| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 day 3 hr 40 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 1 day |
| Cook: | 3 hr 20 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 oranges, quartered
- 2 lemons, quartered
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey
- 1 large orange, cut into 1/8ths
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/8ths
- 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1/2 bunch sage
- 3 or 4 sprigs parsley
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or turkey stock, for basting
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Reserved turkey neck and giblets
- 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
- 1 onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped
- 1 small bay leaf
- 3 cups turkey stock, chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth
- 3 cups water
- 4 cups turkey broth
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- For the Brine:
- To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a nonreactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, food grade plastic storage bag). Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary. Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.
- Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.
- Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels both inside and out. Place turkey, breast side up, in a large, heavy roasting pan. Rub breast side with orange segments and rub on all sides with the butter, stuffing some underneath the skin. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, remaining orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string. Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.
- Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
- For the turkey broth:
- Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.
- For the pan gravy:
- Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat.
- Place the roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 3 cup of broth and bring to a simmer, then transfer to a measuring cup. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.
- Slice and serve guests with desired sides.
Reviews
I decided to make this recipe when my girlfriend’s parents were coming over for their first thanksgiving – 15 years of marriage and 2 kids later, I can’t not make it… pleases everytime.
I’ve been using this recipe from the past 7 years. My turkey is in the brine as we speak!! Always moist, tender, and delicious! If brought turkeys with this recipe to social gatherings that had other turkeys. Mine will be gone while others will only partially eaten. I’ve shared this recipe with many and have had nothing but great responses about their results. So good…
I have been using this recipe for ten years…….I have never had anything but a perfect, tasty, juicy bird.
Absolutely the most moist and tasty turkey I’ve ever made. Been using this recipe for at least 10 years and it’s a hit every year!
This has been my go to turkey recipe for 10 years! Comes out perfect every time no matter what size bird I use. I even shared this recipe with my niece, she called me the other day because she thinks of me every time she makes her turkey. Glad to pass on this recipe for future generations because Emeril definitely got this recipe right! Would give 10 stars if it let me.
Thankfully this is still on the site- had a hard time finding it as I was looking for the Emeril Lagasse in the title as it used to be when I made this several years ago. Why does he no longer get credit for it?
This is the best way to cook a Turkey. I’ve used this for at least 15 years!
This has been my go to recipe for Thanksgiving turkey every year for almost 10 years now. Perfect and gets tons of compliments.
“Let’s fry the turkey this year,” my husband says. How about no! My Nano knows everything, and she wasn’t lying when she said this recipe is the best! I personally will be making my 7th bird with this recipe this Thanksgiving. I always brine for at least 2-3 days and you can really taste the difference! Everyone always says how it’s the most delicious, juicy turkey they ever had. I wish I could take all of the credit, but that’s what you’ll get with a ton of salt and citrus. I use a 26-28 LB bird which takes about 4.5 hours to cook. I am very generous with the S&P and butter – I find the trick with the butter is to melt some in the microwave and brush on the skin, while letting the butter that goes under the skin get real soft so you can just mush and shove it right up in there. Comes out great every time… Fantastic recipe!
Been using this recipe for years. Totally worth every step. The best juicy turkey ever.