Garden 🪴 To Our Table: Thanksgiving Turkey

Ingredients

Turkey
Turkey (about a pound for each person)
4 carrots
Celery
Onion
Parsnip
Turnup
2-3 tbsp of Butter

Basting
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) Butter
1 750-ml bottle of a nice dry white wine

Cheese cloth

Unstuffed Turkey times

8-10 pounds 325° 2hrs 45 min to 3 hrs

12-14 pounds 325° 3hrs to 3 hrs 45 min

14-18 pounds 325° 3hrs 45 min to 4 hrs 15 min

18-20 pounds 325° 4hrs 15 min to 4 hrs 30 min

20-24 pounds 325° 4hrs 30 min to 5 hrs

Directions

I do 20-24 pounds because I like leftovers.

Thaw turkey. Take out the pop up thermometer if it comes with one. Rinse with cool water and dry with paper towels. Let stand for 2 hrs at room temperature.

Place rack on lowest level of the oven with temp of 450°.

Combine melted butter and white wine in a bowl. Fold a large piece of cheesecloth into quarters. Immerse the cheesecloth in your butter/wine mixture and let it soak uptake liquids. Let it sit.

I added some Lemon Thyme and Basil 🌿 from my garden as well.

Prep Turkey
Place turkey breast side up on parchment paper for easy cleanup. Fold the wingtips under the turkey so they brown nicely but not to much. Tie legs and tail together with kitchen string loosely. (Do with a bow to easily untie later.) Fold neck flap under and secure with toothpicks.

Place veggies in the bottom of the pan and place pan rack. Place turkey in pan/roaster on rack. Rub turkey with butter and rub. I have used this rub here.

Squeeze the cheesecloth to just damp so you are not dripping then lay across your turkey. Baste with the liquid mixture and place in oven.

Bake Turkey

Bake for 30 minutes. Then baste again and bring the temp down to 350°. Basting every 30 minutes and watching pan juices. If the pan gets too full, spoon out juices, reserving them for gravy. Turn your turkey every hr to let it brown evenly.

An hr before you turkey is done, carefully remove the cheesecloth. Turn roasting pan so it evenly bakes. Baste turkey with juices. Be careful with skin as it browns, it gets fragile. Do not forget to baste after 30 min as well. Cover the parts that are getting to dark with foil so not to get burnt.

Insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Do not poke into the bone. The temperature should reach 180°. Your turkey should be golden brown at this point.

When fully cooked through let it set for 30 minutes. After transfer to your serving platter so that the juices do not run. At this point the juices should have gone back into the turkey. This is why you let the bird set.

Keep the pan juices for your gravy.

Side Dishes

Green Bean Casserole