It Was Easy

Anyone who's had experience preparing the Thanksgiving turkey can recount a personal horror story. Birds not properly defrosted, burnt skin, dry breast meat, lumpy gravy...the list goes on. Finally, after 30 years of failure and experimentation, I think I'm getting the hang of it.

I brined the turkey for a day--two days makes it too salty, a half-day doesn't season or moisten it enough--and roasted the 22-pound tom at 250 degrees for nearly six hours. Some cooks recommend that the heat be 325 degrees or higher because of concerns about bacteria, but I've found that the higher temperature makes the exterior flesh too dry, at least in our oven. When the temperature probe stuck deep into the thigh area measured 170 degrees, we were assured against illness (indigestion doesn't count).

Unable to resist tinkering with last year's recipe, I started the turkey breast-side down in order to brown the exposed back. Two hours was enough, and I turned the bird over. Waiting much longer risks the flesh becoming too soft and events taking a disastrous, er, turn.

Covering the bird with foil was unnecessary because the brine and lower roasting temperature kept the turkey moist. Basting with pan juices once an hour resulted in golden brown skin.

After the probe pinged, the turkey was pulled from the oven and the next hour was spent making the gravy, spooning the stuffing, and carving the roast. The critics praised the result and helped themselves to seconds and even thirds. Was it hard to make, they asked. No, it was easy, said sincerely.