The Perfect Turkey

A neighbor asked me to teach her ceramics students how to cook a turkey. I asked her why turkey? Her students were all from Japan and they wanted to prepare an American Thanksgiving dinner for their families. I understood this, but, must admit, I did not want to teach a turkey cooking class. Let’s be honest, working with the big bird isn’t a graceful act. It’s not like I wanted an audience to watch me struggle to hoist a turkey out of its tight plastic wrap. That’s right, no farm-fresh bird in this house. I use the frozen, buy-one-get-one-free birds. And, cleaning the fowl is anything but glamorous. I work with the giblets in secrecy so my son won’t be repulsed. Now, I was asked to perform my ugly bird operation in front of an audience? Oh, I don’t think so.

You know if all of the parameters aren’t right, you end up with a big hot mess. Turkey can dry out faster than I can blink. If I had to perform in front of an audience then I needed the perfect turkey recipe, and a way to ensure that I could avoid the dreaded dry-as-toast results that do happen to real folks now and then.

To my delight, I found a fool-proof method that makes roasting a turkey easy as pie. The test kitchen at Williams-Sonoma came up with a beautiful buttermilk-brined turkey recipe that produces a delicious and moist turkey every time. Seriously!

I use this recipe in my home and it wows my family and friends. I bought the brine and the brining bags from Williams-Sonoma, which made preparing the turkey a snap. I plan ahead and clean out a shelf in my refrigerator. I use the month of November to toss out all of the old condiments, jams, and jellies in the back of my icebox. The empty shelf is reserved for the thawing of my turkey and the brining. I buy my brine and brining bags early because they do run out. I have asked for permission to run Williams-Sonoma’s recipe and they said yes. So without further delay here it is!

Buttermilk Brined Turkey

1½ cups turkey brine
1 quart water
4 quarts buttermilk
1 fresh turkey, 16 to 18 pounds, neck, heart and gizzard removed (reserved)
4 Tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the turkey brine and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until the brine dissolves, 5 to 10 minutes. Let the brine mixture cool to room temperature. In a large pot, stir together the brine mixture and buttermilk.

Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water and place in a large brining bag. Carefully pour the buttermilk brine mixture into the bag. Seal the bag, pressing out the air, and place in a large stockpot or other container large enough to hold the turkey. Refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove the turkey from the brine; discard the brine. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off and discard the excess fat. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Rub the skin evenly with the butter. Truss the turkey as desired using kitchen twine. Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F.

Roast the turkey for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325ºF and continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices. If the breast begins to cook too quickly, tent it loosely with aluminum foil. After about 2 hours of total roasting time, begin testing for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and thigh, away from the bone. The breast should register 165°F and the thigh, 175°F. Total roasting time should be 3 to 4 hours.

Transfer the turkey to a carving board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving. Serves 12 to 14.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen ©2009.