The Perfect Turkey

Do you want to know the key to a cooking a perfect turkey? Butta. Of course we all know that butter makes everything better, so it makes sense that it would enhance the already delicious star of every Thanksgiving dinner. I take turkey very seriously. Come on, how many times a year does one actually cook a turkey? Just once a year, so it better be done right. 

First I take a stick of butter and let it come to room temperature so it's nice and soft. Then I take fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme, chop them up, and mix them in to the butter. While adding parsley would make it a more poetic recipe, I've been told that parsley doesn't actually work well with turkey, so I just stick to the three other herbs.

Then comes the fun part. Take the butter and smear it all over the turkey--really coat everything. Your hands will get messy, so my advice is to just enjoy it. Who doesn't love the feel of creamy butter all over your hands? Sexy. You should also lift the skin of the turkey and put some butter underneath the skin so that it can melt into the turkey breast and help to keep it moist. I save a little butter to put into the cavity as well.

My family prefers to cook the stuffing in a separate dish rather than in the cavity of the bird, but I still like to enhance the tastiness of the turkey by stuffing it with some savory items. I  chop up apples, onions, garlic, carrots, and celery, add some more sage, rosemary, thyme, and butter, and then stuff the bird with the mixture. The intention is not to eat this concoction but to allow the flavors to seep into the meat while it roasts in the oven. Delicious. And when it's all done, voila! The perfect turkey. The butter makes the skin extra golden and crispy and the flavors of the herbs and stuffing mixture give it that quintessential autumn loveliness that a Thanksgiving turkey should embody.   

Until next Thursday I'll be dreaming of golden, buttery skin and savory turkey meat--anticipating that moment when a foodie fantasy will become reality. Here's wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and, of course, tasty Thanksgiving. Cheers!