twenty-ten turkey

It seems like every year I am in search of
a new recipe for our Thanksgiving Turkey.
This year (2010) it will be a recipe {slightly adapted} from
Chef Jason Franey ( Canlis Restaurant ~ Seattle, Washington)

Slow-Roasted Turkey with Orange and Sage
by Serves 6

Ingredients
1 (14-pound) turkey
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 navel oranges, washed
1 bunch fresh sage
1 cups (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 small onion

Directions
One day before roasting turkey:
Salt both cavities. Prick oranges all over with the tines of a fork and stuff inside turkey cavity along with sage to keep the turkey’s plump shape. Put a small onion in the neck cavity.

Using a piece of kitchen twine truss the legs and wings close to the turkey body.

Place turkey on a rimmed baking pan, breast side up, and refrigerate uncovered overnight to begin dehydrating the skin



On Thanksgiving morning:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Fit a roasting pan with a rack and transfer turkey to rack; season with salt and pepper. Let stand 15 minutes.

Brush turkey with clarified butter and transfer to oven.

Clarified butter:
Place butter in a saucepan over a very low heat. Let the butter melt slowly; do not stir the butter while it is melting. Let it sit for a bit to separate. Skim off the foam that rises to the top, Let the butter sit a few minutes to allow the milk solids to settle to the bottom.

Roast, rotating every hour 1/2 hour and brushing with browned butter, for 2 hours.

Using a digital thermometer, check temperature of turkey by inserting into the largest part of the thigh. Continue cooking turkey until it reaches 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 1 to 1 1/2 hours more.

Remove from oven and let stand 20 minutes before carving.

Garnish platter with sliced oranges and sage leaves and serve.

I am hoping it will look like one of these . . .


from google images (click for larger view)