Revisiting Julia Child's Roast Turkey

You will need: - a container large enough to brine your turkey breast and a spot in your refrigerator. - a cast iron skillet that can go in the oven. - a roasting pan large enough to fit your turkey.

Updated at: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 20:35:17 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories1830.5 kcal (92%)

Total Fat71.2 g (102%)

Carbs82.1 g (32%)

Sugars32 g (36%)

Protein210.7 g (421%)

Sodium15737.2 mg (787%)

Fiber9.2 g (33%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

6 servings

Instructions

Spatchcocking the turkey

Step 1

Remove giblets and neck set aside for gravy production (gravy production is not detailed here).

Step 2

Tuck wings

Step 3

Cut off legs through back dark meat. Remove thigh bone.

Step 4

Season the leg and inside the thigh meat with ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp fresh sage, ¼ tsp pepper.

Step 5

Use half skewers to close up thigh meat into a cylinder shape then use twine to truss.

Step 6

Breast, trim excess skin on neck.

Step 7

Cut out back bone from leg to neck.

Step 8

Refrigerate. Brine breast for at least 6 hours.

Stuffing

Step 9

Distribute the bread cubes in 2 rimmed baking sheets.

Step 10

Bake at 300° for 30 minutes.

Step 11

While the bread crumbs bake, using the cast iron skillet, saute the onions, in the butter for 10-12 minutes then add celery.

Step 12

Take the bread cubes out after 30 minutes and allow to cool and put in a big bowl.

Step 13

Add the beaten eggs, sage and pepper to the bowl and mix.

Step 14

When the onions and celery are done cooking, add to bowl with the dried cranberries and mix.

Step 15

Pour the stuffing into the bottom of the roasting pan and make a compact 10 x 12 inch rectangular mound in the middle of the pan.

Roasting the turkey

Step 16

Wipe out the cast iron skillet.

Step 17

Preheat the oven to 425°

Step 18

Remove the turkey breast from the brine and pat dry.

Step 19

Brush vegetable oil on the turkey breast.

Step 20

Put breast down in the skillet.

Step 21

Put in oven 425 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Step 22

Remove turkey breast from the oven.

Step 23

Place the turkey breast on top of the mounded stuffing. Breast side up.

Step 24

Nestle the leg pieces around the breast.

Step 25

Tuck any exposed stuffing beneath the legs and breast.

Step 26

Brush the legs with vegetable oil.

Step 27

Add salt all over.

Step 28

Place in 425° oven for 30 minutes, then lower the oven temp to 350° for another 40 minutes until temp reaches 160- 165 degrees for breast. 175 degrees legs.

Step 29

Stir stuffing. Let turkey rest in OFF oven for 30 minutes.