Whole Turkey

Ingredients

Brine

• 24 cups water

• 1 1/2 cups kosher salt

• 1 large orange (sliced)

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tbsp juniper berries

• 1 tbsp black peppercorns

• 12 garlic cloves

• 3 thyme sprigs

• 1 6-7 lb turkey

Compound Butter & Veg

• 2 sticks salted butter (1 pound - 1 cup) softened

• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

• 1 lemon (zest and juice)

• 1 tsp celery seed

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 fennel bulb (roughly diced)

• 2 large carrots (roughly diced)

• 1 Spanish onion (roughly diced)

• 1 whole lemon (halved)

• 1 bunch parsley (halved)

• 2 cups chicken or turkey stock

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Method

1. Prepare the brine: In a large stockpot, add 12 cups of water, salt, bay leaves, juniper berries, peppercorns, garlic, thyme, and orange slices. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, let it simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the remaining 12 cups of cold water along with some ice to cool the brine down.

2. Brine the turkey: Remove the turkey from its packaging and discard the neck bone and giblets. Rinse the turkey thoroughly. Once the brine has cooled to room temperature, submerge the turkey in the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.

3. Prepare the turkey: After 12 hours, remove the turkey from the brine and place it on a sheet tray. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, then return it to the refrigerator for 5-6 hours to dry further. This helps ensure crispy skin when roasting.

4. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

5. Make the compound butter: In a food processor or blender, combine the softened butter, chopped parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, celery seed, thyme, and pepper. Pulse until smooth.

6. Prepare the vegetables: On a separate sheet tray, arrange the diced onion, carrot, and fennel. Add the vegetable or chicken stock to the tray.

7. Apply the compound butter: Remove the turkey from the fridge. Pat it dry again if needed. Use your hands to carefully separate the skin from the meat, being gentle to avoid tearing the skin. Rub the compound butter all over the turkey, focusing on getting under the skin, especially the breast, and also on the inside cavity. Once the turkey is fully coated in butter, stuff the cavity with the halved lemon and a bunch of parsley.

8. Truss the turkey: Place the turkey, breast-side up, on the sheet tray with the vegetables and stock. Use butcher’s twine to tie the legs together.

9. Roast the turkey: Roast the turkey in the preheated oven for 1 hour at 350°F, basting the turkey with the pan drippings every 20-30 minutes. After 1 hour, increase the oven temperature to 400°F and roast for another 30 minutes, basting regularly.

10. Check for doneness: After 30 minutes at 400°F, check the internal temperature of the turkey in the thickest part of the thigh. The turkey is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 155°F (it will continue to cook as it rests, we don’t want dry turkey!). If the turkey hasn't reached 155°F, continue roasting and check the temperature every 15 minutes.

11. Rest the turkey: Once the turkey reaches 155°F, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

12. Serve: Carve the turkey and serve with your favorite sides

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Notes

• Cooking a whole turkey does not need to be super hard and most of all it can taste really good with minimal effort. Letting the bird sit in the brine for a long period of time will tenderize the meat leading to a nice and juicy well-rounded flavor profile. A compound butter will add to the flavor and will also provide incredible pan dripping to baste with.

• Put the turkey in the oven, baste, and watch your temp. Those are the most important steps. If you don’t want turkey that will suck all the moisture from your mouth make sure to pull it at 155°F as it will carry over to 165°F as it rest. Take your time and enjoy the processes.

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