Slow Roasted Turkey

By Hklbrries

... Chef Pete Tobin, Inland Northwest Culinary Academy instructor suggests allowing 1 pound of turkey per person. The Butterball Turkey “Thanksgiving Guide” says cooks can double that if you want leftovers.

Pete Tobin, chef and instructor at the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy, shared his sure-fire secrets for moist, flavorful turkey. It just might turn your turkey roasting technique, well, on its breast.

Tobin brines the turkey and slow roasts it breast-side down to keep it moist.

“I know it is hard to break from tradition. If you are looking for something different or you have never cooked a turkey, give this a try and you may start a whole new tradition,” he says. ...

(Lorie Hutson, Correspondent)

Ingredients

• 1 large turkey (18 to 20 pounds)
• 2 cups kosher salt or 1 cup table salt
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Preparation

Step 1

Remove giblets, neck and tail from turkey. Rinse bird well.

Pour 2 gallons of water into a lined or food-safe bucket or large pot. Add salt and stir well. Place turkey in the water. Refrigerate below 40 degrees for eight hours.

To cook the turkey: Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Remove turkey from water and rinse well with cold water until all traces of salt are gone.

Place 1/3 of the vegetables in the cavity of the turkey. Place another 1/3 on the bottom of the roasting pan along with the thyme.

Truss the legs of the bird together and spread the butter over the entire bird. Place bird breast side down over vegetables. (Note: If you have a rack to place bird on, use it so the skin won’t stick to the vegetables.)

Pour 1 cup of water into the pan and roast 3 hours. Baste the back side every hour and replace water if the vegetables dry out.

Remove bird from oven and close oven door. Turn the bird over so the breast side is up. Return to oven and baste the breast well. Roast for an additional hour.

Turn oven up to 400 degrees and roast until the skin turns golden brown and internal temperature is 165 in the thickest part of the thigh.

To make the gravy: While the turkey is roasting breast side down. Place tail, neck, giblets, bay leaf and remaining vegetables in a saucepan.

Place 6 cups cold water in the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook 1 hour uncovered. Remove any scum from the surface. Add liver in last 5 minutes of cooking.

Strain the stock and hold in the refrigerator. Dice the giblets and liver. Reserve until later.

When the turkey is finished cooking, remove from oven and hold in a warm place.

Strain any pan drippings into a saucepan. Deglaze the roasting pan by heating it over two burners and adding the cool stock from above. Heat and remove any brown bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Strain into the saucepan. Add the diced giblets; simmer 5 minutes. Mix cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of cold water and add to the sauce; stir well and bring to a boil. The sauce will thicken.

Carve the turkey and serve.