How Do You Cook The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey?
The best way to cook a turkey is to brine it and roast it. See this recipe for brining a turkey:
How do you brine a turkey easy for juicy breast meat?
After brining your turkey, remove it from the brine and rinse it out. Then prepare the aromatics: combine an apple, an onion, garlic, a lemon, cinnamon sticks, 4 sprigs of rosemary, 6 leaves of sage and canola oil. Put everything besides the canola oil in a bowl and cook on high for 5 minutes to get the scents flowing. Stuff the aromatics in the turkey’s cavity. Tuck the wings under the bird and coat it liberally with canola oil.
Roast the turkey on the lowest rack at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. You should cook the bird for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Many want the traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. Cooking a perfect Thanksgiving turkey is not a difficult task. It does not even need basting! Whether you use a fresh or frozen turkey, here is a method that works. Purchase your turkey. Often frozen turkeys are on sale before Thanksgiving for $.49 or $.69 a pound, often offered at this low price if you buy $10 or so of other groceries. The price is right. You can get several turkeys in the same store over the course of a week, and keep the extras in the freezer. No one ever said you can’t have turkey in July. Thaw your turkey for several days in the refrigerator. It is important to thaw it in the refrigerator so that bacteria growth is not severe. The thawing time depends on the size of the turkey. A 20 pounder might take 6 days or a week; a smaller 15 pound turkey will probably thaw in 4-5 days. A fresh turkey is purchased a few days before Thanksgiving, and should keep in the refrigerator until cooked. Prepare the turkey for t
