How to Prepare and Cook a Turkey for Thanksgiving

 

How to Prepare and Cook a Turkey for Thanksgiving

Ingredients: 

1 8-10 lb Turkey

½ stick salted butter

1 lemon zest

1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon mexican oregano

1 teaspoon red chile powder

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon onion salt

2 whole garlic cloves smashed and peeled

1 bunch rosemary

1 cup white win

1 bottle hard apple cider

1 onion quartered

Directions: 

If your turkey is frozen, thaw in the refrigerator 2-3 days before cooking. Rinse the turkey very well with cold water.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Separate the skin from the breast and insert ½ stick of butter in small pats under the skin.  Combine herbs in a small bowl and rub all over the turkey until completely coated.  Cover turkey and refrigerate for up to three days, but no less than one day to dry brine. When you are ready to cook the turkey, pull it out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for one hour before cooking.  This will allow the turkey to come to room temperature. At the same time preheat the oven to 450.

In the bottom of a large roasting pan, add the cider and enough wine to fill the pan to a 1/4-inch depth.  Add 1 whole onion in quarters, 2 garlic cloves, and 3 stems of rosemary.  You can also add 1 bay leaf. Stuff 1 whole lemon in halves into the turkey cavity, along with two to three rosemary stems. 

Place turkey, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Transfer pan to the oven and roast for 15 minutes on 450. Tent the turkey with aluminum foil. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh reaches a temperature of 165 degrees, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Once the turkey is cooked, transfer to a cutting board and tent with aluminum foil, let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.