Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey

Diestel Turkey Ranch • November 1, 2018

We have done a lot of experimental cooking with our turkeys and have found what we believe to be the ideal way to roast these birds.

1 Diestel turkey (Antibiotic Free, Organic, or Heirloom)
2 – 4 cups broth or water
1 cup white wine

Our traditional family rub:
4 Tbl olive oil
4 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tsp paprika

For gravy:
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all purpose flour
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 325º F. Remove soft, oven-ready turkey from the bag. After removing the neck and giblets from the body cavities, rinse the bird with cold water. Pat turkey dry with a paper towel. If you choose to stuff your bird, this would be the time to do so. To remove the nylon truss, just lift the ring and pull it up and over the end of the drumstick. To secure the truss, hold the drumsticks together, lift the ring and pull it over the drumsticks. The nylon truss is oven and microwave safe and can withstand oven temperatures of up to 450º F.

Rub the exterior of your turkey with a blend of your favorite herbs and spices or with our traditional family rub recipe: See ingredients above. Place the turkey in an open roasting pan, breast side up. Cover the bottom of the pan with approximately 2 cups water or broth. Place your beautiful turkey in the oven.

Roasting Your Turkey
Use a 325º F oven. We would encourage you to check the internal temperature throughout the roasting time to be careful not to over-roast. The internal temperature typically increases more rapidly during the last half of roasting.

There is no need to turn the bird while roasting as it will brown to a rich, golden color. A foil tent can be placed loosely over the turkey during the last hour of roasting to prevent over-browning.

For truly marvelous gravy, heat (do not boil) 1 cup white wine. Pour this over your turkey halfway through the roasting time. When the turkey reaches the desired internal temperature, remove from the oven. Cover and let stand for at least 15 minutes before carving

Gravy Time
Skim and strain freshly roasted turkey drippings into a saucepan over medium heat. If you’re short on drippings, add 1-2 cups water or broth back into your roasting pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits. Strain and incorporate into your drippings.

To create your roux – in a separate saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour over medium heat. Reduce heat and whisk
until golden brown, less than three minutes.

Whisking constantly, gradually add drippings to your roux. Reduce heat to low; simmer gently for gravy to thicken and flavors to meld. Season to taste with salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Roasting Chart – Please note that suggested roasting times may vary. If the turkey is unstuffed, decrease the roasting times listed below by approximately 30 minutes

Weight in Lbs.   Hours
6-10       approx. 2
10-12       3 - 3 1/4
12-14       3 1/4 - 3 1/2
14-16       3 1/2 - 3 3/4
16-18       3 3/4 - 4
18-20       4 - 4 1/2
20-22       4 1/2 - 5
22-24       5 - 5 1/4
24-27       5 - 5 1/2
28-30       5 1/4 - 5 1/2
30-32       5 1/2 - 5 3/4
32-34       5 3/4 - 6 1/4
34-36+      6 1/4 - 6 1/2

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