Recipe by Chef Michael Williams
The Best Turkey Ever
- Prep time 20 mins
- Cook time 11 mins
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This turkey recipe will produce an absolutely amazing bird for you and yours. We do not stuff the bird as that increases the cooking time and dries out the meat, and we do not baste because repeatedly opening the oven door loses heat.
Ingredients
- For the brine:
- To place in the bird cavity (for roasting):
Directions
- Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
- You are going to need a large stock pot or a big bucket for this. Combine the turkey with the chilled brine liquid and the ice water in your stock pot or bucket and place in the fridge. You can also brine in a cooler with ice packs if you do not have room in the fridge. Ensure that the container is just a little bigger than the turkey or else you will need more brining liquid. Leave in the brine over night or 6-12 hours turning turkey over once, half way through brining.
- Heat oven to 500 º F.
- Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water and then pat dry with paper towel inside and out. Discard brine.
- Place bird on roasting rack or inside wide, low pan and then add the onion, apple, garlic and herbs inside the cavity of the bird. Tuck wing tips underneath the back, tie the legs together if not done already and coat whole bird well with canola oil or melted butter.
- Place in pre-heated oven and roast for 30 minutes at 500 º F. Remove from oven and cover the breasts only with double layer of aluminum foil (triangle shape works best), insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 º F. Roast until thermometer reads 164 º F . A 14 to 16 pound turkey will take about 2 to 2 1/2.
- Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15-30 minutes before carving.
