Rec: Roast Turkey...is this what you want? I have the mags and they have changed their recipe
several times. This year's version is salted instead of brined and the breast chilled with ice packs to keep it from cooking too quickly. Get's more complicated all the time! If this isn't what you want and you can be more specific, I will find the recipe you want. This one was in USA Today, I got if online.
Recipes for a successful Thanksgiving
Updated 11/14/2006 7:26 PM ET
Christopher Kimball, editor of Cook's Illustrated and host of PBS' America's Test Kitchen, loves to make dishes from scratch. "There's a joy in working with your hands and producing something other people are going to eat," he says.
Kimball shares his favorite Thanksgiving recipes with USA TODAY's Nanci Hellmich.
Roast turkey
Serves 10 to 24
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 2 1/2 to 4 hours plus 30 minutes resting time
If you have time and can plan ahead, we recommend brining the turkey (soaking it in a solution of water and salt before cooking), as this will further enhance the flavor and texture.
To ensure even cooking, we roast the bird breast-side down for the first part of the cooking time, then flip it breast-side up to finish. If you want to skip this step, simply roast the turkey breast-side up for the entire time and protect the breast with a small piece of foil if it begins to over-brown. If using a disposable roasting pan, support it underneath with a sturdy rimmed baking sheet. Depending on the size of the turkey, total roasting time will vary from 2 to 3½ hours (12- to 22-pound) turkey, fully thawed if frozen, brined if desired.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the neck and giblets and pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Trim the tailpiece, tie the legs together and tuck the wings under the bird.
2. Line a V-rack with foil and poke several holes in the foil. Set the rack inside the roasting pan and spray the foil with vegetable oil spray.
3. Brush the breast side of the turkey with half of the butter, then season with salt and pepper. Lay the turkey in the rack breast-side down. Brush the back of the turkey with the remaining butter, then season with salt and pepper. Roast the turkey for 1 hour.
4. Remove the turkey from the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Tip the juice from the cavity of the turkey into the pan. Flip the turkey breast-side up using clean potholders or kitchen towels.
5. Continue to roast the turkey until the thigh registers 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (ignore any pop-up timer), 1 to 2½ hours longer. Add the chicken broth as needed to prevent the drippings from burning.
6. Tip the turkey so that the juice from the cavity runs into the roasting pan. Transfer the turkey to a carving board and let rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes, before carving.
Brining 101
The process of brining (or soaking meat in a solution of water, salt, and sometimes sugar before cooking) can dramatically improve the flavor and tenderness of chicken, turkey and pork. As it soaks, the meat absorbs the brine and then retains it during cooking. The result? The juiciest and best-tasting poultry or pork you've ever eaten. Best of all, brining is easy; all you need is some refrigerator space, a little time, and a container big enough to submerge the meat fully in the brine. Brining isn't essential, but we highly recommend it in simple roasted or grilled recipes. Do not brine kosher poultry, frozen injected turkeys (such as Butterball), or enhanced pork. Before they make it to supermarket shelves, these products are treated with salt in one form or another. We have made this mistake before; brining any of these products only intensifies these treatments, resulting in virtually inedible meat. If in doubt, check labels, which always indicate if salt has been added during processing.
Brining directions: Dissolve the salt and sugar in the water in a container or bowl large enough to hold the brine and meat, following the amounts in the chart. Submerge the meat completely in the brine.
Cover and refrigerate, following the times in the chart (do not overbrine or else the meat will taste too salty). Remove the meat from the brine, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels. The meat is now ready to be cooked.
Salt: Table vs. kosher. Table salt was used for all the brines in the chart below, although kosher salt can be substituted. It is important to note, however, that cup for cup, table salt is stronger than kosher salt. If you use kosher salt in a brine, multiply the amount of salt called for in the chart by 1 1/2 times. (Because turkey must roast for an extended amount of time, the sugar in the brine will cause overbrowning. Therefore, we omit the sugar in the brine for turkeys.)
•1 turkey (12 to 17 pounds); 2 gallons cold water; 1 cup salt; time 6 to 12 hours
•1 turkey (18 to 24 pounds); 3 gallons cold water; 1 1/2 cup salt; time: 6 to 12 hours
•1 bone-in turkey breast (6 to 8 pounds); 1 gallon cold water; 1/2 cup; time: 3 to 6 hours
http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2006-11-14-tgiving-turkey_x.htm
