decorvow Roast Turkey Recipe (With Video)

Roasted Turkey with Stuffing

12:49

Servings:

This may be the signature decorvow turkey recipe. A whopping 20-pound bird gets the royal treatment with a quadruple blanket of cheesecloth that holds the butter-and-wine basting mixture on the skin to keep the meat moist while still allowing it to brown. Not only is this the ultimate cheesecloth turkey, but we also include the ultimate gravy recipe, plus there's a stuffing with dried sour cherries, pecans, and two bunches of fresh parsley to add zing to the usual onions, celery, and sage.

When you follow this recipe and the accompanying video, Martha walks you through the process to make the stuffing and then stuff, tuck, truss, baste, and roast a turkey to golden-brown perfection.

Perfect Roast Turkey with Cheesecloth — Grant Webster

Why Use Cheesecloth on a Turkey?

Cheesecloth is both absorbent and porous, making it the ideal material to hold in moisture and keep the basting liquid in constant contact with the turkey. The cheesecloth shields the skin from the direct heat of the oven so it doesn’t brown faster than the meat cooks, but unlike foil, cheesecloth allows evaporation and air circulation so the turkey roasts rather than steaming.

What Is an Instant-Read Thermometer?

Also known as a meat thermometer, an instant-read thermometer has a food probe that’s designed to be inserted into any food item whose temperature you want to read. A digital instant-read thermometer should give you an accurate reading within five seconds, and a dial/analog thermometer can be read within 20 seconds.

Why a Turkey Needs to Rest after Roasting

When the turkey (or any meat) comes off the heat, some of its juices will be close to the surface. A few moments of rest give the juices time to return to the center of the meat. If you cut right away, all those precious juices will end up on your cutting board instead of in the meat where you want them. Resting time depends on the size of the item: a whole 20-pound turkey needs a good 30 minutes, while something smaller, like chicken breast or a steak, needs just three to five minutes.

Directions

Perfect Roast Turkey with Cheesecloth Ingredients — Grant Webster

Rest turkey at room temperature:

Remove turkey from refrigerator, remove from packaging, and let stand for 2 hours at room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels.

Grant Webster
Preheat oven and prepare basting liquid and cheesecloth:

Place rack on lowest level in oven. Heat oven to 450°F. Combine melted butter and white wine in a bowl. Fold a large piece of cheesecloth into quarters and cut it into a 17-inch, 4-layer square. Immerse cheesecloth in the butter and wine; let soak.

Grant Webster
Prep turkey:

Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a heavy metal roasting pan. If the turkey comes with a pop-up timer, remove it; an instant-read thermometer is a much more accurate indication of doneness.

Grant Webster
Place wing tips:

Fold wing tips under turkey.

Grant Webster
Stuff turkey:

Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Fill large cavity and neck cavity loosely with as much stuffing as they hold comfortably; do not pack tightly. (Cook remaining stuffing in a buttered baking dish for 45 minutes at 375°F.)

Grant Webster
Tie legs:

Tie legs together loosely with kitchen string (a bow will be easy to untie later).

Grant Webster
Fold neck flap:

Fold neck flap under, and secure with toothpicks.

Grant Webster
Rub with butter:

Rub turkey with the softened butter, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper.

Grant Webster
Cover with cheesecloth:

Lift cheesecloth out of liquid and squeeze it slightly, leaving it very damp. Spread it evenly over the breast and about halfway down the sides of the turkey; it can cover some of the leg area.

Grant Webster
Roast:

Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Cook for 30 minutes.

Grant Webster

If your roasting pan only fits sideways in the oven, turn the pan every hour so the turkey cooks and browns evenly.
Baste turkey and continue to cook:

Using a pastry brush, baste cheesecloth and exposed parts of turkey with butter and wine. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue to cook for 2 1/2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes and watching pan juices; if the pan gets too full, spoon out juices, reserving them for gravy.

Grant Webster
Remove cheesecloth and finish browning turkey:

After this third hour of cooking, carefully remove and discard cheesecloth. Turn roasting pan so that the breast is facing the back of the oven. Baste turkey with pan juices. If there are not enough juices, continue to use butter and wine. The skin gets fragile as it browns, so baste carefully. Cook 1 more hour, basting after 30 minutes.

Grant Webster

Grant Webster
Monitor temperature:

After this fourth hour of cooking, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Do not poke into a bone. The temperature should reach 180°F (stuffing should be between 140°F and 160°F) and the turkey should be golden brown. The breast does not need to be checked for temperature. If legs are not yet fully cooked, baste turkey, return to oven, and cook another 20 to 30 minutes.

Grant Webster
Rest turkey and collect pan juices:

When fully cooked, transfer turkey to a serving platter, and let rest for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Pour all the pan juices into a glass measuring cup. Let stand until grease rises to the surface, about 10 minutes, then skim it off. Meanwhile, place roasting pan over medium-high heat.

Grant Webster
Make gravy:

Add 1 cup dry red or white wine, or water, to roasting pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan until liquid boils and all the crisp bits are unstuck from pan.

Grant Webster
Add giblet stock:

Add giblet stock to pan. Stir well, and bring back to a boil. Cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Grant Webster
Add pan juices and cook gravy:

Add the defatted pan juices, and cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes more. You will have about 2 1/2 cups of gravy.

Grant Webster
Strain gravy and serve:

Season to taste, strain into a warm gravy boat, and serve with turkey.

Grant Webster

Tips for Making the Best Turkey Gravy

There are as many opinions about making gravy as there are home cooks. We swear by these two tips:

There are multiple approaches to making delicious gravy, but the best gravies always start with flavorful pan drippings, so take care to preserve every bit of them.
Gravy can be thickened with roux, flour, cornstarch, arrowroot, or simply by reducing the juices down to a glaze.

Read The Right Way to Make Gravy From Scratch to learn more.

How to Store Leftover Roast Turkey

Popular opinion: leftovers are the best part of Thanksgiving dinner! Make sure you store yours properly so you can enjoy them. Cool the bird completely, then wrap it and store in the refrigerator for up to four days. Leftover turkey can also be frozen for up to six months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you use a rack to cook a turkey?

Yes, you should use a rack to cook a turkey. Here's why: Putting a rack in the roasting pan before placing the turkey on top will allow the bird to roast evenly and get the skin crispy all around. If it sits directly on the bottom of the roasting pan, the turkey will stew in its own juices, making the skin mushy.
How long should turkey be out of the fridge before cooking?

Allow about one hour for a turkey to be out of the fridge before cooking—this time is right for a 15-pound plus turkey. A smaller bird will need less time at room temperature. Taking the bird out of the refrigerator takes the chill off it before roasting. This is important because it allows the middle of the meat to cook before the surface burns, an issue if the big bird is very cold. But remember: if you are stuffing the turkey, this should only be done right before you put it in the oven, not while the bird is sitting out.
How can you cook a moist turkey?

To be sure you cook a moist turkey, there are several steps you can take. First, before cooking, brine it and/or rub with softened butter both under and over the skin. Then, the roasting technique of starting at a high temperature and reducing heat also helps produce crisp skin and moist meat. Finally, make sure you don’t overcook the bird: check it frequently with a meat thermometer as it nears the end of its cooking time.
How do you tell if a turkey is done?

The best way to tell if a turkey is done is to use a meat thermometer. When the breast reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s ready to come out of the oven. The residual heat will cause carryover cooking as the meat rests, bringing it to the perfect temperature of 165 degrees. Cooking turkey to the correct temperature is a matter of food safety as well as a matter of taste because overcooked turkey is tough and dry.
Is brining a turkey really necessary?

No, brining a turkey is not necessary. Many home cooks brine their turkey in a mixture of salt, spices, and water before roasting because this is something they have always done. Food scientists say wet brining does not add flavor and that simply salting the turkey and monitoring it carefully as it roasts is a more effective technique.