Perfect Roast Turkey

Last weekend we invited both sets of grandparents over for a post-Christmas dinner.  I served Perfect Roast Turkey, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans with Prosciutto, Parker House Rolls, and Cranberry Orange Relish (brought by my mom).  For dessert we enjoyed Pumpkin Crunch Cake and two kinds of pies (pies also provided by my mom).  It was one of the best meals I’ve prepared in a long time, if I do say so myself.  Whenever I cook a big meal like this, there is normally one thing or another that goes wrong.  But this meal just seemed to come together perfectly, which was surprising given that I made up two of the recipes (the turkey and the green beans) as I went along.

I’m calling the turkey Perfect Roast Turkey to mimic the title of my Perfect Roast Chicken.  And because, well, it turned out perfectly juicy and flavorful.  Not that I’m bragging or anything.

Perfect Roast Turkey

recipe by Cara

Ingredients:

• a roasting turkey (mine was a 15 pounder)
• 1 stick of butter, room temperature
• 1 onion, quartered (you can also used chopped onions.  I buy pre-chopped onions from the freezer section so I NEVER have to chop onions!)
• 1 carrot, or a handful of baby carrots
• 1 apple, cored and cut into several pieces
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• kosher salt
• pepper
• 3/4 cup white wine, divided (I used Pinot Grigio that I had on hand)
• 1/2 cup water

Remove neck and giblets from the turkey, and rinse the cavity.  Pat turkey dry with paper towels.  Sprinkle salt liberally in the cavity.  Rub the entire stick of butter over the outside of the turkey AND under the skin.  Pour 1/4 cup of wine into the cavity, then stuff the cavity with the onion, carrot, apple, and thyme.  Use your hand to stir it around a little.  Sprinkle the outside of the turkey with salt and pepper.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup of white wine and 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the roasting pan.  Cook turkey at 325 degrees F for the time directed on the turkey package, based on its weight (my 15 pound bird cooked for 4 hours at 325).  If your turkey starts to get too brown, just put a loose tent of foil over it and continue cooking.  Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Save the carcass for turkey stock!