How to Cook
the Perfect Turkey

Buying & Storing

The simplest formula for figuring out how big a bird to buy: 1 ½ pounds per adult, ½ pound per child. This should allow for plenty of leftovers for your next-day sandwiches.

There are many options to consider when choosing the centerpiece for your holiday feast. The (justifiably) hyped Heritage turkey is a good one. This bird roams free and develops a richer taste and higher fat content (read: more flavor) than the typical supermarket variety. But be warned—Heritages are pricey (a 10- to 12-pounder will set you back about $140) and often sell out well before the big day. Your next best option is an organic turkey (available at farmer's markets, gourmet stores, and—our favorite—Lobel's). If you prefer a brined bird, go for kosher turkeys, available at Aaron's Gourmet. Avoid the prebasted type, which are injected with sodium and various artificial flavors.

The simplest formula for thawing a frozen turkey: one day of thawing in the refrigerator for every four pounds of turkey.

If your turkey is not frozen, store it in its wrapping for no more than four days on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Remove it right before preparing it (see the following column).

A Note About Weight: When buying your turkey at the butcher or farmer's market, be sure to ask for the exact weight of the bird so you can figure out the cooking time. If you forget, you can always stand on your bathroom scale with the turkey, then without it, and calculate the difference.

Prepping

Take 15 minutes to prep the bird right before it needs to go in the oven.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 turkey
• 2 unpeeled onions, halved
• 3 unpeeled large carrots
• 5 celery stalks
• 1 bunch fresh sage
• 1 bottle dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 4 cups chicken broth (if you don't want to make your own stock from the giblets)

EQUIPMENT

• Medium saucepan
• Paper towels
• Large, heavy roasting pan
• Twine
• Baster

If you plan to make your own stock, remove the bag of giblets from the turkey's cavity and put it in the saucepan. Cover it with 6 cups of cold water; set aside. Rinse the turkey inside and out under the faucet. Dry it with paper towels. Spread the vegetables and sage in the roasting pan and pour in half the wine. Place your turkey breast-side up on top of the vegetables. With the twine, tie the drumsticks together at the ankles. Rub the salt and pepper onto the turkey, then slather it with the butter.

Roasting

There are two ways to roast a turkey: the more common, all-day slow-roasting method, and the quicker high-heat method detailed here, which seals in all the juices, crisps the skin, and gets a 10- to 12-pound turkey to the table in under two hours. For real!

1. Preheat a very clean (to prevent smoking) oven to 450° F. Put your prepared turkey in feet first and set your timer for 10 to 12 minutes per pound of turkey.
2. Boil your pot of giblets (with the neck, if it was also inside the bird). Simmer them, covered, for the whole time the turkey is roasting.
3. If you find that the liquid in the roasting pan is evaporating too quickly, keep adding wine.
4. Baste the turkey with the pan juices during the last half hour of roasting. If the skin appears to be charring at any point, drape the bird with a sheet of foil.
5. When a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey's thigh reads 170° F, remove the bird from the oven. Transfer it from the roasting pan to a cutting board that's set over a tray to catch the juices. Remove the vegetables and place them on a serving tray.
6. Tent the bird loosely with a piece of foil and let it rest for a half hour before carving. (This is a good time to heat up your sides.)

Making Gravy

This is more like a sauce, so it won't be as thick as your typical gravy. But it's just as tasty and satisfying.

1. After removing the turkey, put the roasting pan on the stove, across two burners if necessary. With a spoon, skim off and discard most of the fat.
2. Bring the remaining liquid (about a cup) and browned bits to a low boil.
3. Pour in the water from the giblets (but not the giblets themselves) or, if you prefer, the chicken broth (unheated) and bring it to a boil.
4. Scrape up the brown bits and stir the liquid continuously over high heat for 15 minutes to thicken it. (It will not be as thick as most gravies.)
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer a thick gravy, whisk in 1 tablespoon of a mixture of equal parts butter and flour. Keep adding more until you've reached the desired thickness. Keep warm until serving.