The turkey is the most important part of your holiday meal. But it’s also the hardest to prepare. The legs cook slower than the white meat, which often turns out dry and chalky before the dark meat is safe to eat. What’s more, the skin often fails to crisp, and the meat tends to be bland. We’ve cooked hundreds of turkeys and know what works when it comes time to roast your holiday bird. And since no turkey is complete without gravy and stuffing, you’ll find our best tips for those recipes as well.
HOW TO PREPARE A TURKEY FOR ROASTING
A frozen 20-pound bird can take four days to thaw in the refrigerator. Plan on one day per five pounds of turkey, and always thaw in the refrigerator.
1. After removing the outer wrapping from the turkey, remove the neck and giblet package from the turkey cavity. Be sure to check both cavities of the turkey.
2. Pat the turkey thoroughly dry with paper towels.
3. Secure the legs by tucking the ankles of the bird into the band of skin at the tail end. If the band is missing, tie the legs together at the ankles with kitchen twine.
4. The bird will look neater if you tuck the wing tips under the bird. Grasp each wing tip and twist it toward the bird. Tuck it under the bottom of the bird.
5. Brush the breast and legs with melted butter.
6. Place the turkey breast-side down in the V-rack and brush with melted butter.
FOOLPROOF MAKE-AHEAD GRAVY
1. Brown, then sweat the onion, neck, heart, and gizzard (but not the liver) to build a deep base of flavor.
2. Deglaze with chicken broth and water, scraping the flavorful brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. Strain out (and discard) giblets and onion; the broth can be refrigerated until ready to use.
4. Stir flour into melted butter, whisking constantly, to make a roux, which thickens the gravy and adds nutty flavor.
5. Slowly add broth to roux, whisking constantly, until full incorporated. This mixture can be made a day in advance.
6. While the turkey rests, pour defatted drippings from the roasting pan into gravy for extra richness.
TURNING THE TURKEY
Our favorite method for roasting a turkey calls for roasting the bird breast-side down for the first hour and then flipping it onto its back until it's done. We developed this unusual technique through much trial and error (and literally dozens of turkeys) to ensure the dark and white meat get done at the same time, thus preventing chalky, dry breast meat. The dark meat, exposed to the high heat of the oven at the start, gets a head start while the leaner breast is afforded some protection. We freely admit our technique adds a step, also that the cook will have to briefly tussle with a hot, cumbersome turkey. But the payoff is very much worth the effort. The method guarantees a moist, juicy turkey from tip to tail or, more accurately, breast to thigh. And did we mention the golden, crackling skin? One word of caution: The bigger the bird, the harder it is to flip. Make sure to insulate your hands with clean pot holders or kitchen towels.
TIP & FLIP
Tip the turkey so the juices in the cavity run into the pan. Then, with kitchen towels or potholders, flip the turkey and set breast-side up on the rack.
HOW TO TAKE THE TEMPERATURE OF TURKEY
Nothing ruins turkey timing like a faulty temperature reading, leaving the turkey unpalatably dry or, worse, undercooked. To be sure we've cooked our turkey correctly, we take the temperature in multiple spots. And forget about those pop-up timers. They are set to go off when the turkey is overcooked.
TO TAKE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE BREAST:
Insert the thermometer at the neck end, holding it parallel to the bird. Confirm the temperature in both sides of the bird. The breast should reach 165 degrees.
TO TAKE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE THIGH:
Insert an instant-read thermometer between the breast and drumstick and into the thickest part of the thigh, staying away from the bone. The thigh should reach 175 degrees. Confirm the temperature in the other thigh.
CARVE TURKEY LIKE A PRO
Despite the clichés of proud dads slicing at the table, carving is a messy job. Better to get down and dirty in the kitchen, where you can break down the turkey and carve neat, picture-perfect slices without anyone seeing. To serve the meat, transfer it to a pretty platter and bring to the table.
STEP 1
Slice through the skin between the breast and leg and, using your hands, pull the leg quarters down until the joint between breast and leg is exposed. Remove the leg by cutting between the hip joint and any attached skin. Repeat with opposite leg. Remove the wings by cutting through the wing joints.
STEP 2
Separate the thighs from the drumsticks by cutting between the joint that connects the two. Leave the drumsticks whole and slice the thigh meat off the bone.
STEP 3
Remove the breast meat from the carcass by running the tip of the knife along the breastbone.
STEP 4
Use your other hand to hold and pry meat from the bone as you cut.
STEP 5
Slice the removed breast meat crosswise into slices. Repeat with the other breast.
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