Ultimate Thanksgiving Turkey

I have a couple relatives who have allergic reactions to MSG; as a result, every year for Thanksgiving, we buy an organic turkey, because it means no brine, and therefore, no MSG. Unfortunately, the lack of brine also tends to result in a drier and less flavorful bird. Well I did the research, then a lot of trial and error, and have concocted a roast turkey recipe that has no MSG but is probably the best tasting turkey you will ever have.

Ingredients

  • 1 Turkey
  • Brine
    • 2 qts vegetable stock
    • 3/4 cup kosher salt
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • 1 Tbs dried rosemary
    • 1 Tbs dried sage
    • 1 Tbs dried thyme
    • 3 bay leaves
    • 1 Tbs whole peppercorns
    • 1 Tbs crushed garlic
    • 1/4 cup white vinegar
    • Juice of 1 lemon
    • 2 qts cold water
  • Spice Blend
    • 4 Tbs Black Pepper, ground
    • 2 Tbs Paprika
    • 2 Tbs Brown Sugar
    • 2 Tbs Onion Powder
    • 2 Tbs Garlic Powder
  • Herb Butter (fresh herbs could also be swapped for one package of poultry herbs from the grocery store)
    • 4 tsp fresh Rosemary (stems removed)
    • 4 tsp fresh Thyme (stems removed)
    • 2 tsp fresh Sage (stems removed)
    • 2 tsp crushed Garlic
    • Half of the spice blend listed above
    • 1 stick unsalted butter (8 Tbs)
  • Basting Fluid
    • 1 qt veggie stock
    • Half of the herb butter listed above

Instructions

  1. Buy your turkey. Key thing here is do you buy one with or without MSG?
    • With MSG, skip the brine step.
    • Without MSG (Organic), do the following, boil all the brine ingredients in a large stock pot, then add extra cold water until evenly combined. Soak the turkey in this mixture overnight in the fridge.
  2. Once the turkey is in the brine, you can prep the rub and the herb butter. For the rub, just stir all the spices together in a small bowl, put it in a Ziploc for the next day.
  3. The day of, to make the herb butter, just toss all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until a paste forms.
  4. Remove the turkey from the brine, and pat it dry. Spread half of the herb butter under the skin of the turkey. Use the remaining half of the spice rub to rub down the outside of the turkey.
  5. Set the turkey in a roasting pan, atop a bed of halved onions and peeled garlic cloves if you prefer; you could also stuff the turkey with celery.
  6. Set the oven to 325F, and roast the turkey for 4 hours.
  7. While the turkey roasts, melt the remaining herb butter in a stock pot with the veggie stock; this will be your basting liquid, baste the turkey every hour.
  8. Internal temperature of the bird should register well above 165 F by the end of the 4 hours. Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and let rest on the counter for 1 hour before slicing.
    • Strain all the drippings from the roasting pan into an oil separating bowl, once the fat has been removed, you will have an amazing stock to make a gravy.

Yield: Enough for 1 thanksgiving dinner

ALT Preparation: Dijon Lemon Herb Turkey

Brine the turkey as detailed above, or get an already brined turkey. Swap the herb butter for the following

  • 4 Tbs Black Pepper
  • 2 Tbs Paprika
  • 2 Tbs Onion Powder
  • 4 tsp fresh rosemary, stems removed
  • 4 tsp fresh thyme, stems removed
  • 2 tsp fresh sage, stems removed
  • 1 large spoon of crushed garlic
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 lemon
  • ½ cup coarse Dijon
  • ½ cup fine Dijon

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