Martha's Turkey
We have used this recipe for many years and it always produces a delicious, moist turkey. This method works well because it takes longer for the dark meat to properly cook than does the breast meat. This means that when the dark meat is done, the breast is over done and dry. Covering the breast with a moist cheesecloth and basting regularly slows the cooking time of the breast allowing more tune for the dark meat to cook to its proper temperature without drying out the white meat.
Basting Liquid
3 sticks
butter
1 bottle
white wine
4 ply piece
cheesecloth, large enough to cover turkey breast and sides, 16” x 14”
Steps:
- Heat wine and butter together in a saucepan until the butter is melted. Stir.
Turkey
1
15 to 20 lb. turkey
2 tablespoons
poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons
salt
1/3 stick
butter, softened
2 cups
chicken stock
1 tablespoon
pepper
1 cup
white wine
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- Thoroughly rinse and dry turkey. Let stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Salt and pepper inside.
- You can stuff turkey at this point with your Mother’s stuffing recipe or cook unstuffed, Cooking time will be shorter for a smaller and/or unstuffed turkey. We suggest that stuffed or unstuffed, you use a good cooking thermometer to make sure turkey is cooked properly. Breast should be 160°.
- Mix remaining salt, pepper and poultry seasoning together and rub all over outside of turkey. Rub the 1/3 stick of softened butter all over the outside of turkey.
- Place turkey on a rack in a heavy roasting pan, breast side up. Dip cheesecloth in basting liquid and cover entire turkey breast, except legs. Place turkey legs first into oven.
- After 30 minutes reduce oven temperature to 350°. Baste cheesecloth and all exposed parts of turkey with wine and butter mixture. Continue roasting turkey for 2 1/2 more hours, basting turkey, generously, every half-hour. When mixture is gone use pan juices to continue basting.
- At the end of three hours remove the cheesecloth, check breast temperature, and turn turkey so breast faces back of oven. Continue basting and cook 1 to 2 more hours, depending upon size of turkey. Test breast for a temperature of 160° every 1/2 hour.
- Remove turkey from roasting pan, cover with foil and let stand 30 minutes.
- Pour off excess fat from roasting pan into a cup to separate brown drippings from fat. Leaving about 1/3 cup in pan. Heat roasting pan on top of stove using 2 burners. Add 1 cup of white wine and bring to a simmer, stirring to incorporate all turkey bits from bottom of pan. Pour fat off top of reserved pan drippings and add drippings and two cups of chicken stock to pan. Mix 3 tablespoons of flour with 3 tablespoons of water and stir into simmering gravy. Continue to stir and simmer gravy until it reaches desired consistency, Adjust seasoning and serve in warmed gravy boat.
| 3 sticks | butter |
| 1 bottle | white wine |
| 4 ply piece | cheesecloth, large enough to cover turkey breast and sides, 16” x 14” |
Steps:
- Heat wine and butter together in a saucepan until the butter is melted. Stir.
| 1 | 15 to 20 lb. turkey |
| 2 tablespoons | poultry seasoning |
| 2 tablespoons | salt |
| 1/3 stick | butter, softened |
| 2 cups | chicken stock |
| 1 tablespoon | pepper |
| 1 cup | white wine |
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- Thoroughly rinse and dry turkey. Let stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Salt and pepper inside.
- You can stuff turkey at this point with your Mother’s stuffing recipe or cook unstuffed, Cooking time will be shorter for a smaller and/or unstuffed turkey. We suggest that stuffed or unstuffed, you use a good cooking thermometer to make sure turkey is cooked properly. Breast should be 160°.
- Mix remaining salt, pepper and poultry seasoning together and rub all over outside of turkey. Rub the 1/3 stick of softened butter all over the outside of turkey.
- Place turkey on a rack in a heavy roasting pan, breast side up. Dip cheesecloth in basting liquid and cover entire turkey breast, except legs. Place turkey legs first into oven.
- After 30 minutes reduce oven temperature to 350°. Baste cheesecloth and all exposed parts of turkey with wine and butter mixture. Continue roasting turkey for 2 1/2 more hours, basting turkey, generously, every half-hour. When mixture is gone use pan juices to continue basting.
- At the end of three hours remove the cheesecloth, check breast temperature, and turn turkey so breast faces back of oven. Continue basting and cook 1 to 2 more hours, depending upon size of turkey. Test breast for a temperature of 160° every 1/2 hour.
- Remove turkey from roasting pan, cover with foil and let stand 30 minutes.
- Pour off excess fat from roasting pan into a cup to separate brown drippings from fat. Leaving about 1/3 cup in pan. Heat roasting pan on top of stove using 2 burners. Add 1 cup of white wine and bring to a simmer, stirring to incorporate all turkey bits from bottom of pan. Pour fat off top of reserved pan drippings and add drippings and two cups of chicken stock to pan. Mix 3 tablespoons of flour with 3 tablespoons of water and stir into simmering gravy. Continue to stir and simmer gravy until it reaches desired consistency, Adjust seasoning and serve in warmed gravy boat.