Thanksgiving Turkey

Name: Thanksgiving Turkey
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 16 h 15 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 kg turkey; 60 g salt; 2 teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 150 g butter; 4 garlic cloves; 3 tablespoon sage; 3 tablespoon thyme; 2 tablespoon rosemary; 1 lemon; 2 onions; 3 carrots; 3 celery stalks; 500 ml chicken broth; 1 lemon; herb sprigs

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Thanksgiving Turkey – Recipe | Löffelglück

1
Dry brine the day before
Pat the turkey really dry inside and out. Mix the salt, pepper, and baking powder, and rub it all over the surface and inside the cavity. Place it uncovered on a wire rack over a baking sheet and put it in the fridge for twelve to twenty-four hours. It will not dry out; instead, it reabsorbs the salt with its own juices. Only the skin dries out, which is exactly what it should do.
2
Herb butter under the skin
Mix the softened butter with the garlic, herbs, and lemon zest. Carefully loosen the skin over the breast and legs from the meat with your fingers without tearing it, and distribute two-thirds of the butter directly underneath. The rest goes on the outside of the skin. Fat under the skin protects the breast meat, while fat on the skin browns it.
3
First hour breast-side down
Distribute the onions, carrots, and celery in a roasting pan, pour in the broth, and place the turkey breast-side down on the vegetables. Stuff the lemon and herb sprigs into the cavity and loosely tie the legs together. Roast it at 180 °C top/bottom heat for sixty minutes. During this time, the legs get the head start they need.
4
Turn and finish roasting
Turn the bird onto its back using two kitchen towels and roast it for another two to two and a half hours. Baste it with the pan juices every half hour and loosely cover the breast with aluminum foil as soon as it has enough color. The rule of thumb is around forty minutes per kilogram, but the clock is only an estimate here.
5
Cook to core temperature
Measure in the thickest part of the breast without touching the bone: 74 °C. Then check the leg at the joint, which should reach 80 to 82 °C. If the legs are not quite there yet, cover the breast completely and give the bird another twenty minutes. A meat thermometer is the only insurance against dry meat for this dish.
6
Rest and sauce
Place the turkey on a board, cover it loosely with foil, and let it rest for thirty to forty minutes. At this weight, it hardly cools down. Strain the pan juices into a pot, skim off the fat, and reduce it by half. Only carve after the resting time, otherwise the juices will run onto the board instead of staying in the meat.

Our best tips

Dry-brining instead of a wet brine. You do not need a bucket in the fridge, and the skin gets significantly crispier.
A meat thermometer is mandatory for five kilograms. Time estimates per kilogram are just that, not a guarantee.
Do not shorten the resting time. Forty minutes is not a risk for a bird of this size, but the difference between juicy and dry.

Tasty variations

Just the breast

Salt and butter a 2 kg bone-in breast fillet the same way and roast at 180 °C for about 80 minutes until the core temperature reaches 74 °C. The practical solution for four to six people.

Spatchcock

Cut the bird along the backbone and lay it flat. It then cooks in around 90 minutes, and the breast and legs are done at the same time. Visually less festive, technically superior.

Nutrition facts

Per serving (1 portion)
Calories	512 kcal
Protein	62 g
Carbohydrates	4 g
– of which sugar	2 g
Fat	27 g
Fiber	1 g

Frequently asked questions

How big should the turkey be?

Calculate 500 to 600 g raw weight per person, or more if you want leftovers. Five kilograms is enough for ten people with side dishes and still leaves enough for sandwiches the next day.

Thawed or fresh bird?

Both work. A frozen turkey needs about ten hours per kilogram in the fridge to thaw, so a good two days for five kilograms. Plan this before dry-brining.

Why did the breast turn out dry?

It went over 74 °C. The breast is lean and unforgiving if overcooked. Cover it as soon as it has color, and it is better to measure too early than too late.

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Thanksgiving Turkey

Step-by-step instructions

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Dry brine the day before

Herb butter under the skin

First hour breast-side down

Turn and finish roasting

Cook to core temperature

Rest and sauce