Considering most of us only roast turkeys once (okay, maybe twice) a year, there are two common revelations people have in the days before Thanksgiving: (1) I have no idea what happened to my roasting pan/I'm pretty sure I've never owned one, and (2) I have no idea how to roast a turkey/I'm pretty sure I've never roasted one before.
Do not panic. You will need a roasting pan, but you can easily get by with the disposable kind found at any grocery store (or at the bottom of this story). And there's a simple hack for creating a rack out of aluminum foil, so you don't have to shell out extra cash for a kitchen gadget you'll use roughly once a year—or never again.
All you have to do is mold a sheet of foil into two rings—one to support the top and bottom halves of the turkey—which will elevate the bird in the pan, allowing the juices from the turkey to drip down. If you're roasting a small turkey (say, under 10 pounds), you can get away with just a single ring. Larger birds, however, are better off with two, so the poultry's totally elevated. Pro tip: Make sure you heavily spritz both rings with cooking spray so the bird's skin doesn't stick to them (then you're tearing off the best part!).
Why does this even matter?! you might be wondering. Fair enough—putting the bird on a makeshift rack, or "foil coil" as the experts at Butterball refer to it—gives the juices a chance to drain, so the bottom of the turkey doesn't get soggy.
Surround the turkey with quartered vegetables to roast, and some chicken broth, which will keep the bird tender and juicy. Coat the entire top of the turkey in butter—or, better yet, a blend of garlic powder, thyme and butter—to lock in moisture and really infuse it with garlicky flavor. While you're at it, stuff the bird's cavity (you know, the place where the sun doesn't shine) with more quartered vegetables and fresh herbs, like the Thanksgiving trifecta: thyme, rosemary and sage. It's also a good chance to double-check the neck and bag of giblets are gone. Nobody wants to slice into a bag o' guts mid-meal.
From there, just pop it in the oven at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes, then drop the oven's temperature to 350 degrees F, tent that bird with more foil (so the skin doesn't get scorched, and so that the steam from the broth and turkey juices infuse the poultry!), and set a timer to baste that bird with melted butter (or the juices from the pan) every 30 minutes until until a meat thermometer—most frozen turkeys come with one already stuck in the side of the bird—registers 165 degrees F. In many models, the thermometer will pop up, indicating it's done.
Now all you need is the perfect stuffing, sides and pie, and you're all set for Turkey Day.
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