Turkey For Twenty Recipes

TURKEY FOR TWENTY

Steps:

• Mix salt, brown sugar, and pepper with your fingertips in a medium bowl to combine.
• Place turkey legs on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Place breasts on another wire rack set inside another rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle dry brine all over outside of turkey, patting to adhere and nudging into crevices (you won't need all of the brine, but it's good to have extra since some of it will fall onto the baking sheet). Chill, uncovered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
• Transfer turkey pieces to a large platter and rinse baking sheets and racks (turkey will most likely release some liquid onto pans). Line each baking sheet with 3 layers of foil, then set wire racks back inside. Place turkey legs and breasts skin side up on separate racks. Let sit at room temperature 2-3 hours.
• Place oven racks in bottom and top third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Tie rosemary, sage, and thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine at bottom of stems so that they resemble an herb mop. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 2 garlic halves cut side down until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add remaining butter and cook until melted. Reduce heat to low, add herb bundle stem side up, and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until butter is infused, about 15 minutes; discard garlic.
• Mix rosemary, sage, and thyme leaves in a medium bowl. Loosen skin on turkey breasts and thighs. Using your palm, nudge small handfuls of herb leaves between flesh and skin. Arrange remaining 4 garlic halves around turkey pieces. Pour 1 cup water into each pan. Using herb bundle, baste turkey and garlic with infused butter. Roast turkey, basting with herb bundle and rotating pans top to bottom and front to back every 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 150°F and thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, 40-50 minutes (some pieces may be done faster than others, so check more than one piece each time). Let turkey rest 30 minutes before carving. Serve with roasted garlic alongside.

JUICY THANKSGIVING TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a turkey roaster with long sheets of aluminum foil that will be long enough to wrap over the turkey.
• Stir together the parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the herb mixture into the cavity of the turkey, then stuff with the celery, orange, onion, and carrot. Truss if desired, and place the turkey into the roasting pan. Pour the chicken broth and champagne over the turkey, making sure to get some champagne in the cavity. Bring the aluminum foil over the top of the turkey, and seal. Try to keep the foil from touching the skin of the turkey breast or legs.
• Bake the turkey in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear. Uncover the turkey, and continue baking until the skin turns golden brown, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.