Thanksgiving Turkey - Best Ever ...so they say

Our first year in the dorm coincided with our actual wedding. While we married the June before school started (living in sin was no way to start things off), we saved the real ceremony for November - November 15th to be exact. With all the family in town for the wedding, Thanksgiving was notably downplayed; it didn’t make sense for everyone to gather in town again. So, I was left to make Thanksgiving dinner for my new husband and his father.


Now, my husband tells me that the turkey I made that year was the best he’d ever had. He also tactlessly told his mother that it was the best turkey he had ever eaten. As we have mentioned in earlier submissions, my darling husband does not have the most discriminating palate, but I might have to agree that it was a damn good bird. The first tip to any great meal is to starve your guests so they are so hungry by the time dinner is served that Tofurkey was seem delicious Kidding… it was rather late when ate dinner that year.



Item #1 - Turkey Prep: After the Bird is Thawed
Ingredients:
Thawed Turkey
Dried Poultry Seasoning (get good stuff - splurge on Williams Sonoma or Fresh Market’s Brand)
Butter
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Plastic Wrap
Huge Ziploc Bag (optional)

Instructions:
Ok, once the turkey has thawed, it requires little preparation before cooking. Remove the neck and giblets from the body cavity. Wash the inside and outside of the turkey; rinse the giblets separately and in a bowl (set aside). To prevent the spread of bacteria, wash your hands, utensils and sink after they have come in contact with the raw turkey.  409 is your best friend!

Dry the bird with a clean, fresh bar towel… pat it softly (like you really care about its safety, after all, it was a $40 dollar investment – give it some love).  In a bowl, make a goopy mess of cold (but soft) butter and a bit of olive oil.  Kneed it with your fingers and then apply to the turkey gently massaging the bird.  Again, I cannot reiterate this enough: adding a little love comes through in the taste - I swear! After you massage the butter and oil, apply salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning to the outside of the bird. Essentially, we want a buttery oily outside with great seasoning coating. Wrap your turkey in saran wrap – TIGHT!

Item #2 - Turkey Prep: Just Before it Enters the Oven


Dry Rubbed Bird

Butter

Olive Oil

Fresh Rosemary

Fresh Marjoram

Fresh Sage

Fresh Thyme

Fresh Oregano

**For all these herbs, just buy a couple packages, depending on the bird size, of the Fresh Poultry Blend at your local market**

Celery

Onions

Lemons - washed

Breadcrumbs



In a large bowl, combine fresh herbs (chopped and cut), vegetables (cut in large pieces), Breadcrumbs, and Lemons (washed and cut). Add butter