Simple Roast Turkey
Simple roast turkey is an easy way to cook the perfect bird for Thanksgiving. And by that we mean the best, most juiciest roast turkey imaginable. A failproof technique, even for beginner cooks.
Ingredients
- One (15-pound) turkey, thawed, if necessary, and at room temperature, wing tips removed, reserving giblets and neck for gravy, and the liver for stuffing
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup water, or turkey or chicken stock, homemade or canned
- Basic giblet gravy, optional
Instructions
- Place oven rack on second level from bottom of oven. Heat oven to 500°F (260°C). [Editor's Note: If you haven't scrubbed that volcanic-looking burnt-on apple pie filling from the floor of the oven yet, now would be a good time to do so.]
- Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat it dry. Sprinkle the outside with pepper. If stuffing the bird, stuff both cavities, securing the openings with long metal skewers. Do not truss the turkey.
- Place the turkey in an 18-by-13-by-2-inch roasting pan, breast side up. Put it in the oven legs first. After 20 minutes, wiggle the turkey around with a sturdy spatula to keep from it from sticking to the pan. Roast until the leg joint near the backbone wiggles easily, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads between 165°F (74°C), about 2 hours.
- Remove the turkey to a large platter. Let sit 20 minutes before carving.
- Pour off the excess fat from the juices in the roasting pan so you are left with just a slick of pan juices. Place the pan on top of the stove, setting it over 2 burners, if necessary. Add the water or stock and bring to a boll while scraping the bottom of the pan vigorously with a wooden spoon, loosening all the crisp burnt-on bits, which will add intensity to the gravy. Let reduce by half. Serve the jus on the side in a sauce-boat or add it to a giblet gravy.
Notes
- Use a disposable pan--If you don't have a large turkey roasting pan, buy a heavy-duty foil roasting pan. It's inexpensive, and you can toss it out when you're done.
- Storage--Leftover turkey can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 4 days and frozen for up to 3 months.
- Dietary--This recipe (without stuffing) is suitable for gluten-free and dairy-free diets.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portion | Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 85g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 278mg | Sodium: 703mg | Sugar: 1g