Turkey, Stuffing and Gravy

I really didn’t use my own recipe here because I’d never made a turkey before (did I mention I got this turkey free back in November from Fresh Direct using one of their promo codes?- yes, an entire 12.5 lb. turkey!).  I’d have had no idea how to just start blank, so I turned to my favorite cooking-is-a-science buddy and found a few of his recipes that, in my typical fashion, I had to modify to suit my own desires. 

I basically used the brine found here and then followed the recipe here.  Well, except I didn’t use a cinnamon stick inside the darn turkey because I didn’t feel like hunting one out, and when I went to buy an apple, I wasn’t paying attention, and so I bought a green apple instead of a red apple.  Essentially, though, that was it. 

I strongly recommend investing in a good roaster- I used a really cheap/crappy roaster and I regretted it all day only because every time I went to take the turkey out… well, the handles were hinged so they’d lay flat against the side of the roaster, which, when it’s hot and I’m wearing oven mitts (Christmas present from my brother!) it’s next to impossible to lift them out so I can grab them properly.  Plus the rack inside slid around like mad… so at the end of the day, I threw the whole thing away.  What a waste. 

Also, I strongly recommend investing in a thermometer- I bought the Pyrex digital one with a long wire (you can see the end of the probe in the picture) and an alarm.  I’m not even sure how I’d have figured out if the turkey was done otherwise, but this definitely ensured that it was done and not overdone.  Perfect. 

I wound up letting the bird rest (loosely covered with tinfoil) for about 2 hours while people arrived.  I finally went to cut it, and well, I kind of hacked at it at first but finally I figured out that if (after you remove the legs, wings, etc.) you come in from the side, in a cut parallel to the table/counter, to the bone, then slice downwards, you can get some pretty even and neat slices.  I heard no complaints about the moistness level of the turkey, so I’m guessing it was fine!  (The turkey wasn’t cold- it was about warm when I served it, despite having sat there for a while, but then again, I left it on the stovetop while the oven was on, cooking the stuffing and other items.) 

Oh and the gravy?  I took from this recipe, modifying it ever so slightly by adding loads more mushrooms and not including the hard boiled egg (instead choosing to use all of my hard boiled eggs for deviled eggs, yum).  It was delicious (I was still eating it every day since then, although my boyfriend dumped out the whole pot this morning while I was in the shower- sad face).

I also made stuffing, of course, using the same recipe I just linked, but I couldn’t find regular sweet Italian sausage (which is what I wanted to use) so instead used Johnson’s sweet maple sausage, which turned out to be really good.  Sweeter than the sausage I make, and chewy little nuggets every so often in the stuffing, these were good.  I was actually munching on the entire mixture while I was making it- before adding the egg, of course.  Delicious!  Though I guess I made too much since I still have an entire tray in my fridge, and then some (it breaks my heart to have to throw it away, but I’m going to have to do that…).  BTW, be prepared- oven drying the bread (say at 200 degrees?) takes a bit of time, and then crumbling two entire loaves?  My arms were killing me and I was getting crumbs everywhere. 

Enjoy all the deliciousness!  Come back to this post around Thanksgiving!  Yum, yum!