-
Recent Posts
- My Father’s Day Ode to my Late Dad Mel Schachter — a Complicated, Roly-Poly Man
- I Interview British Restaurant Writer Joe Warwick, Editor of “Where Chefs Eat”
- Celebrate The Cookbook Store’s 30th Year with a Vintage Classic: Chicken Marbella
- Save Kensington Market: The Battle is on for my Neighbourhood’s Heart and Soul
- The Heat of the Kitchen: Drug and Alcohol Addiction in the Hospitality Industry
Archives
- June 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
Ultimate Roast Turkey — Back by Popular Demand
Here is the roast turkey recipe that changed my life when I made it for Thanksgiving. It is based on a Martha Stewart version that I streamlined, adapted and improved. My gravy is old-fashioned and the best.
The result: magazine cover looks and superbly moist, evenly cooked flesh.
Dear cooks, you’re welcome.
The Ultimate Roast Turkey
I prefer a fresh rather than frozen turkey, preferably as naturally raised as possible. Cheesecloth is sold in most cookware stores. While turkey is roasting, make stock by simmering neck and innards (except liver) along with a carrot, a small onion and herbs of choice in water to cover for at least 2 hours. Drain; discard solids.
About 20-lb/9-kilo turkey
1 cup (½ lb/250 g) butter
750-mL bottle dry white wine
Kosher salt
Preheat oven to 325F.
Cut piece of cheesecloth to form 4 layers about 18 inches/46 cm square.
In saucepan, melt butter with wine over medium-low heat. Place cheesecloth in saucepan; let soak.
Place turkey on wire rack in roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt. Place soaked cheesecloth on top to cover breast and legs.
Roast in oven 4 to 4½ hours, basting every half-hour with butter/wine mixture, until juices run clear or thermometer placed in thickest part of thigh (do not touch bone) registers 180F (82C) for stuffed turkey, 170F (77C) for unstuffed.
Remove turkey from oven. Carefully peel off cheesecloth. Let stand about 15 minutes before carving.
Makes 12 to 14 servings.
Turkey Gravy
Red currant or black currant jam are best but others like raspberry would be fine.
About 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups home-made turkey stock
1 tbsp jam or jelly
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Transfer cooked turkey on its wire rack to cutting board.
Drain and discard all but about 4 tablespoons of drippings from roasting pan. Place pan on stove over medium-low heat. Add flour; whisk until smooth. Add stock. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, whisking and scraping up all browned bits from pan until smooth and thickened. Add jam, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Pour gravy through sieve; discard solids.
Makes about 3 cups.
This entry was posted in Turkey and tagged black currant jam, cheesecloth, drippings, dry white wine, frozen turkey, ground pepper, kosher salt, martha stewart, ml bottle, place pan, place turkey, purpose flour, red currant, roast turkey recipe, roasting pan, stuffed turkey, turkey 1, turkey gravy, turkey stock, wire rack. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.
Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.
8 Comments
Hi Marion Turkey recipe sounds familiar — the cheesecloth part and jelly in the gravy reminds me of aa partridge recipe I used to do from the cook I learned to first love cooking –Madame Jenine Benoit. She’s up there, in my books, with Julia. I am writing about interview with Geonne Gomesh (sp?) regarding rice steamers. I poach lovely eggs in mine, but it won’t cook rice throughly for me! Will try your turkey, but I always brine my poultry first. Cheers and Best Wishes Judy Biggs, St John’s NL.
Marion I heard you on the CBC today and I just checked out your web site. I am excited to try your turkey recipe.
Thanks.
Hi Marion, I am such a newbie at this turkey dinner thing and I am going to give your recipe a go. I do have one question–do I put the cover on the roasting pan or leave it uncovered?
Marion
You have inspired me — 20 people coming for Turkey on Monday — using you’re recipe for turkey.
Heard you on CBC — inspired me enough to
try the carrot cake tonight.
thaks
Hi Marion,
Thanks for the recipe! I heard it about it first on Q, and then had to do some of my own sleuthing to find this website.
I’m away from home attending university and will be cooking turkey for the first time on Sunday for a couple friends. I have been sifting through roast turkey recipes all week; thanks for providing an alternative way to a tasty turkey that doesn’t involve massaging butter under the skin of a cold, dead bird. ..I’m just saying.
Melanie
(Montreal, QC)
I am going to try this recipe. I have a question:
Does the cheese cloth have to be remved at any point so that the turkey browns?
My mother always wrapped the turkey in tin foil and remove it for the last hour to brown.
Hello Marion,
I hope that you can help me in recovering a treasured, but LOST, stuffing recipe that you had published at least twenty years ago in the Toronto Star. it was a scrumptious treat filled with dried fruits…Amazing!!
Hi Teresa,
Yes that recipe for stuffing is in the Toronto Star cookbook I did some years ago and now out of print: The Best of Food. I’ll scan it and send it to your e-mail. I will also try to do a blog post to include it. Have you tried my Ultimate Roast Turkey recipe? It’s on this website — definitely a winner.