modern roast turkey

I've used a bunch of different roast turkey recipes in the past, and this one combines the best of each of them. Your goal is to reduce cooking time as much as possible, not only for convenience but to avoid drying out the meat. To do this, use two birds instead of one and don't stuff them! Not only do multiple birds cut down on cooking time, but there are twice as many legs, thighs, and wings for dark meat fans. And, if you're experimental like me, you can use different seasonings for each of the birds! Yes, two birds does mean two pans, but you don't need those fancy turkey roaster pans - a large baking dish with a few carrots or celery stalks in the bottom will do just fine. All you want to do is raise the bird up off of the pan a little so the heat from the oven can surround it.

Stuffing the bird is a great way to infuse flavor into the meat, but most traditional recipes call for the cavity to be stuffed full of bread stuffing. This is not only a food safety concern (germs from the inside of a bird all over my stuffing? No thanks!) but it adds more mass to an already dense item - meaning you have to cook it longer and dry out the breast meat.

If you're buying a frozen bird (nothing wrong with that!) be sure to give yourself a few days to thaw it out in the fridge. They do not thaw quickly and trying to speed the process up will likely end badly. Cooking times will differ depending on whether your bird was purchased fresh or frozen. Plan on 20 minutes per pound in a 350 degree F oven for a defrosted turkey and 10 to 15 minutes per pound for fresh.

For crisper skin, unwrap the turkey the day before roasting and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight.

Serves 6

2 8-10 lb turkeys, giblets removed
10 sprigs fresh rosemary
10 sprigs fresh thyme
1 head garlic
1 lemon, cut in half
1/2 cup canola oil
4 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse turkeys inside and out and pat dry. Season inside of turkey liberally with salt and pepper. Truss turkey (video here). Make two herb bouquets by tying 5 rosemary sprigs and 5 thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine. Cut garlic in half horizontally to expose cut cloves. Place one lemon half, herb bouquet, and garlic half into each turkey cavity. Place turkeys in pans, breast side up. Drizzle each turkey liberally with canola oil and spread evenly over the bird with your hands. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Pour 1 cup of chicken broth in the bottom of each pan and tent turkey with aluminum foil (video here). Insert a meat thermometer into thigh.

Roast turkey, tented, for 20 minutes per pound (defrosted turkey) or 10-15 minutes per pound (fresh turkey), until meat thermometer in thigh reads 145 degrees. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees and remove foil. Continue to cook until thermometer reads 160 degrees. Remove from oven, replace tent over turkey, and allow to stand for at least 15 minutes to allow juices to redistribute (note, thermometer temperature will continue to rise after removing from oven).