 hrs, air dried it in the refrigerator for 5 hrs, and then followed the steps per the video. After the 2 1/2 hr mark, when I checked the internal temperature in the thigh area, it was 155F. On piercing the thigh area from the outside, the liquid flowing out was red. We put it back in for another hr, it reached about 165F (inside), but the thigh area was looking red. Total time we cooked the turkey was 3 1/2 hrs
We let it rest for 30 mins, and when I went to carve the meat, the breast and the thigh meats were red. We then put the cut meat pieces in the microwave to cook, and the meat turned out tough. What went wrong!! I have heard excellent reviews. Can you please let me know.
Thanks!!
Hi Aarti,
Thanks for the note. Understanding what went wrong is key to becoming a great cook. If you don't fail, you won't learn and get better. I'm sorry though that you had some challenges on this important day.
Few potential problems and a few suggestions:
1. Regarding cooking time, there are so many factors involved.
* how good is your oven
* does it hold an accurate temperature
* did you open and close the door a lot
* was the turkey really cold when it went in or room temperature
* is the heat evenly distributed in your oven
Good thing to note though, is that despite these factors that WILL all affect cooking times, you should still be able to roast the perfect turkey every time. You MUST always use the time on any recipe as a guide and a guide only. There is simply no way in the world that 100 people cooking the exact same turkey (type and weight) in 100 different ovens, will produce a perfectly cooked turkey in the same time - it's impossible). You must learn how to test for doneness and then cook until done. Learn this and you will never fail at cooking any poultry. Ever! Unless you forget to check for doneness of course.
My suggestion is to practice over the coming weeks with a roast chicken (check out the lessons on Roasting Chicken in the cooking school section on Rouxbe). There are only a few key things to know that will guarantee success and they are dead simple. You have to know how to test for doneness and you have to let the bird rest and relax (see lesson). Brining is also a great technique to infuse flavor and ensure a moist bird.
2. Regarding temperature and testing for doneness, it appears that either your thermometer is incorrect and needs calibrating (or you need a new one), OR you inserted the thermometer in the wrong spot. If you actually reached 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone, an underdone turkey is impossible. Furthermore, as the thigh will always take longer than the breast meat, if the thigh was 165 degress, the breast was likely 170/175, which would not have resulted in any pinkness at all. One thing that you might want to try next time, assuming your thermometer is working, is to try and test temperature in a variety of spots on the thigh, pushing it in further, pulling it out a bit. This way you will learn the precise spot where you need to test moving forward (test on a few chickens, they are the same). Even try testing in the thickest part and then push through and touch the tip of the thermometer to the bone. You will note that the temperature will fluctuate in different areas and likely be the highest when touching the bone or nearest to the outside surface. Find the coldest spot and this is the spot that needs to reach 165 degrees.
Lastly, I do want to mention that even at 165, there might be a VERY little bit of redness that might still be evident. When I carve a turkey, I often see tiny bits. As long as it's 165, don't worry about this. It will likely bleed away when you carve or you can just set it aside for your turkey stock/soup later.
3. Re toughness... the microwave is likely the killer here. Microwaving is not a great cooking method by any means. So I'm 99% sure that this is where things got tough for you. The other contributing factor could have been that you may not have let the turkey rest given the timing problems you experienced. But the microwave is your culprit here. Don't go there in the future and you'll thank me :-).
Again, sorry that you had to do all of your learning on this important day. Don't give up. Buy a few chickens and practice. Watch the chicken roasting lessons. Cooking poultry is fool-proof once you know the key things to look for.
Cheers
Joe
Now that the turkey coma has subsided, I need to take a few minutes to thank you and all of the hard work and thoughtfulness that is incorporated into this site. Because of your instruction and insights, I was able to provide the most beautiful and delicious Thanksgiving dinner ever for my family! It meant so much to me! I had always dreamed of making everything from scratch, but without your helpful planners and guides, it would not have been as perfectly executed.
Let me explain a bit further. You see, apart from the buttery mashed potatoes, I had never made ANY of the dishes prior to this day. In fact, I only made the potatoes once when I brined and roasted the only chicken I've ever cooked two weeks ago, so taking on the Thanksgiving challenge was a bit ambitious by most standards, especially considering that I have a very tiny kitchen.
I followed your instructions meticulously (washing and storing every tool and utensil along the way). I even made a wonderful loaf of bread! And with the help and moral support of my husband, the table setting, decor, ambiance and food made for a special holiday we will all remember for a lifetime.
Thank you, again, Rouxbe! I am so grateful for the inspiration you bestow.
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