Alton Brown’s Perfect Roast Turkey for Thanksgiving
I remember my first turkey. I was 25; it was 20 pounds. I had no idea what I was doing, so I snagged a recipe from a glossy food mag that promised to produce the perfect turkey. The ingredients required for the stuffing and the glaze cost exactly two dollars more than the turkey itself, not including the gas it took to drive to three different markets in search of said ingredients.
To make a long and painful story short, I worked my butt off all day long and was rewarded with a turkey that had all the flavor and mouthfeel of pulverized Sheetrock, though I have to say, the stuffing and skin were sublime. Of course, that’s the ultimate goal of most turkey recipes: to create a great skin and stuffing to hide the fact that turkey meat, in its cooked state, is dry and flavorless. Does it have to be that way? No. We just have to focus on what the turkey is and what the turkey needs. And we have to consider what it is we really want. This is how I see it…
To prepare a juicy, flavorful turkey with a pleasantly crisp, brown skin that tastes terrific even without the assistance of stuffing or gravy. All of the (minimal) ingredients you need are in bold type.
HERE IS THE GEAR REQUIRED FOR THIS PROJECT
- One 5-gallon cooler with a drain spout
- Five 1-gallon resealable plastic bags
- Freezer packs
- Paper towels
- V-shaped rack (optional)
- Large roasting pan (two disposable aluminum pans are fine)
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil
- Scissors
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- Disposable kitchen gloves (optional)
- Probe thermometer with digital base, insulated wire, and alarm
- Carving knife
- Large cutting board
Because it’s not very moist to begin with, turkey meat is extremely easy to overcook. Once overcooked, it becomes very unappealing indeed. What’s worse, turkeys are composed of two different types of meat—white and dark—which have to be cooked to different temperatures.
· Buy the right bird.
· Alter the nature of the meat.
· Cook the meat in two phases, one to brown and crisp the skin and another to cook the bird to the exact state of doneness.
· Let the meat rest to preserve moisture.