Do some of these tips, or do them all, and make this Thanksgiving turkey a bird that will be talked about and compared to for years to come.
#1 - Brine the Turkey
Make the turkey flavorful and juicy with this simple brine.
Fill a clean cooler up with cold water about half way, add a cup of kosher salt and a cup of white sugar and stir it up, some will add aromatic spices like garlic, onion, bay leaf, lemon, liquid smoke, rosemary, thyme, sage…….
But I personally keep it simple and find that the most flavor gets added in the next step.
#2 - Stuff the Turkey
It's well known that dressing or stuffing in a bird will dry it out, instead add those aromatics to the bird itself. Do as you like, but I like to add the rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and moist aromatic vegetables to the inside.
I'll quarter up some garlic, onions, apples, and lemons along with fresh herbs
Now this will keep your bird super juicy and moist.
#3 - Season & Baste the Turkey
The seasoning can be as simple and as complicated as you would like. I personally keep it rather simple with just a couple added tricks.
I'll take a little bit of rosemary and thyme and grind it in a space grinder we then add a good seasoning salt. Mix the herbs with the seasoning salt and liberally coat the bird. It's important to cover every bit and have enough seasoning.
Now take a bit more of the seasoning add it to two sticks of butter, melt it down and hour before the turkey is done start basting, this will give the bird that beautiful golden color and that crisp skin.
#4 - Buy a Local Bird
Try and find a local farmer that raises turkeys, and does it well. This will give you a bird with some local flavor, you may of heard of a fancy term terrwa often used to describe the flavor of wine from a certain region. A bird that is grown on pasture, were it can eat bugs, pasture, and is well fed will have a depth of flavor that goes beyond the seasoning added. Giving the center piece of your feast a unique story and a great conversation.