FOOD
Cooking
Traditional Roast Turkey 1 14-pound turkey, thawed, giblets removed Salt and pepper Butcher’s twine 2½ feet double-layer cheesecloth 2 cups warm water Basting mixture: 2 sticks unsalted butter 1 cup Riesling, chicken broth or water 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 1/16 teaspoon turmeric
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Position rack on lowest setting in oven. This prevents the cheesecloth from getting too close to the top element. 2. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter, Riesling, paprika and turmeric until the butter is melted and the mixture starts to simmer. Remove from heat, but keep warm so the butter doesn’t solidify. 3. Prepare the turkey by sprinkling salt and pepper inside the cavity and all over the outside of the bird to season it. Don’t be heavy handed. 4. Place the turkey on a roasting rack set in the roasting pan. Bend back the wings toward the back of the turkey. Using a piece of butcher’s twine, tie the legs together. Don’t try any fancy trussing—just a few times around each drumstick end in a figure eight, and make a couple of sturdy knots. Trim off excess twine. 5. Dip the cheesecloth into the basting mixture. Wring out a bit so the cloth is wet but not dripping. Arrange the double thickness of cheesecloth over the turkey breast like a bib, smoothing out any wrinkles. Extend 12
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the cheesecloth over the legs, and tuck any excess cloth around the sides of the turkey. Pour water into bottom of roasting pan. This helps provide a moist environment. 6. Roast in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Then pull out the rack and, using a bulb baster or small ladle, moisten the cheesecloth with the basting mixture. Push the rack back in and turn down the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Roast 15 minutes per pound, about 3½ hours to 3 hours and 45 minutes for a 14-pound turkey. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees when a meat thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. 7. Liberally baste the cheesecloth a couple times an hour while roasting. Once the basting mixture is gone, baste with the pan drippings. 8. When the turkey is done, remove from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 10-20 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to move back into the center of the turkey. 9. To remove the cheesecloth, moisten all over with the pan drippings if it has dried out. Carefully working from the top, pull down to remove the cheesecloth. If it sticks at any time, moisten it with drippings and wait a minute before pulling. Take care to prevent the skin from tearing. Discard the cheesecloth. Use the pan drippings for gravy. 10. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. Reheat slices in warm broth to retain juiciness. TIP: If the turkey has a pop-up thermometer, wiggle it out and discard it. Those thermometers are notoriously incorrect, and the primary reason most turkeys are overcooked.