No turkey for me this year. I'm not making one nor eating one. I'm spending Thanksgiving with my dad and stepmom and her family. They are all vegetarian so a turkey is out of the question.

However as previous years I have had several requests for my Martha & Me turkey recipe so I figured I may as well post it.

Need:

·          1 20 lb turkey

·          2 sticks of unsalted butter

·          1 bottle of California Chardonnay

(You can substitute the wine with Beer. I recommend for this time of the year Sam Adams Octoberfest or Winter Lager.

Cream Stout actually is best but I don't always find it.)

·          1 bag of carrots

·          1 bag of celery

·          1 bunch of each fresh: Mint, Thyme, Basil

·          1 branch of kadipatta

·          5 bay leaves

·          30 whole cloves

·          3 lemons

·          2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder

·          2 teaspoons of brown sugar

·          1 cup red Indian chili powder (level of spice according to your palate)

·          ½ cup of garam masala

·          NOTE:  I recommend buying the masalas from the Indian store and not an American store.

·          Salt

·          Pepper

·          3 squares of Cheesecloth – 1 sq foot each

 

Prep:

·          Losen the skin of the turkey from the inside so that it is still attached to the turkey on the ends but there is space between the skin and the turkey.

·          Premake a frozen roll of unsalted butter with Indian red chili powder & finely chopped fresh mint. Soften 1 stick of butter and mix with 2 teaspoons of the powder & the mint. After everything is mixed well put it in a ziplock bag, squeeze it to the end and make a roll of it and stick it in the freezer. When it's all set, cut the plastic off and you have a "log" of spiced butter. Cut it into coins/slices.

·          Stick the coins of butter under the skin all over evenly.

·          Remember to fold the wingtips under.

·          Put 3/4 of the log on the outside of the turkey under the skin. Use 1/4 of the log to rub on the inside of the turkey, in the cavity and on the legs/wings.

·          Stick the whole cloves in a pattern that looks like a ham pattern on the outside of the turkey to sort of secure the loose skin onto the turkey and seal the butter coins in.

·          Sprinkle salt & pepper all over the turkey on the inside and out.

·          Line the bottom of the pan with the raw long chopped carrots and celery. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala on it & 1 teaspoon of chili power on it.

·          In a bowl melt 1 stick of butter and mix with 1 cup of the wine, mix and add the 3 squares of cheesecloth and let soak.

 

Pouch: 3 whole cut lemons, thyme, basil, mint, bay leaves and kadipatta and stick it inside the turkey, in the cavity. Putting everything inside the pouch allows you to throw the pouch out after cooking without a mess.

 

Notes:

·          I'm not a big fan of stuffing a raw turkey with uncooked veggies or other things so I put a herb pouch inside the turkey.

·          I highly recommend tying your turkey legs. It makes for the best presentation. And make it a small bow, it will be quick to get off without trying to cut it and bruise the skin of the turkey.

·          Make sure to fold the wings under the breast.

·          Remember to use a pop up timer you can find anywhere and insert it in the chunkiest of part/breast of the turkey.

·          You should baste and turn your turkey every 20 – 30 minutes. Because you have fabric inside the oven it tends to dry up fast and can catch fire. The key is to keep it wet all the time.

·          The turkey should be turned 180 degrees thru the entire cooking. Legs in first, turned on one side in one hour, the other side in the next hour and in the last hour the breast in first.

Cooking:

 

·          Pour yourself a glass of the wine, to drink DOH!

·          Preheat oven to 450 degrees. The smaller the oven and bigger the turkey the lower the heat required, the bigger the oven and smaller the turkey the higher the heat required. So cooking times vary anywhere between 2 ½ to 4 hours.

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

·          After 30 minutes a lot of the butter under the skin will have melted into the skin and the turkey will have started to drip a little.

·          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.

·          Add the remaining of the bottle of wine to the pan where the drippings are collecting over the veggies.

·          Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees and continue cooking for 2 ½ more hours basting every 20 - 30 minutes and watching the pan.

·          Your pan will start filling up soon with the spicy turkey drippings, wine mixed with the masala and the celery and carrots. This is your basting liquid and can be used for the base of your gravy eventually. Using a good pastry brush & baster, baste cheesecloth and exposed parts of turkey The carrots and celery prevent your pan from turning into a burning mess and the boiling of veggies creates a steam under your turkey so the heat isn't so dry.

·          The last half hour of the cooking remove the cloth, when your turkey is almost done. Sprinkle a mix of brown sugar, cinammon & red chili over the turkey and finish roasting the turkey and letting it brown without the cheesecloth. Baste before you sprinkle with the mix.

Once upon a time, in 2002, there was a 32 lb turkey that was eaten in 20 minutes...

Happy eating everyone....