Thanksgiving Turkey

Posting in advance for Throwback Thursday for a Throwback Thanksgiving.  I wrote this out two years ago for Thanksgiving 2011 but forgot to post it.  Since it's Thanksgiving week, I'll post it now even though I'm going to the birthplace of Thanksgiving this year -- Plymouth (Thank you Joe and Judy for hosting)!

• Turkey or turkey breast

Butter Mixture

• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ tsp. kosher salt (+ a little more)
• ½ tsp. cracked or ground black pepper (+ a little more)
• ½ tsp. poultry seasoning
• ½ tsp. ground sage
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• Few shakes of rosemary (+ a little more)
• Chicken broth or turkey stock
• Fresh cut veggies for inside the bird (i.e., onion, carrots, celery)

Gravy

• ¼ cup fat from turkey pan drippings
• ¼ cup flour
• Turkey pan drippings
• Chicken broth or turkey stock, if desired
  (We did not use it, but if you want a thinner gravy, slowly add until you get your desired consistency)

Using my Kitchen Aid Mixer, I made a butter mixture with 2 softened sticks of butter, some olive oil (maybe ¼ cup... start slow and keep adding til creamy, but should not be drippy)... Add the kosher salt, cracked black pepper, some poultry seasoning, sage, some garlic powder, and then a few shakes of rosemary -- combine it all together.

Put turkey in a roasting pan, on a rack.

Slather all over the skin of the turkey (or turkey breast).  Also try to put some underneath the skin on both sides.

Add a little more kosher salt and cracked black pepper over the top of the skin (not mixed with butter) and sprinkle a little more rosemary.

Rough chop some onions, celery and/or carrots and stick in the cavity of the turkey.  This will just help add flavor not just to the turkey, but also to the gravy.

Pour enough chicken broth or turkey stock in the bottom of the roasting pan to cover the bottom of the pan.  Some of the butter mixture may have fallen off the turkey, but that's ok because it'll just make the gravy better.  Reserve the remaining broth to the side.

Cook about 20 minutes per pound at 325 degrees... have a meat thermometer (if it comes with a pop up timer, I wouldn’t trust that... use a thermometer).

During the cooking (maybe half way through), if you want, baste the top with some of the remaining chicken broth, you can.  If not, just put a little more at the bottom of the roasting pan.

Take out turkey when thermometer in the breast gets around 165 degrees.  It should cook longer once out of the oven and resting.

To make a gravy, my friend LaDawna made a delicious one – pour all of the pan drippings into a large measuring cup.  Take a ¼ cup of the fat (which rises to the top) and pour into a large pot over medium-high heat.  Whisk in ¼ cup of flour until a roux is formed.  Drain off the remaining fat from the pan drippings and discard.  Slowly add the remaining pan drippings, to the roux, whisking vigorously to avoid clumps.  If you want a thinner gravy, slowly add some chicken broth until you reach the desired consistency.  If there are clumps, you can strain the gravy before serving.

SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR -- HAPPY THANKSGIVING!