Awesome High Heat Holiday Turkey
"You must try this for your holiday turkey, you will not be disappointed! This is the only way we make turkey, EVER! Especially since oven space is valuable around the holidays. Why high heat? Heat cooks. Opening the cavity will allow the heat to cook the bird from the inside as well as the outside. Seasoning? Why? Herbs and spices create a crust on the skin that seals in the flavor and juices, you pick what seasoning. Breast side down? Why? The rack keeps the turkey from steaming on the bottom of the pan.
Why metal? It conducts heat better than glass or ceramic. Why foil? High heat can cook too well. Loosely covering the top of the turkey will keep it from burning. Why liquid? To catch the juices and fat as they drip from the turkey so that they will not burn from the high heat of the oven and stick on the bottom of the pan. You will be able to use this liquid as a base for your gravy. 5 rules for HHT:
1) Don't salt!!!!!!!! Why suck the moisture out?
2)Don't let the bird touch the pan! We want to roast, not stew. When it sits on the bottom of the pan, instead of a rack, or it is squeezed into a too small pan, the hot air is unable to envelop the turkey, causing it to cook in it's own juices
3)Don't Baste the bird! It will break caramelization, slow down cooking and use up the pan juices
4) Don't poke with a fork to turn or check the bird! Piercing the meat will allow the flavorful meat juices to escape
5) Don't cover the bird with cheesecloth! We don't care what Martha says, covering the bird with cheesecloth will prevent browning. It will make a mighty tasting cheesecloth, though, if you are into that kinda thing!
Then spoon the stuffing in. What about stuffing? Use Chef Marc's easy method: Using oven mitts, place the turkey, cavity up, into a five-gallon plastic container From Chef Marc on KGO-AM."
photo by CindyWMitchell
- Ready In:
- 2hrs 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 4
- Serves:
-
8
ingredients
- 16 -18 lbs fresh whole turkey
- 1⁄2 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh black pepper, to taste
- 3 cups as needed chicken broth
directions
- Dry a 16 to 18 lb. turkey inside and out with paper towels.
- Oil the turkey inside and out with any kind of vegetable oil (olive, canola, etc.) using your hands.
- Cut away any excess skin around the opening of the cavity and wedge a fork inside the cavity to open it further. Leave the fork in to keep cavity open.
- Rub spices, herbs, or just pepper all over the bird with your oily fingers.
- Place the turkey, breast side down on a rack in a large metal roasting pan.
- Cover the top of the turkey, including legs and wings with greased foil.
- Pour ¾-inch of chicken or turkey broth in the bottom of the pan. As the turkey cooks, check the liquid every 45 minutes and add more in case it evaporates.
- Cook the turkey at 500° to 525° for 2 hours.
- Remove foil, stuff the turkey with cooked stuffing and return it to the rack breast side up.
- Cook the turkey 30 to 45 minutes longer until an instant-read thermometer stuck deep in the thigh reads 175°.
- Let the turkey rest at least 20 minutes, this allows the meat to reabsorb its juices.
Questions & Replies
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Could you please approximate the time this recipe will take for a 25lb turkey? Thank you! -
Hi. I am following your recipe and just put a 20lb turkey into a 525 oven as directed. I just have a question about the foil. You said cover the top of the turkey in greased foil. Did you mean cover the bird only leaving the broth exposed or cover the whole thing folding foil over the sides of the roasting pan. I did the latter. Hope I didn't make a mistake! -
Can the high heat cooking method be used on a turkey breast? If so how would the cooking times change?
Reviews
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I have used the high heat roasting method for more than a decade, always use a brined bird, dried (uncovered) in the frig for half a day. Love the lemon, seasoning (don't forget the sage) & onion in the cavity. I don't use any foil during the roasting time. Here's the best hint I have to add: cover the bottom of the roasting pan wih very coarsely cut root vegetables (I use onion, carrot and celery) to catch the drippings and avoid the dreaded smoke and fire from the drippings. Using the vegetables you omit any added liquid and get crispest skin and true roast flavor. The drippings are the best, just press through a sieve to strain for gravy base. -
I have been cooking a 24 lbs. turkey, at 500 degrees, for the last three years, it is great, turns out very moist, and takes about three hours. The flavor is great, I first rub the turkey inside and out with a cut lemon, and an orange, season the inside with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and loosely stuff with a quartered onion, some cut celery, fresh rosemary and fresh oregano sprigs, the lemon and orange. I make a mixture of salt, pepper, Poultry seasoning, mashed garlic, olive-oil, canola oil, then loosen the skin on the breast and around the thighs, I rub this mixture under the skin, ties the legs, fold the wing tips under the bird ( I do all this the day before Thanksgiving), I keep the turkey in a non reactive pan, cover well with plastic wrap, refrigerate overnight. Two hours before baking, take out of fridge, brush top with melted butter or oil, place in pan, and roast.
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this is FANTASTIC-have done it now 2 yrs,only thing i do different is i rub olive oil on and then coat heavily with kosher salt,salt does not take out juices,but tenderizes it,and everone says it is mild like tuna,i love turkey. -
I have been doing the 500 degree for 25 years or so, I saw it first on a Good Morning America show a couple days before Thanksgiving. They said to leave the stuffing out too. But I never have. It takes longer but you just need to make sure it comes up to temp. Keep the top covered it will brown anyway. I have been brining for 5 years or so and it is even better. but Last year I made a mistake and brined it for 2 days. Wow talk about salty!! Anyway happy T Day and stay well and safe.
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Was planning to stuff turkey, placing stuffing under breast skin and in neck cavity. Would hi temp still work in this case?
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
kiwidutch
Netherlands
