Thanksgiving Dinner

[TSJasmine]

Always brine if you plan on baking/roasting your turkey. There are plenty of brine recipes online.

So, along with the salt, and perhaps sugar, I advise adding 20 or so peppercorns, an onion and some cloves of garlic to the brine.  Citrus, like orange, lemon and lime in moderation. Also, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice and cloves. That will permeate the meat and it is very rewarding. It also insures your bird will not get dry. The Scarborough Fair seasonings are great for poultry. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. A touch of dry mustard powder will not hurt. 

After you brine and dry your bird, season and butter it. Feel free to use the same seasonings as you used in your brine. You can always add salt but you can not take it away. Remember, butter is usually salted and so is brine. You do need to salt your bird, just do not be a hero.

Part of the turkey experience when you cook it is how it smells SO good. Consider adding cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg and cloves to your stuffing as well as more onion and garlic. Those seasonings are very aromatic and they also make people feel the autumnal shift into winter when they smell them baking.

Unless you have a REALLY good reason not to, use butter. Put as much beneath the skin as you can fit. My mom swears by basting with butter. I agree. It is not a healthy day. Embrace the fat! Makes for GREAT gravy. Just tell your guests it is trans* fat.

People always say "Do not over stuff the bird." It can lead to uneven cooking. I disagree. Those built in turkey thermometers are in the thickest part of the meat. They do not pop until it is done. It may take a little while to cook with a lot of stuffing, but it never seems to take as long as people claim. I stuff both cavities to their fullest. You need enough stuffing, and it often is one of the first things to go. Stuffing made outside the bird just does not live up BUT, here is a tip, make a stuffing casserole while you cook your bird and then MIX both stuffings together so you do not have one very tasty but very soggy batch and another less tasty and dry batch. Best of both worlds.

Do not leave your turkey on the bone (but save or freeze the bones to roast later and make some great soup stock).

Watch a YouTube video or three if you do not know how to carve a bird. Good presentation always tastes better so try not to tear the bird apart. Set one breast aside if you expect leftovers. it makes great sandwiches, or meat for turkey noodle soup (chicken noodle but with turkey). This will make the balance between dark and light meat more equal for Thanksgiving Day.

Be sure to take out the neck, giblets and that stupid plastic thing before you cook.

Aloha

I love you

[Tori]

Yay!

[FrancisAnn]

Thank you so much for this thread, I'm cooking turkey this Christmas, great recipe ideas and suggestions.

Pauline, you are sure a much better cook than me. I try my best but I'll never be as much of a woman & as excellent of a cook as you.