Salt it three days ahead and leave it uncovered in the fridge. The skin dries, the meat seasons all the way through, and you get a bronze bird with no bucket of brine.
Photo: Patrick Fitzgerald, CC BY 2.0
Salt it Monday, roast it Thursday. Thaw a frozen bird in the fridge first: one day for every 4 to 5 pounds.
Add it to your plan and Chef puts these on the right days, and fits it into your oven on Thursday.
Take out the neck and giblets (save them for gravy). Pat the bird completely dry. Mix the salt, sugar and pepper. Loosen the breast skin with your fingers and rub a third of the mix on the meat underneath, then season the outside, cavity included. Set it breast-up on a rack in a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered. Don't rinse it later.
Take the turkey out 90 minutes before it goes in. Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lowest position. Mash the butter with the thyme and sage and rub it under and over the breast skin. Put the onions, lemon and garlic in the cavity. Tuck the wing tips under and tie the legs loosely.
Put the bird on its rack in a roasting pan and pour the stock into the pan. Roast about 13 minutes a pound (3 hours for 14 lb). After 2 hours, tent the breast with foil if it's browning too fast, and add a cup of water if the pan runs dry.
It's done when the thickest part of the breast reads 155 to 160°F and the thigh, away from the bone, reads 170 to 175°F. Juices run clear. Start checking 45 minutes before you expect it to be done: ovens and birds vary.
Move the turkey to a board, tent loosely with foil and rest 40 minutes (up to an hour; it stays hot, and the oven is now free for the sides). Pour the pan drippings into a measuring cup for gravy. Carve the legs off first, then slice each breast off the bone in one piece and cut it crosswise into thick slices.
Spatchcocked turkey2 hr 20 min · Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Herb-roasted turkey breast2 hr 10 min · Gluten-free
Brown sugar and mustard glazed ham2 hr 30 min · Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Classic sage and onion stuffing1 hr 45 min · Vegetarian
Make-ahead turkey gravy3 hr · Dairy-free
Crispy Brussels sprouts with bacon and maple45 min · Gluten-free, Dairy-freeEvery recipe here is Chef Amazing's own, written for this planner, with real quantities. Scale it with Cooking for, or add it to your plan and Chef scales it to your guest list.
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