Make Your Turkey The Talk Of The Table

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, families everywhere are looking forward to the quintessential golden turkey.

Whether you're a traditionalist that swears by oven-roasting, or you're a frying fan who likes the quick cook time that comes with deep frying, we have our team's secret recipes that will make your Thanksgiving turkey the talk of the table.

Jesse Templeton's Fried Turkey Brine

Brine

Ingredients:

• 4 gallons of Water

• 2 cups of Walt

• 2 cups of Brown Sugar

• 4 Oranges cut and quartered (slightly squeeze)

• 4 Lemons sliced and quartered (slightly squeeze)

• 12 sprigs of Thyme

• 8 sprigs of Rosemary

• 1 Tablespoon Dried Sage

• 4-6 Bay Leaves

• 3 Tablespoons fresh cracked Pepper

Directions:

• Defrost Turkey (16-24) pounds, remove all packaged materials inside and rinse well

• Use a clean container that will fit in your refrigerator

• Mix all ingredients together and submerge Turkey, and brine overnight

• Remove Turkey and drain well, then dry with paper towels

• Deep fry and enjoy!

BONUS: You can also use the same brine for chicken wings for the weekend games. Wings can brine for 2 to 4 hours.

If you're new to Deep Frying Turkeys, here's an excellent step-by-step article on How to Deep Fry a Turkey

Andrea Hartmann's Full Proof Oven Roasted Turkey

Herb Butter  

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Butter softened (Dairy allergy, substitute with olive oil-based plant butter, and it's just as good!)

• 3 Cloves Garlic minced (To save time, buy the pre-chopped garlic in the jar, you can find it in the produce section)

• 1 Tablespoon of fresh Thyme, finely chopped

• 1 Tablespoon of fresh Oregano finely chopped

• 1 Tablespoon of fresh Rosemary finely chopped

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons of fresh Sage, finely chopped

• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Seasoning Salt

• 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

Directions:

• Mix the butter and all herb ingredients, seasoning salt, and Pepper in a small bowl.

• Rub half the mixture under the skin of the turkey gently so as not to tear the skin, then spread the rest around the outside of the turkey.
  

To keep the turkey from drying out while it cooks:

1. Add stuffing and fill the cavity of the turkey while it cooks. Here are some delicious Homemade Stuffing Recipes.

2. Pro Tip: Extra stuffing is cooked in a separate pan as some people prefer not eating it directly from the turkey, so this solves that problem! 

3. In the bottom of the roasting pan, add:

• 2 cups of Chicken Broth

• 2 diced stalks of Celery

• 1 cup of diced Onion

• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt

• 1 teaspoon of Pepper

Cover the turkey with tin foil until the last hour of baking. Uncover it, baste it once, and let it finish cooking. This helps the turkey stay moist while it cooks AND creates a delicious base for the gravy.

**Roast Turkey at 325° degrees, 15 minutes per pound. 

And to top it all off… The Gravy!

Directions:

• Remove the turkey and roasting rack from the roasting pan and set it on a large cutting board to cool. (After about 5 minutes, Andrea's husband or father will start to carve it while she makes the gravy!).

• Place the roasting pan with the turkey drippings in it right on top of the middle stove burner (or the largest one you have) and turn it to medium heat and bring it to a light simmer. Adjust heat as needed.

• Melt 1/4 cup of butter in the microwave in a separate container

• Whisk in 1/4 cup of flour into the melted butter

Once the turkey drippings are simmering lightly, slowly whisk in the butter and flour mixture. It should start to thicken over about 5 minutes on a low simmer with constant whisking. Add more seasoning salt & pepper to taste. Once it's to the desired thickness, turn off and get ready to enjoy with your turkey!

Regardless of how you choose to serve a turkey this Thanksgiving, if you share food with love, it's going to be memorable!