Cook Local – Holiday Turkey
Thanksgiving is a week from today, can you believe it?!! Since this is my last post before the big holiday I wanted to share my recipe for the best Thanksgiving Turkey. Now is the time to put your order in at the Meat Market for your bird or dash out and pick up a frozen bird. A twenty pound frozen bird will take 5-6 days to unthaw in the fridge. So now is the time to grab your bird!
As far a recipes go – this is the most delicious roasted turkey recipe! It’s easy & foolproof – and makes the most amazing moist turkey. You will wow your friends and family and be so proud to adorn your table with great bird without a whole lot of effort!
I’ve used this method for smaller turkeys, just adjusting the tiered cooking time from 30 minutes to 20 for each degrees. That high, high heat in the beginning really sears the bird and seals in the juices.
If you stuff the bird, then this recipe is not for you – it will completely change the cooking time. So plan on cooking your stuffing separately when making this bird.
My Holiday Turkey recipe has been featured one KSEE24 News – If you’d like to read about Talking Turkey – please click here!
Since I featured Candied Sweet Potatoes last week, I thought I’d share another great recipe featured by KSEE24 a couple years earlier.
I want to wish you the most wonderful Thanksgiving! I hope you are about to connect with family and friends and have a great Holiday Season!!
- 1 18-20 lb. Turkey
- 6 cups root vegetables – I use onion, carrots & butternut squash
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees
- Clean & chop the root vegetables into large pieces. Put them into a large roasting pan and put the turkey on top.
- Mix together the butter and spices – salt, pepper, cloves & nutmeg. With clean hands, run the butter spice mixture all over the turkey, inside & out. Separate the skin from the breast meat and get it in there also.
- Mix together the wine and chicken broth and pour it over the turkey. Cover the turkey very tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 500 degree oven as follows;
- First half hour: 500 degrees
- Second half hour: 450 degrees
- Third half hour 400 degrees
- Turn heat down to 350 and continue cooking for one hour. Remove the foil. Baste turkey as it continues to cook. It will take about 1 1/2 hours more for a 20 lb. turkey.
- Allow to rest for at least a half hour, covered with aluminum foil. Remove the root veggies from the pan and you have a delicious side dish! Carve the turkey & enjoy!
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