Before beginning, make sure there are sufficient serving utensils, serving bowls, platters, china and cutlery for all your guests. New cooks often find they are short on these.
The turkey
Many recipes will recommend brining the turkey. Brining is an excellent plan if using an organic or other high-end bird, but the average fowl from the grocery store has been brined already. Check the label. Grocery turkeys contain a saline solution, so there’s no need to brine.
Be sure to buy a frozen turkey a few days in advance. It can take up to four days for a frozen turkey to thaw correctly in the refrigerator. If it is necessary to thaw a turkey at the last minute, use cold water in a cooler. Change the water frequently and be sure the packaging is intact. Cut the bird into smaller pieces to continue thawing and never let a turkey thaw on the counter, as it is a shortcut to foodborne illnesses. As soon as the turkey is thawed, remove the giblets, if included.
Do not stuff the turkey. Make dressing instead and serve it with the turkey. Stuffing lengthens the cooking time and also carries a risk of bacterial toxins. Some old family recipes actually called for a stuffing made with raw eggs stuffed into massive turkeys. Don’t make this mistake. There are few things worse for a cook’s reputation than making guests ill.
For quickest cooking, spatchcock the turkey, which is sometimes called butterflying. This is a method often used with game birds. This puts the dark meat (the legs and thighs) to the outside, and the white meat nearer the center. Since the breast cooks more quickly and is more likely to dry out, spatchcocking allows the bird to cook more quickly and evenly.
To spatchcock a bird, place the thawed bird breastbone down on a clean, dry cutting board. Using sturdy kitchen shears or a heavy, sharp knife, cut along one side of the spine. If using a knife, it is helpful to make one smooth cut through the skin and flesh, and then cut through the rib bones on a second cut. Then make a similar cut on the other side of the spine, removing it and reserving it for stock. If using shears, just cut through the ribs to either side of the spine.
Turn the bird over and spread out the sides, pressing down firmly on the breastbone. The bone must be cracked so the carcass will remain flat during cooking. Cut off the tips of the wings and reserve for stock, or bend them back on themselves to prevent burning during the cooking process.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and prepare a roasting pan with a cooking rack. A turkey should not rest directly on the pan. For best results, pat the turkey dry, inside and out, with clean paper towels. Rub the inside of the turkey with a dry rub made from sea salt, ground black pepper and a bit of garlic or onion powder and paprika.
With the turkey skin side up, take a very sharp knife and prick the skin. Make the pricks nearly parallel to the skin to avoid nicking the flesh. This will allow steam to leave the skin so it crisps properly. Do this to every inch of skin for the best results. Then apply the dry rub to the skin.
Place the bird skin side up on the rack in the pan. Roast, uncovered, for about 20 minutes to begin browning the skin, and then turn the heat down to 375 degrees. Depending on the size of the bird, it should take an hour to three hours to finish. Don’t bother using a baster. Basting makes the skin soggy, and every time the oven is opened, more time is added to the cooking process.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
A turkey is fully and safely cooked when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees. Start checking the turkey after an hour and a half for a small bird and two hours for a larger one. Check about every 15 minutes if it is not done when first checked. A turkey needs to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving and the largest birds will benefit from 20 minutes of rest. Only carve as much as is needed to serve immediately. Cutting too much at once leads to cold, dry turkey.
The sides
Mashed potatoes are the quintessential side dish on Thanksgiving. The key is to use starchy potatoes and lots of dairy and salt. Idaho russets are ideal for this dish. They can be made with the skin on or peeled.
Bring salted water to boil in the largest pot in the kitchen. The more water is used, the more evenly and quickly the spuds will cook. Cut the tubers in cubes, as close to the same size as possible. Once the water is at a rolling boil, drop in the potatoes and let the water return to a boil. The potatoes are done when a fork slides in easily.
Drain them in a colander and then return them to the empty pot to continue steaming. Heat milk or half and half in a small pot and melt butter in the simmering pot. Add salt and ground white pepper.
Using a potato masher, crush the potatoes and add the hot dairy gradually. Some small lumps will likely remain, but this is better than the gummy potatoes that result from overworking the spuds. It will take more salt than one would expect to season the potatoes, so be ready to add more if needed.
The gravy is often a favorite part of the meal. While the turkey is cooking, simmer the backbone, neck and any other parts trimmed off the turkey with a bit of onion, carrot and celery. Some people like the giblets to be included in the stock, but others do not appreciate the taste.
This stock will be the base for the gravy. Strain off the stock and chill in the fridge. While the turkey is resting, skim off the fat from the roasting pan. Strain the pan juices and add to the chilling stock. In saucepan, whisk the fat together with an equal weight of flour to make a roux. The roux should be the texture of mashed potatoes when it is done. Over low to medium heat, add the stock and pan juices to the roux, whisking briskly. If needed, add some milk to the gravy. After, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Dressing recipes are easy to find. Use a family recipe or one from the internet or a favorite cookbook.
Avoid canned sides such as cranberry sauce or canned sweet potatoes. These often contain huge amounts of high-fructose corn syrup and other additives.
Steve “Mo†Fye is a food columnist for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
