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Thanksgiving, a time for families to go together and fight like cats and dogs over the delicious smells of golden roast turkey. Or, if your family is more like ours, a blackened, dried out turkey that looks more like a dog treat than something you'd serve to humans.
The truth is turkey isn't the most exciting thing to eat to begin with and the fact that it's easy to overcook makes it an even trickier project to tackle.
If you're hosting thanksgiving, we can't stop the old sibling resentments from bubbling up, but we can help you make sure your turkey is golden, moist and delicious.
Here's our guide to roasting the perfect turkey.
== What you'll need ==
# A Turkey -- plan on about one and one half pound of uncooked turkey per person. Much of that weight in in bones, so the final portion works out to more like 8-10oz per person. When in doubt, use [http://www.csgnetwork.com/turkeydinnercalc.html an online calculator].
# Large Roasting Pan and V-Rack -- Make sure you have something big enough to hold your turkey, but still fits in your oven.
# Meat thermometer -- Forget those pop up thermometers that come with some turkeys and get a real thermometer.
# Turkey Baster -- yes, it's more work, but the results are worth the effort.
== Picking your turkey ==
Not all turkeys are sold equal. For the best flavor avoid frozen and go with a local meat shop if you can. Ask your butcher about freshness and buy organic if that's important to you. Also consider a kosher turkey, while they're typically more expensive, they also tend to have more flavor.
== Brine ==
To bring out the flavor in your turkey, brine it before you cook. Brining the turkey in slat water with some minimal herbs helps ensure that the salt penetrates into the flesh and brings out the full flavor.
To brine your turkey either use a large stock pot or by a brining bag from your local supermarket.
Remove the gizard, neck and any other extras included with your turkey. Wash the bird inside and out.
If you want to get fancy you can boil up your brine with herbs -- bay leaves, savory, thyme, rosemary and sage are all popular choices. In a large stock pot, combine water (or vegetable stock and water if you like), salt and about a tablespoon each of rosemary, sage, thyme, and whatever other herbs you'd like and bring to a boil. Once the salt is dissolved remove the pot from the heat, and let cool to room temperature. Then put your turkey inside, or pour the mixture into a brining bag.
== Roasting ==
Pull your turkey out of the brine and place it breast-side down on your V-rack inside the roasting pan. Preheat the oven to 425. If you aren't worried about fat, brush a bit of melted butter over the Turkey, this will help ensure crispy, golden skin.
Rub the inside and out of your bird with salt, pepper and any other seasonings you want. If you're making stuff, now would be the time to stuff it inside the bird.
When the oven is hot place the turkey inside. Cook the turkey or 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 degrees. The initial higher temperature helps crisp the skin.
There are all sorts of formulas for how long your should roast your turkey, but every bird and oven are different. The best way to do it is to use your meat thermometer. Cook until the breast temperature reaches 165-170 degrees F, and thigh temperature reaches 175-180 degrees F.
Every thirty minutes or so use your baster to suck up the pan drippings and pour them onto the back and the legs.
== Conclusion ==
When the breast and leg temperatures are where they should be, pull your turkey out of the oven and cover it with a tinfoil tent. Let the Turkey rest about 20 minutes before serving.
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