Russ Parsons' Dry-Brined Turkey (aka The Judy Bird) Recipe

[Alan]

Here's a recipe of Russ Parsons' Dry-Brined Turkey (aka The Judy Bird) for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients
1(12- to 16-pound) turkey (frozen is fine)
Kosher salt
Herbs and/or spices, for flavoring the salt (optional—see suggestions above)
Melted unsalted butter, for basting (optional)

Directions
Step 1
Wash the turkey inside and out, pat it dry, and weigh it. Measure 1 tablespoon of salt—we used Diamond Crystal kosher—into a bowl for every 5 pounds the turkey weighs (for a 15-pound turkey, you'd have 3 tablespoons). Grind the salt with whatever herbs and spices you choose in a spice grinder, small food processor, or mortar and pestle.

Step 2
Sprinkle the inside of the turkey lightly with the salt mixture. Place the turkey on its back and season the skin of the breasts, concentrating in the center, where the meat is thickest. You'll probably use a little more than a tablespoon.

Step 3
Turn the turkey on one side and season the entire side with salt, concentrating on the thigh. You should use a little less than a tablespoon. Flip the turkey over and repeat with the opposite side.

Step 4
Place the turkey in a 2½–gallon sealable plastic bag, press out the air, and seal tightly. (If you can't find a resealable bag this big, use a turkey oven bag, but be prepared for it to leak, or wrap the bird in a few layers of plastic wrap.) Place the turkey breast side up in the refrigerator. Chill for 3 days, turning it onto its breast for the last day. Rub the salt around once a day if you remember. Liquid might collect in the bag as you go—this is normal!

Step 5
For the crispiest skin, the night before, remove the turkey from the bag. There should be no salt visible on the surface and the skin should be moist but not wet. Arrange the turkey breast side up on a plate or rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours.

Step 6
On the day of cooking, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour (do not rinse—it's not needed, and rinsing will make the skin less crispy). Heat the oven to 425°F.

Step 7
Pat it dry one last time and baste with the butter, if using. Feel free to tie the legs as shown in the photo if they're askew. Now you have two options: Flipping the bird midway through roasting (which will only help brown the bird more evenly) or not flipping—Russ Parsons himself realized after a few years that the meat will be juicy either way. If you're not flipping, place the turkey breast-side up on a roasting rack in a roasting pan; put it in the oven. If you are flipping, place it in the roasting rack breast side down, put it in the oven, and, after 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and carefully turn the turkey over so the breast is facing up (it's easiest to do this by hand, using kitchen towels or oven mitts).

Step 8
Whether you're flipping the bird or not, after 30 minutes total in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F, return the turkey to the oven, and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the deepest part of the thigh, but not touching the bone, registers 165°F, about 2¾ hours total roasting. Note that because a dry-brined turkey cooks more quickly than one that hasn't been brined, it's best to check the temperature early with this recipe—it may be done faster than you think!

Step 9
Remove the turkey from the oven and transfer to a warm platter or carving board; tent loosely with foil. Let rest at least 30 minutes to let the juices redistribute through the meat. Carve and serve.

Source: https://food52.com/recipes/15069-russ-parsons-dry-brined-turkey-a-k-a-the-judy-bird

 

[li'lpowh]

My daughter found this recipe online and she tried it last week. So far it is a really good turkey recipe. The good thing about this recipe is you can scale it up to 3x. She will be hosting this year's Thanksgiving.

The Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

Ingredients

15-pound turkey, neck + giblets removed, completely thawed and patted dry
large sheet of double-lined cheesecloth
1 large orange, cut into quarters
2 small lemons
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth


Garlic Herb Compound Butter:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon salt (I used black truffle salt from Sur la Table)
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest



Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.
• Remove turkey from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and completely pat dry.
• Place turkey on a large wire rack lined roasting pan.
• To make the garlic herb compound butter: place softened butter in a medium bowl along with salt, tarragon, sage, thyme, rosemary, garlic cloves, and fresh lemon zest. Mash together using a fork or spoon until everything is combined.
• Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and then stuff with oranges and lemons and any left over herbs you have. (sage, thyme, rosemary or tarragon)
• Starting at the breast, using your fingers, gently separate the skin from the body of the bird so you have a little “pocket.”
• Gently rub 3/4 of the butter mixture under the skin, spreading it out so both sides of the turkey breast part are covered.
• Place the remaining butter in the microwave and melt.
• Dunk the cheese cloth in the melted butter mixture and completely soak the cheese cloth.
• Add any remaining herbs or garlic on top of the skin and drap the butter soaked cheese cloth over most of the turkey.
• Add 4 cups of chicken stock/broth to the roasted pan.
• Place the turkey in the oven at 425 degrees F for 45 minutes.
• After 45 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the oven and bast.
• Place turkey back in the oven and roast for another 2 1/2 to 3 hours at 350 degrees until the thickest part of the turkey thigh readers 160 degrees F. Bast turkey with the drippings from the pan throughout the roasting process.
• Once turkey reads 160 degrees F remove from oven then gently remove the cheesecloth. Transfer turkey to a cutting board and cover with a tent of tin foil. Let rest for 20-30 minutes.
• Before slicing take the temperature one last time to ensure it is at a safe 165 degrees F.
• Slice and serve!

 

[mr awes0me]

If you are looking for something different for this Thanksgiving, why not try this Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe?
Ingredients

2 pounds (908g) sweet potatoes, peeled (about 5 small/medium)
1/3 cup (5 Tbsp; 71g) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I prefer dark)
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup (120ml) half-and-half or heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping

1/3 cup (41g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I prefer dark)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup (5 Tbsp; 71g) unsalted butter, melted
1 and 2/3 cups (210g) pecan halves or chopped pecans
optional: fresh rosemary or thyme, and flaky sea salt for garnish


Instructions

1. Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot or dutch oven and cover them completely with water. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the water and allow the sweet potatoes to cool for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan (or a similar size casserole dish, or a 12-inch oven-safe skillet). Set aside.
3. Place the cooked sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the potatoes until relatively smooth—I like to leave some chunks for texture. For your reference, you will have about 4 cups of mashed sweet potatoes. Add the butter, brown sugar, beaten eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, and salt. Spoon/pour the mixture into prepared pan.
4. For the topping: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together. Using a silicone spatula, fold in the melted butter and pecans until the mixture is totally combined. Spoon evenly over potatoes.
5. Bake for 30–40 minutes or until golden brown on top. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then top with a little fresh thyme or rosemary and a sprinkle of sea salt. Serve warm.
   
   

 

[Alan]

Potato casserole sounds like a good idea.