Turkey with Sage Orange Butter

Brining the Turkey

Start the night before you plan on cooking the turkey, this is a 10-12 hour process.

This is the turkey before being basted one last time to remove the sage and lifted out. It fell apart as it was lifted out of the roaster, so this was the best picture I had. It is seriously the best turkey I've ever tasted. I've tried several recipes before settling on this as my preferred recipe.



You need:

Large pot or medium cooler
Large plastic bag
1-1/2 cups kosher salt
1 1/2 cup Orange Juice
Cold water
1 Tbs. cracked black pepper
4 dried bay leaves
Sprigs of Sage and Rosemary
Turkey


Directions:

Remove giblets and neck from the cavity (place in plastic bag in 1/2 cup orange juice in the fridge)
Pick a pot or cooler that will hold the turkey, but allow for approx 1-1 1/2 gallons of water to submerge it in as well.
Line pot or cooler with the plastic bag.
Place turkey in pot/cooler, and fill with enough cold water to submerge with 1" of water above the turkey.
Add remaining ingredients and stir until salt is dissolved.
Place turkey back in pot/cooler and pull plastic up and around turkey.

Sage Orange Butter

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups orange juice, room temperature
Zest of an orange
1/2 cup fresh thyme
1/2 cup sage

DIRECTIONS:

Beat all ingredients together, the orange juice will not incorporate fully.

Cooking the Turkey

INGREDIENTS:

Brined Turkey
Sage Orange Butter
Stuffing, if applicable
2 cups of chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350
Pull turkey out of the brine solution, rinse thoroughly and pat dry.
Place turkey in roasting pan
Tuck the wings under the bird and tie the legs together with twine.
Stuff the turkey if you are going to.
Coat turkey with Sage Orange Butter, get all the crevices and under the skin if you can.
Pour remaining Orange Juice over the turkey slowly (you don't want to lose all the Sage Butter off the turkey)
Pour bag with giblets and neck into the bottom of the roasting pan
Pour chicken broth in bottom of roasting pan

This recipe requires basting.
Cook for the first hour without opening the oven door, then baste every 30 minutes after that. If the turkey is browning too quickly, loosely tent with aluminum foil.

Cooking Times, from the USDA website:

Timetables for Turkey Roasting
(325 °F oven temperature)

Use the timetables below to determine how long to cook your turkey. These times are approximate. Always use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of your turkey and stuffing.

Unstuffed
4 to 8 pounds (breast)	1½ to 3¼ hours
8 to 12 pounds	2¾ to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds	3 to 3¾ hours
14 to 18 pounds	3¾ to 4¼ hours
18 to 20 pounds	4¼ to 4½ hours
20 to 24 pounds	4½ to 5 hours
Stuffed
4 to 6 pounds (breast)	Not usually applicable
6 to 8 pounds (breast)	2½ to 3½ hours
8 to 12 pounds	3 to 3½ hours
12 to 14 pounds	3½ to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds	4 to 4¼ hours
18 to 20 pounds	4¼ to 4¾ hours
20 to 24 pounds	4¾ to 5¼ hours

It is safe to cook a turkey from the frozen state. The cooking time will take at least 50 percent longer than recommended for a fully thawed turkey. Remember to remove the giblet packages during the cooking time. Remove carefully with tongs or a fork.

Remember:

The turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh (don't touch the bone) reads 180 F and the stuffing reads 165 F. The juice from the thigh should be clear when pierced with a fork and the drumstick and wings could just about fall off the bird when moved a bit.

Thanksgiving Timeline

The timeline is also available as a Microsoft Excel file for you to download and modify for your own personal use.

Thanksgiving Planner Download

Thanksgiving Checklist

You will be making a time table for dishes that can be made ahead of time, consult this daily the last week in November to keep on schedule.

First Weekend in November
1 Determine the menu
2 Decide when you are going serve dinner and who you are going to invite
3 Decide what dishes you will ask others to bring, if they offer. Accept their offer!
4 Figure out a Thanksgiving Day Timetable for preparation of dishes and specifically of when dishes need to begin cooking in order to serve on time
5 Determine when you need to start defrosting your turkey, or order a fresh turkey
6 Issues invitations either formally or verbally
7 Make a complete list of ingredients needed so you aren't caught with last minute trips to the grocery store, remember beverages
8 Take an inventory of your pantry and make a grocery list
9 Pick up everything you need except perishables two weeks in advance
10 Make a timetable of items that can be made in advance
11 Plan your breakfast and lunch, if necessary for Thursday morning
12 Add any items you want to get accomplished between now and Thanksgiving to the calendar

Second Weekend in November
1 Plan and order or create your centerpiece
2 Clean your house, polish silver, switch to fall décor, make a plan to keep on top of the cleaning and clutter over the next two weeks
3 Find all of the utensils and items that you only use this time of year and make sure they are in good working order
4 Make arrangements to rent or borrow any additional seating, tables, linens, or other items

The Weekend Before
1 Wash and/or iron any linens, as needed
2 Pick up all perishables and anything else you haven't bought already
3 Clean out your fridge and freezer to make room for all the make ahead dishes
4 Make a meal for Wednesday night that can just be heated up quickly
5 Write down everything you are serving on small pieces of paper, assemble all of your serving platters and utensils and put the corresponding slip of paper with them. Borrow additional items, if needed.
6 Clean out your ice trays and start making extra ice for Thursday.

Two Days Before
1 Dust and vacuum the rooms you will be using
2 Clean the powder room
3 Have all dishes washed and put away (you will want an empty dishwasher ready to go) and counters wiped down and ready for service

The Night Before
1 Put the turkey in brine solution, if applicable
2 Set the table
3 Have all dishes washed and put away (you will want an empty dishwasher ready to go) and counters wiped down and ready for service
4 Consult your timetable for tomorrow
5 Go To Bed Early! You will need to wake up early to get everything done on time.

Thanksgiving Day
1 Pull turkey out of the brine, rinse well, and pat dry, follow recipes from here
2 Follow your timetable you made the first weekend of November

Frequently Asked Turkey Questions

How long do I defrost my turkey?
Use this timetable as a guide. You should defrost a frozen turkey in its original wrapping in the refrigerator (don't count Thanksgiving day):
10- to 12-pound bird 2 days
12- to 14-pound bird 3 days
14- to 18-pound bird 4 days
18-pound-plus bird 5 days

When is the Turkey done?
The turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh (don't touch the bone) reads 180 F and the stuffing reads 165 F. The juice from the thigh should be clear when pierced with a fork and the drumstick and wings could just about fall off the bird when moved a bit.

How often should I baste the turkey?
Actually, basting is not necessary, can prevent a wonderfully brown crackly skin and will extend the cooking time from the opening and shutting of the oven door. Keep the oven door shut as much as possible.

How big a turkey do I need?
Butterball has a great turkey calculator which will even let you account for leftovers and how much stuffing will be needed. If you are only cooking for a smaller group (2-5), consider a turkey breast, or a smaller bird (duck, chicken, quail, game hen).