Adapted from the recipe from Coleen Johnson in her Thanksgiving 101 class at Prep Kitchen Essentials. Coming back to it now nearly a decade later, I have found a good many of its instructions wanting, editorial lapses that need repair.
Herbed Salt:
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
- 3 small bay leaves, coarsely ground
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel (optional; we omit this because of a guest with citrus allergies)
Stuffing (optional):
Quantities here probably should be doubled for a 30-lb. bird.
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 large celery stalk, chopped
- 1 whole lemon, chopped with peel (again, optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Turkey:
- One turkey. The original recipe calls for a more normal 14-16 lb. turkey, but owing to the size of our parties, we typically get a 30 lb. bird.
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups (or more) Golden Turkey Stock. (I used chicken stock, because that’s what I have on hand.)
- Turkey bag. Note this will not be used for cooking the bird, but storage during the resting period in the refrigerator. You may need two if you use the FDA-approved cold water defrosting method for a frozen turkey.
- 10 oz. salt per gallon of liquid brining solution. I count on 7-8 gallons. A 4-lb. box of Morton’s table salt, or a couple 3.5 lb. boxes of Morton’s kosher salt, will do nicely.
Stuffing:
I might be inclined to double these quantities for a bird about twice the size of the one called for in the recipe. Since we didn’t use it, the original quantities are presented here.
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 large celery stalk, chopped
- 1 whole lemon, chopped with peel
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Gravy:
- 3 1/2 cups (about) Golden Turkey Stock
- 2/3 cup chopped shallots
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Herbed salt:
Rub first 6 ingredients in small bowl to crush herbs finely. This works best in a mortar and pestle. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover; store at room temperature. Stir in peel before using.
Stuffing:
If using stuffing, mix stuffing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
Turkey:
If defrosting a frozen turkey, see the FDA recommendations for this process; a 30-lb bird should take 7 days to defrost in the refrigerator (24 hours/5 lbs.). The cold water process is faster but requires more watchfulness, AND an extra bag. (I readily concede we cheated here and went with a warm-water bath to speed defrost the bird, a double no-no, because of possible cross-contamination. It worked fine, but it’s a dangerous game. Never again.) As an aside, it is possible — and even FDA-approved — to roast a frozen whole turkey, but it will take 50% longer than normal. Doing so would make the next part of this recipe fail, so I can’t recommend it.
Brine the turkey: I do a very simple brine of 10 oz. (weight) salt per gallon of water. I also use a mess of ice (20 lbs. in a 65-quart cooler, cleaned with a bleach solution) to keep the temperature down, and for food safety. Between the salt and the ice, the solution temperature should barely get above 32F, even for extended periods. I typically leave mine going overnight. Start by adding the ice and five gallons of water to the cooler, and then in a stock pot, add enough salt to 2-3 gallons of water to meet the requirements of the overall mix (so, 70 ounces for 7 gallons of water). (I assume the ice won’t melt, which isn’t quite correct, but most of it will stay solid for the time period we’re talking about.) Warm the mix while stirring until the salt is completely dissolved — it shouldn’t take more than tepid temperatures. Immerse the turkey in the ice water, add the brine solution, and let it sit overnight.
Update 2017-12-26: See Alton Brown’s approach to fixing this problem, which is how I think I was probably doing it before. That is, use cold and warm super-saline water together at about the same ratio I recommended upthread, but without initial ice. Monitor the bird closely thereafter, adding ice should the water temperature drift over 40F. (He suggests using a probe thermometer with an alarm.) The size of the bird is such that it will bring down the water temperature on its own, whereafter you can add ice as needed.
Pre-roasting prep: The next morning, remove the turkey from the brine. Rinse the turkey inside and out (do not pat dry). Pull any fat pads from the main cavity and neck cavity of turkey; wrap, chill, and reserve fat for roasting. Sprinkle inside and out with herbed salt.
Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 425°F. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat very dry. Divide onion mixture between main and neck cavities. Fold neck skin under and secure with skewer. Tuck wing tips under. Tie legs together loosely. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Spread butter all over turkey. Make slits across the breast and insert tablespoon-sized pats of butter into those slits.
If using stuffing, stuff the turkey.
Place reserved fat pads and reserved neck, heart, and gizzard in pan; pour in 2 cups stock. Tent the whole bird in aluminum foil. Large birds tend to blow the rules away, and this site suggests 11 minutes/lb. for a 425F roast, which more or less aligns with our experience today. Check the turkey’s interior temperature in the thickest part of the breast early (a couple hours, at least) to prevent untoward surprises (and be prepared to re-tent with new aluminum foil each time).
30 minutes before the bird should be done, remove the tent and let it bake under direct heat.
When done, allow to stand 30 minutes before carving.
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