My secret to a SUPER MOIST oh so FLAVORFUL Turkey!

You will need:

• 2 Gala or Honey Crisp Apples and 2 oranges- Depending on the size of bird will depend on how much you need.
• FRESH rosemary (This is one of your most important ingredients so don't substitute this for dry) Get what ever large bag of it your supermarket sells. Here in NM we have Sun Flower Market, and they sell gallon sized bags of it during the holidays.
• Dried Herbs: Rosemary, Sage Thyme,Tarragon, Ground Coriander Seed, marjoram, basil and oregano. If you are not use to making your own blend of spices, you can simply use a poultry seasoning blend which will also work just fine.
• I cup of soft butter (DO NOT MELT IT)
• 2-3 TBS of Crushed garlic

• Aluminum Foil
• Parring knife
• Non-latex kitchen gloves if handling the turkey grosses you out.

My First Rule:
Do not stuff your turkey with stuffing (this will completely suck out all the juices and make it dry.) If you want your stuffing to taste like turkey, poor some turkey drippings in the stuffing and wait till your last 45 min of cooking the bird and bake it in the oven with the bird. I promise, no one will know :-)


Wash your bird inside and out and pat it down till its completely dry (this can take a little bit depending on how large of a bird you have.


Cut up the apples and oranges in quarters and stuff as many as you can in the cavity of the turkey.


Stuff a few rosemary stalks (I do about 5)  in the cavity, don't use all of them because you will need  some more for later.


Take a parring knife and separate the skin from the bird. If you are not sure how to do that here is youtube link  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYP0vVTW594


Mix your butter and garlic together


Now, get a big glob of butter in your hands and rub it UNDERNEATH the skin of the bird (that is why you separated the skin) until you have covered every possible area. Since your bird will be cold your butter wont spread around perfectly, but no worries, the oven will take care of the rest.


Now, get some more butter and spread that over the top of the bird


Now liberally sprinkle your poultry seasoning. I use a lot because when I baste the turkey some of it comes off into the drippings and then when I use the drippings for gravy and stuffing the seasonings give it that extra umph!


 I'm a woman of smells so I sprinkle it on tell it smells right, if you need measurements I'm not sure what to tell you... except that you you could by a poultry season blend and sprinkle that on to desired about with a little pepper.


PS, I don't put salt on the bird, because salt pulls out moisture and I want to keep as much of the moisture in the bird.


Tie up the cavity of the bird and but it in your roasting pan.
I line my pan with crazy amounts of foil (really long pieces) and then put my bird in.
Use the leftover Rosemary stalks and place them between the legs and body of the bird and anywhere else you want it.


Once the bird is in the pan I roll up the foil to prevent any moisture from getting out. I put my oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit and cook till the internal temp of the bird has read 165 degrees (That is the USDA recommended temp to prevent any food born illnesses).


You will be basting your Turkey ALOT and removing a LOT of drippings. Last year I removed almost six cups and it was STILL moist.


During the last 45 min uncover your bird, turn the oven up to 300-350, baste one more time and let your bird turn that pretty golden brown.


Your house will smell AMAZING! And you will have a pleasant surprise when bite into your turkey breast, it will be super moist (a hard thing to do with white meat) and have an extra special taste, which I wont tell you what that is, because you will just have to make it and find out!


HAVE FUN!