The Juiciest Turkey Ever
I'd thought the store was nearly deserted at such a late hour when the cutest old lady turned the corner. Interpreting my surprised silence as a question of her authority, she muttered "I've been making turkeys for over fifty years...that's how to do it" and wandered on.
I never even got to thank her! I have no idea who she was, but I am truly grateful. This turned out to be the juiciest and most delicious turkey anyone at the dinner party has ever had. The whole bird was devoured before I even finished making the gravy. I wish I could tap her as a mentor, but alas, that was a one-time encounter.
*Modified from Safeway's "2-hour Turkey" pamphlet
Ingredients
1 frozen turkey, 10 to 24 lbs, thawed
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons kosher salt
1-2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
23 ounces chicken broth (1 box or 2 cans)
Supplies
aluminum foil
roasting pan
v-shaped roasting rack
oven thermometer
Prep
4-6 days beforehand, thaw the turkey
1-2 days beforehand, clean the oven to prevent smoking/burning
DO NOT USE A CONVECTION OVEN
Steps
1. Set oven rack to lowest rack. Preheat oven to 475 degrees and use an oven thermometer to check the temperature.
2. Remove and discard the truss that holds the turkey legs together. Remove the giblets and neck and set them aside for making gravy. Trim off and discard lumps of fat in neck and body cavity.
3. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cool water. Pat dry with paper towels.
4. Place the adjustable v-shaped rack in a pan about 13 in wide by 16 in long and 3 in deep. Set the rack so that the turkey is a minimum of 2 inches from pan bottom.
5. Rub the turkey skin all over generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set the turkey breast-side up on rack. Pull the wings away from body, then firmly twist them to push the wing tips under.
6. Leave legs untied. Do not add stuffing or close the body cavity.
7. Insert the oven-safe meat thermometer near the center of the breast through the thickest part of the breast until the tip touches bone. This is the coldest part of the turkey and the most accurate spot to check doneness.
8. Empty half the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan.
9. Construct an awesome aluminum foil tent around the bird, making sure to tuck in the foil so that all drippings will go back into the pan. Take extra care with this step ~ you don't want an oven fire. Also, construct the tent so that the foil avoids actually resting on the turkey. If you can do all that, try to also leave the thermometer readable without creating a big hole in the foil (sort of tent under the thermometer, still without letting the foil lay against the bird...yes it's tricky, but you can do it!).
10. Verify the oven temperature. Then roast according to chart at bottom of this post, checking as directed during cooking, until the thermometer reaches 160 degrees. Halfway through the roasting time, add the rest of the chicken broth to the bottom of the pan and rotate the pan to ensure even cooking.
11. (Optional) For the last few minutes, pull off the foil and return the turkey to the oven if you'd like it to be more brown/crisp on the outside.
12. Remove the pan from oven, set in a warm spot, and loosely cover pan with foil (or leave the tenting) to keep it warm. Let the turkey rest for 30 to 60 minutes. The resting period will allow the internal temperature to reach 165 degrees, the USDA safe cooking temperature for poultry. It also allows the juices to settle inside the meat so they won't go flowing all over the place when you cut it.
13. Transfer the turkey from the pan, being careful of any cavity juices which may come out. Reserve all juices in pan bottom for making gravy =)
14. Carve and enjoy! To carve, cut off legs at thigh joints. If joints are red or pink, return the legs to the oven in another pan at 475 for 3 to 5 minutes or heat them in a microwave for 3 to 4 minutes.
Turkey Time Chart*
Turkey Weight (Oven Time)
10-13 lbs (50min to 1hr15min)
13-16 lbs (1hr15min to 1hr50min)
16-19 lbs (1hr15min to 2hrs)
19-22 lbs (1hr30min to 2hrs)
22-24 lbs (1hr30min to 2hr30min)
*Same-weight birds aren't shaped the same, so some cook much faster than others. Start checking birds under 12 pounds at least 30 minutes before the minimum cooking time; for larger birds, start checking after 45 minutes of cooking. When the turkey's internal temperature reaches 140 degrees, check every 10 minutes until the thermometer reads 160 degrees. Meat and oven thermometers sometimes vary; if any meat looks less done than you like after carving, return it to the oven for a few minutes.
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