We had our pasture-raised turkey this year, cooked to perfection!
Whether pasture-raised or not, your turkey will be moist and tender and the best ever.
Start with a dry brine: 12-24 hours before serving, rinse the turkey and pat it dry. Rub all over with kosher salt, slipping salt under the skin where possible and rubbing some in the cavities. Use about 1 tbsp per 4 pounds of bird.
Place uncovered in refrigerator.
Day of: A couple of hours before cooking, remove turkey and pat underside dry. (no need to rinse). Place in roasting pan and allow to come to room temperature.
Sprinkle main cavity with pepper, add thyme, parsley, 1 onion, halved, and 1 apple, cored and halved.
Truss legs with kitchen twine.
Rub butter under breast skin and onto thigh meat. Sprinkle with pepper.
Create a tent: Place turkey breast side up in a roasting pan, preferably on a grate to keep the bird off the bottom of the pan. Pour 2 cups chicken stock into the pan.
Wrap the long end of a sheet of extra-wide parchment paper around the perimeter of the pan, overlapping the edges.
Pull the paper snug around the sides of the pan and use cooking twine to hold paper in place.
Fold resulting cylinder of paper to create a tent over the bird, as if wrapping an oddly shaped present.
Close the top securely with a couple of tight folds. This keeps the moisture inside the pan and eliminates the need for basting.
Roasting: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place turkey in oven, reduce temperature to 325 and roast for about 15-20 minutes per pound to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. For pasture-raised turkeys, roast to 150 degrees. Check the temperature by piercing the paper with meat thermometer.
Remove turkey to separate serving platter and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes.
See our carving tips, here.
