The Perfect Turkey Recipe

Cooking a turkey can be one of the most daunting kitchen tasks. But, with a little patience, an oven timer, a few simple ingredients and an accurate meat thermometer - anyone can bring a delicious turkey to the table.

Here is Executive Chef Ian Krystik's simple recipe for the star of your Thanksgiving dinner.


The recipe that follows is for a small 12-14 .lb bird:

Ingredients:

1 12-14 pound turkey
3 Tablespoons truffle butter
2 Tablespoons melted butter
2 Onions roughly chopped
1 Carrot roughly chopped
½ of one bunch of celery roughly chopped
6 Sprigs Rosemary
2 sprigs Thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
S & P to taste

Kitchen Supplies:

1 Pastry brush
Roasting pan
Kitchen Twine


Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Thaw turkey under cold running water.

• Once thawed remove giblets and neck (if any)

• Place a turkey on a roasting rack in a pan

• Place Rosemary in turkey cavity as well as a few vegetables, place remaining vegetables around the turkey

• Add a ½ cup water (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan)

• Lift the skin of the turkey breast up. (Skin is barely connected, so this is pretty easy.)

• Try not to create too much of an opening at the front of the breast.

• Take truffle butter & thyme and stuff under the skin, directly on the breast meat.

• Using a pastry brush baste entire turkey with melted butter and add a teaspoon salt to skin.
  

• Cover turkey with aluminum foil, tenting the aluminum foil as to not have foil touching the turkey, cook at 350 degrees for 3 to 3.5 hours.
  

• NOTE: Meat should approximately take 15 minutes per pound.

• With about 20 minutes left in cooking time remove foil and baste with juices thoroughly. Allow approximately 20 minutes for turkey to brown.

• Turkey should reach an internal temperature of 175 degrees.

• At this point, allow turkey to rest for about twenty minutes.

Carve and enjoy with your guests!

Or leave all the cooking to Chef Ian and join us for Thanksgiving Day Brunch.


Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the Lodge at Buckberry Creek!