My First Thanksgiving Turkey

I have lived for 43 years and have never had the pleasure of preparing a Thanksgiving turkey (or a whole turkey for any occasion for that matter.)  When I was a child, my grandmother was always the one who cooked the turkey for us, and my grandfather or one of my uncles would carve it.  After my grandma stopped cooking for the holidays, the task passed to my aunts or my mom.  My grandmother still hosts the holidays at her house. As she is wheelchair-bound, it's easier for her to stay put and for her family to bring the party to her.  We happily oblige her for every holiday.

This Thanksgiving, my sister and I were doing the party planning.  When we asked the family what they would like to contribute, no one volunteered to bring a turkey so I knew it fell to us.  My mom bought a 21 pound bird for our gathering of 18 guests, several of which were children.  I began my online search for a turkey recipe; the one that caught my eye was "Juicy Thanksgiving Turkey".  I thought I'd give that one a try because it sounded simple enough and had received 5 star reviews from users.  I modified the recipe to reduce the sodium content.  I also was glad to find that the recipe was gluten free as one of my cousins has a gluten allergy, it was perfect.

I know most people never would try a new recipe for a party, but it's something that I do all the time.  I guess you can consider me a brave cook.  I'd prefer that to a stupid one.  Since I've never made a turkey, the recipe had to be new... at least new to me.  Here it is.

JUICY THANKSGIVING TURKEY

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 teaspoon  thyme
• 1 tablespoon Auntie Jean’s Low Sodium Lemon Pepper Blend
• 1 (15 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 orange, cut into wedges
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can low sodium chicken broth
• 1 (750 milliliter) bottle champagne

Directions

1.     Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a turkey roaster with long sheets of aluminum foil that will be long enough to wrap over the turkey.

2.     Stir together the parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, and lemon pepper in a small bowl. Rub the herb mixture into the cavity of the turkey, then stuff with the celery, orange, onion, and carrot. Truss if desired, and place the turkey into the roasting pan. Pour the chicken broth and champagne over the turkey, making sure to get some champagne in the cavity. Bring the aluminum foil over the top of the turkey, and seal. Try to keep the foil from touching the skin of the turkey breast or legs.

3.     Bake the turkey in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear. Uncover the turkey, and continue baking until the skin turns golden brown, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

      I used a plastic bag for the turkey instead of covering with foil.  It seemed to work ok except that parts of the bag stuck to the turkey.  Next time, I will simply use a covered roasting pan.  The other change I made was to use ginger ale instead of champagne as I am not a fan of wine.  The turkey turned out pretty moist and everyone said that it tasted delicious.  Even my mom said it was delicious, and she rarely says more than, "It was fine." or "It was good."  I consider that a success.

     The vegetables used in the stuffing were edible but extra seasoned.  Next time, I intend to use them to make a turkey soup.  I'll start that with some leftover turkey stock, leftover turkey meat, and the well-seasoned vegetable stuffing.  Then I might add some rice or pasta and some more veggies.  I find that soup is a great way to use leftovers.

      Of course, you need gravy to accompany the turkey.  I don't often make gravy, and I've never been good at it but I had to try.  Again I went online to find a simple recipe that hopefully I would not screw up.  I found and easy  recipe and it turned out well too.  I used the pan drippings from the cooked turkey which were comprised primarily of sodium free chicken stock and ginger ale.  I was worried that they might taste strange in gravy, but I was thankfully wrong.

Here is the gravy recipe.  Happy Thanksgiving!

EASY TURKEY GRAVY

Ingredients

• 2 cups low sodium turkey stock with pan drippings
• 1/2 teaspoon Auntie Jean’s Low Sodium Poultry Blend
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

1.     Bring the turkey stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Season with poultry seasoning, pepper, and garlic powder. Reduce heat to low, and let simmer.

2.     Warm the milk in the microwave, and whisk in the flour with a fork until there are no lumps. Return the gravy to a boil, and gradually stir in the milk mixture. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Be careful not to let the bottom scorch.