Oven Roasted Turkey
Christmas Recipes Meat Dishes Turkey Oven Recipes
The turkey was the centerpiece of my Christmas menu. I applied the same technique as with roast chicken to achieve a juicy and flavorful roast inside, only adapted for large pieces of meat. Simply salting the turkey wouldn't work - the salt wouldn't penetrate quickly enough, so I turned to an extreme technique: brining. The salt and all the aromatics enter the meat, so say goodbye to dry or flavorless turkey pieces.
I chose a smaller turkey to avoid technical problems, but even so I couldn't find a pot big enough for it, and the baking tray was at its limit... but I managed and the result exceeded my expectations.
But let me tell you about my new oven: imagine that in the era of electric ovens, I still got a gas one. I barely found it, I felt like I was searching for dinosaurs. After many tests with two electric ovens I couldn't get used to them and the steam that came out every time I opened the door and had to protect my face (the first time I got burned and I always felt like the food was burning in it) completely discouraged me. So gas was the right choice for me. Unlike the old one, it also has a fan, but I haven't used it yet, I stuck with the classic cooking method. And the best part: it only has three buttons 😋, which was my special requirement (no preset programs and all kinds of settings to bother with). Just thermostat, start/stop and the baking button (classic, with fan and grill). I'm so pleased that I got used to it quickly!!!! No brain damage 😉
Ingredients
1 whole turkey (4 kg)
1 onion
1 lemon
5 garlic cloves
1 slice smoked bacon (optional)
Brine
15 cups room temperature water
6 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
6 bay leaves
10 allspice berries, lightly crushed
4 dried hot peppers
Seasoning
3 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons mustard
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
How to prepare oven roasted turkey
- If the turkey is frozen, let it thaw in the refrigerator. Then wash it well, including the inside.
- Prepare the brine: In a small saucepan, boil 1 cup of water (from the 15) together with the bay leaves, hot peppers broken into pieces, and crushed allspice for about 2 minutes. Let it cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, mix the remaining water with sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Add the aromatics water from above and mix. Place the turkey in the brine and refrigerate for 2 days.
* Ideally you should have a pot that fits the turkey and prepare enough brine to completely cover it; mine wasn't fully covered because I didn't have a large enough pot, so I turned the turkey in the pot every few hours; if you need more brine, increase the amount of water, but also increase the salt, sugar and aromatics proportionally!!!
** If the turkey is larger, you'll need to brine it longer; e.g., a 7-8 kg turkey should be brined for 4 days - Remove the turkey from the brine, wash it well again under cold running water and then pat dry with paper towels. Cover the turkey with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 more day, so the brine distributes evenly inside.
- Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 2 hours before roasting, so it has time to come to room temperature.
- Mix all the seasonings until you get a uniform paste. Rub this paste all over the turkey. Place quartered onion, lemon and whole unpeeled garlic cloves inside the turkey. If needed, tie the wings and legs so the turkey has a nice "position". I immobilized the wings with a long skewer, and tucked the legs under the belly skin.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the turkey in the pan breast side down.
- Roast the turkey for 20 minutes.
- Turn the turkey breast side up. Reduce temperature to 170°C. Leave the turkey for 1 more hour.
- Now reduce the temperature to 150°C and leave it for another hour. During this hour, don't forget to baste the turkey every 20 minutes with the juices in the pan or with a little melted smoked bacon (if you want the skin to have a slight smoky flavor; I basted mine with bacon).
* If your turkey is larger or smaller, adjust the roasting time at 150°C accordingly; if the turkey is extremely large and as you increase the roasting time you see it browning too much on top or around the wings, place aluminum foil over those areas. - My 4 kg turkey was done in 2 hours and 20 minutes. For safety you can use a meat thermometer. Check that the temperature reaches 70-75°C in the thickest part of the breast.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and cover it with aluminum foil, letting it rest for at least 15 minutes. The internal temperature will rise by about 5 degrees during this time.
- Serve the turkey while warm.
In the brine
Stuffed turkey rubbed with seasonings
After 1 hour and 20 minutes
Oven Roasted Turkey
Carving the turkey
Drumsticks
