Usually, I do some kind of fancy bird (ask my brothers about the apple cider glazed turkey from one year. What? You don't like your gravy slightly sweet and cinnamon-y?) This year, we opted for traditional. Turkey, gravy, smashed potatoes, and a variety of roasted and steamed vegetables served with dinner rolls and cranberry sauce from a can!
People really shouldn't be afraid of making Thanksgiving dinner. There are 3 keys to turning out the perfect turkey--and they are very easy to achieve.
(1) Brine the turkey. I even brined and defrosted in one step: buy the turkey, which is usually frozen. Dissolve 1 cup of salt per 1 gallon of water. For a 14 pound turkey, I used about 2 gallons. Submerge the turkey in the brine for a day, refrigerated. It will be brined and defrosted by then.
(2) Use a meat thermometer. Before roasting, stick the thermometer into the turkey's thigh without touching bone. Roast until the temperature reaches a minimum of 165 degrees. This is the only reliable way of making sure your turkey is cooked to a safe and delicious temperature.
(3) Baste. In this year's case, I made it even simpler by creating a way for the turkey to baste itself. I formed a lattice of bacon over the breast of the turkey that would melt and baste the turkey as it roasted without me having to check on things every 20 minutes or so. I loosely tented foil around the bacon-latticed turkey and stuck it into a 350 degree oven.
About half an hour before the turkey was done, I took the foil and the bacon off. I brushed the turkey with some herbed butter and let the bacon continue to crisp on the side in its own dish while the turkey browned.
Easy peas-ey!
