Every Thanksgiving, I hear cooks groaning about having been up all night basting the big turkey, and I just smile. I’ve found a foolproof, easy way to make a great turkey and get your sleep too! It also makes the most tender, moist turkey I’ve ever tasted. The first time I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for my family, Garth couldn’t believe this method would actually work, so he politely asked me to cook a “stunt” turkey so he could taste it for himself before the big day. Most of my friends have been just as hesitant, but once they have tried it my way, they never go back to the old way. To make sure the oven temperature doesn’t drop too quickly, I put a sign on it threatening bodily harm to anyone who even thinks about opening the oven door during this process!

　　

Ingredients

serves 20 to 25

　　1 12-pound turkey, completely thawed, all giblets removed

　　1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened

　　2 tablespoons salt

　　2 teaspoons pepper

　　2 stalks celery, cut in lengths to fit turkey cavity

　　1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia, cut in half

　　1 large carrot

　　2 cups boiling water

　　

Giblet Gravy

Giblets and neck from turkey (see Note)

　　1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

　　4 tablespoons fat skimmed from the turkey roasting pan

　　4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

　　2 cups turkey broth

　　2 large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and chopped fine

　　Pepper to taste

　　(makes 2 cups)

　　

Step 1

Adjust the oven racks so the covered roasting pan fits easily inside the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F.

　　

Step 2

Rub the butter on the outside and in the cavity of the turkey. A self-basting turkey will not require all of the butter. Sprinkle the salt and pepper on the inside and on the outside of the turkey. Put the celery, onion, and carrot in the cavity. Place the turkey, breast side up, in a large roasting pan. Pour the boiling water into the pan. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and put the pan in the preheated oven.

　　

Step 3

Start a timer when the oven temperature returns to 500°F. Bake for exactly 1 hour and turn off the oven. Do not open the oven door. Leave the turkey in the oven until the oven cools; this may take 4 to 6 hours. Reserve the pan juices and refrigerate the turkey if it will not be served soon after roasting.

　　

Step 4

Serve with Grandma Lizzie’s Cornbread Dressing (page 145) and Giblet Gravy (recipe follows).

　　

Giblet Gravy

Step 5

Place the giblets in a saucepan with 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, skim off any foam that rises to the surface, and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Cool the giblets in the cooking liquid. When cool, strain the broth into a measuring cup; if it is less than 2 cups, add chicken stock to make a full 2 cups. Pull the meat off the bones and shred the giblets. Cover and reserve.

　　

Step 6

In a medium saucepan, mix the flour with the skimmed fat and cook until the roux is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk the turkey broth into the roux and cook until the gravy thickens. Stir in the shredded giblets and chopped eggs. Season to taste.

　　

From Gwen

Step 7

This turkey is tender and produces lots of pan juices for the gravy.

　　

Step 8

Give it a try! Giblets are people, too!

　　

Note

Step 9

There are those, Trisha included, who pass on the giblet gravy because they don’t care for giblets, which traditionally include the liver, heart, gizzard, and the dark meat from the neck. For giblet-free gravy, substitute a bit of shredded white meat from the turkey or boiled and shredded chicken breasts for the giblets.

　　Reprinted with permission from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes from My Family to Yours by Trisha Yearwood with Gwen Yearwood and Beth Yearwood Bernard. Copyright © 2008 by Trisha Yearwood. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Trisha Yearwood is a three-time Grammy-award winning country music star and the author of the bestselling cookbook Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. She is married to megastar Garth Brooks.