This recipe pairs well with the dry brine process we published earlier or you can roast away with an un-brined turkey and enjoy just the same. There is something magical about a roast turkey dinner on a fall evening, however with our household we cook turkey all year as it's a family favorite, and everyone loves the leftovers. As Thanksgiving week is a busy week around here we're going to get straight to the recipe, the quantities in this recipe are for a 15-16 lb bird, adjust according to your bird size for even coverage. Enjoy and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Ingredients
1 - Wild Child Farms pastured turkey (15 lb)
1 tbsp black pepper (use more for a larger turkey, 16+lb)
10 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
2 small-ish onions, halved
2 small apples, cored and halved
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups white wine (or water if you don't have wine)
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle half the pepper into main cavity of turkey; add thyme, parsley, half the onions and half the apples. Truss legs with kitchen twine. Put remaining apples and onions in neck opening and tuck neck skin under bird.
Rub butter or place small pats of butter under breast skin and onto thigh meat. Sprinkle bird with remaining pepper.
Roast for 30 minutes. Remove turkey from oven, reduce heat to 350 degrees and cover breast of bird and wing tips with foil. Add 1 1/2 cups white wine (or use water) to bottom of roasting pan and roast bird for another two hours, depending on size; figure 12 minutes a pound for an unstuffed bird. Remove foil in last half-hour so breast browns.
When turkey has roasted for 2 hours, begin to test for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer (digital is best) into two places in thigh, making sure not to touch bone. It should be at about 160 degrees.
When roasting is done, tip turkey so interior juices run back into pan. Remove turkey to a separate baking sheet or serving platter, cover with foil and then a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Pour fat and drippings from pan into a measuring cup. Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup white wine (or use broth) and pour that into same measuring cup. Fat and drippings can then be used to make gravy.