The Ultimate Turkey Recipe
the ultimate turkey
People often groan at the thought of eating leftover turkey for a week…we look forward to it. Our turkey, roasted in an oven bag, not only cooks in half the time of traditional recipes but also has twice the moistness and flavor. The gravy is smooth and rich, the stuffing is sweet and savory and the cranberry sauce is perfection – finally a feast we can be thankful for year-round.
the ultmate turkey
serves 10-12
ingredients
Turkey Marinade- 1 (1.38oz/39g) envelope onion soup mix
- 2 cups apricot jam
- 1 cup French salad dressing
- 1 tbsp honey mustard
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 16-18 lb whole turkey
- 1 turkey-size (19"x23") oven bag
- 1 tbsp flour
directions
- Keep only bottom rack in oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine envelope of onion soup mix, jam, French dressing, honey mustard, paprika, garlic powder, celery salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- Make sure the turkey cavity is empty. Rinse and pat the turkey dry. Sprinkle the bottom of the oven bag with flour and shake around the bag to prevent the bag from bursting during cooking. Place the oven bag in a large roasting pan with sides at least 2-inches high. Place the turkey in the bag and pour onion soup mixture over the turkey, making sure the entire turkey is covered with sauce. Seal the bag with the twist tie provided in the package. Cut 6 slits (each ½-inch long) in the top of the bag to allow the steam to escape. NOTE: You do not turn or baste the turkey during cooking.
- Place the turkey in the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180°F and the breast of the turkey at the thickest point reaches an internal temperature of 170°F. Don’t be surprised if the turkey takes under 2 hours as the bag dramatically speeds up cooking time…go by the thermometer dial, not the time in the oven.
- When the turkey is done, slit the bag and lift out the turkey placing it on a large cutting board. Allow the turkey to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
- For the gravy, take the sauce that remains in the roasting pan and strain it into a large saucepan. Allow it to sit for a few minutes and then skim off any fat that has come to the surface. Over high heat, reduce sauce to desired consistency. Taste for salt and pepper and pour over sliced turkey.
“A man is not an orange. You can’t eat the fruit and throw the peel away.”
