Cook the best turkey, even if you haven't before
The Thanksgiving table surrounded by friends and family enjoying delicious food is one of the most cherished times of the year.
And to help pull it off, we’re sharing our Best Roast Turkey Recipe (see below)—it’s not only a conversation starter but can silence any turkey critic. It’s juicy and delicious with that perfectly crispy skin we all love.
The secret? The entire turkey is covered with a wine- and butter-soaked cheesecloth that keeps the meat moist while the skin crisps to a gorgeous golden brown (the cloth protects it from the oven’s direct heat so it doesn’t brown faster than the meat cooks).
This recipe is so easy, even for a novice cook, as long as you read the recipe through to the end before shopping or prepping ingredients, and of course, get Summerhill’s best fresh whole turkey. this way you don’t miss a thing. When choosing wine to cook with, we recommend buying one you’d want to drink as well.
Whole Roast Turkey with Wine- And Butter-Soaked Cheesecloth
Ingredients
1 15-20 pound Summerhill’s best fresh whole turkey, giblets and neck removed
1½ cups salted melted butter
One 750-ml bottle good dry white wine (good enough for drinking)
½ cup salted butter, softened
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
1 package of prepared stuffing
Cheesecloth, folded over 4x then cut into a 17-inch square
Large heavy metal roasting pan, with rack
Kitchen string
Meat thermometer
Preparation
Let turkey stand for 2 hours at room temperature, pat dry with paper towels. Place oven rack on lowest level, and preheat oven to 450°F.
Combine the 1½ cups melted butter and white wine in medium bowl. Immerse cheesecloth in the butter and wine and let soak.
Place turkey, breast side up, on roasting rack; fold wing tips and neck flap under turkey; stuff the bird with one package of prepared stuffing and tie legs together loosely with kitchen string. Rub entire turkey with the ½ cup softened butter, and season generously with salt and pepper (approximately 2 teaspoons of each).
Remove soaked cheesecloth, reserving butter wine mixture, and spread over the entire turkey, and halfway down the sides; it can cover some of the leg area, just don’t tuck it under. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Cook for 30 minutes.
Then using a turkey baster, baste the cheesecloth and exposed parts of turkey with the reserved melted butter and wine mixture. Reduce oven to 350°F and continue to cook for 2 ½ more hours, basting every 60 minutes.
After 3 total hours of cooking, remove turkey from oven, carefully—so as not to damage or tear crispy skin— remove and discard cheesecloth. Turn roasting pan so breast is facing back of the oven. Baste turkey with pan juices, the skin gets fragile as it browns, so baste carefully.
Cook 1 more hour, basting after 30 minutes. After this fourth hour of cooking, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. The temperature should reach 180°F and the turkey should be golden brown. If legs are not yet fully cooked, baste turkey, return to oven, and cook another 20 to 30 minutes. When fully cooked, transfer turkey to serving platter, and let rest for about 30 minutes to an hour before carving. Enjoy!
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