Nancy's No Fear Turkey

• 23 lb. turkey
• 1 lb. container of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• enough cold water to fill sink
• 1 stick butter
• ½ small container of poultry seasoning
• ½ teaspoon of pepper
• large roll of aluminum foil
• a rectangular roaster that has a v-rack..
• a cooler or sink suitable sized to hold turkey for brining

To make a really good turkey, there are several things that are necessary.  First of all start with a big bird.  They provide the most white breast meat and also the most tender meat.  It is not necessary, nor even desirable to buy a pre-basted turkey and in fact, if you do so, this brining process would make it too salty.  Using this method, frequent basting is not necessary. 

For an evening dinner. start process about 24 hours before dinner time.

Sanitize cooler or sink and surrounding area by washing out with antibacterial dish soap, including the sink stopper on both sides.

Then douse a paper towel with rubbing alcohol and wipe down cooler or sink.

Rinse with water, using sprayer.

1. Start thawing turkey in the plastic wrap in which it was sold.
2. Place stopper and turkey in cooler or sink.  Run enough cold water to cover turkey.
3. Several hours later, drain cooler or sink and remove turkey from its wrapper.  Remove inner items (giblets and neck) by running as much water over them that is necessary in order to loosen them for removal.    We do not use these items in our family, but if you do, now store them in the fridge until you are ready to do what you normally do with them.  For people like me, we just discard them.
4. Once turkey is free of these items, rinse out cooler sink and replace the stopper.

Brining the turkey:

1. Now place turkey in cooler or sink and fill with cold water.
2. Add a 1 pound container of table salt and a cup of sugar.  This sugar will not turn the bird sweet.   It only serves as a browning agent.  Stir this mixture around the turkey.  This brining process will help the turkey maintain its moisture and really is a necessary part to make a really good turkey.  Continue to add ice to it as necessary so that the turkey doesn’t  become room temperature.  It is better if the turkey is not completely thawed rather than completely thawed.  You can set an alarm to get up and add ice to it several times during the night.  Cover with aluminum foil to help retain coldness in sink.
3. Continue this cold water bath until about 9:30 the next morning.  Prepare bird for oven

Do Not Stuff:

1. Drain water from around and inside the turkey.
2. Do not stuff the cavity with stuffing.  This allows more heat to quickly penetrate the inner cavity and will promote more even cooking of the bird.  Some authorities say that stuffing the inner cavity is somewhat dangerous, and I know many people have done it for years with no ill effects, but I am not willing to take a chance.

Preparing the bird:

1. Rub inner cavity of bird with butter.  Rub outside of bird all over with butter.  It is important that the butter be solid and not melted to start.  The solid state of the cold butter will enhance the browning ability of the bird.
2. Then rub poultry season all over the bird, inside and out.
3. Sprinkle pepper all over the outside of the bird.
4. Spray roasting pan and rack with non stick cooking spray.
5. Place bird on a V-rack in the roasting pan.
6. Tuck wings back into legs so that it fits compactly into the bird.

Readying the oven:

1. Move lower oven rack to bottom of oven.  Remove top rack to make room for the height of the bird.
2. This step seems unlikely to some people, but it works.  Turn oven to 500 degrees.
3. Do not use a meat thermometer at this point.  It will melt it.

Browning the bird:

1. Place turkey in roaster in oven uncovered.  This process will promote more even browning and sealing in the moisture.
2. Set timer for 25 minutes. While you are waiting for the turkey to brown, it is a good time to sanitize your cooler or sink again.
3. Remove roaster from oven.

Slow Roasting Phase:

1. Place a doubled  triangle of folded foil over the breast area.

1. Then cover with a large tent of foil over the roaster.
2. Turn oven down to 325 degrees.
3. Roast for about 6 hours.  Check with meat thermometer in the breast.  Be sure to stick the thermometer down all the way.  It should reach 160 degrees internal temperature.
4. When done, remove from oven and let rest on counter on the roasting rack while rest of dinner finishes cooking.  Leave the foil cover on to retain heat and moisture.
5. About an hour later carve the turkey and place on serving platter.
6. You can use the drippings on the bottom of the pan to make gravy if you wish.