Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving Recipes On the SideWhen I was 12 years old there was a contest at school where you had to guess how much a turkey they had on display weighed. My guess turned out to be correct – 22 pounds.

I won! I won!

I lugged my hefty prize out to the pick-up circle after school, proudly presenting our Thanksgiving turkey to my mom. For some reason, she didn’t seem nearly as excited about a win of these proportions.

It may be the symbol of Thanksgiving, but the pursuit of a juicy roasted turkey is also the bane of many a cook’s existence. Techniques abound to get it “just right” – brining, smoking, deep-frying, grilling, breast-side down, butter under the skin, butter on top of the skin…everyone’s got their go-to favorite approach. This recipe, from the outside of an organic turkey package, is for a straightforward herb-roasted bird and is quite tasty. The most important thing is to not overcook it.

I finally, once and for all, bought a meat thermometer – the kind that stays in the roast and beeps when the desired temperature has been reached. For less than $20, that little thermometer took all the guesswork out of cooking the turkey to the right temperature.

Turkey victory shall be mine!

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4 Comments

  1. Nate wrote:

    A 22 lb turkey must have been really hard to get right. We usually like the 12-14 lb ones. But for a big party, we’ll get a big one, butterfly it, and grill it.
    .-= Nate´s last blog ..Homemade Pho Ga (Chicken Pho Noodle Soup) =-.

    Posted 11.11.09 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      Yeah, especially in the 80s when it wasn’t quite as easy to track down really big roasting pans like it is today. I remember my mom struggling to maneuver that thing in and out of the oven!

      Posted 11.11.09 Reply
  2. Colleen wrote:

    That’s one pretty turkey! Yum!

    Posted 11.11.09 Reply