Since we went away for Thanksgiving (and had a fabulous dinner at my sister’s!), my girls’ were feeling shortchanged. My sister generously sent us home with some leftover turkey, among other things, but after a batch of turkey enchiladas and a few sandwiches, it was gone. I bought a turkey and fixed it last weekend, without all the trimmings.
I decided to try out the method Pamela Anderson has in her book The Perfect Recipe
I didn’t have a chance to brine the frozen turkey I bought, as she recommends. But I did use her method of cooking.
Mine, at 11 pounds, was done right on the money.
The meat was excellent. Nothing dried out but everything cooked.
We had a friend for dinner and ate quite a bit the first night. The next day was gingerbread house decorating all day. After eating candy for a few hours, everyone wanted something non-sweet. I made up our favorite turkey salad spread. Mmmm!
How to Roast a Small Turkey – Pam Anderson
Ingredients
- 10-12 pound turkey, giblets removed
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup water
- 3 Tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400
- Put some of the chopped onion, carrot, and celery mixed with thyme on the bottom of the roasting pan and add 1 cup of water
- Put the rest of the chopped onion, carrot, thyme, and a bit of melted butter inside the turkey
- Put a v-rack in the roast pan. Baste the turkey all over with some melted butter and start the turkey breast side down.
- Cook the turkey for 45 minutes.
- Use paper towels to hold the hot turkey and turn it on its SIDE. Baste with melted butter and cook another 20 minutes.
- Turn the turkey onto its other side, baste and cook another 20 minutes.
- Finally, turn the turkey breast side UP, baste, and cook another 45 minutes or so, until a meat thermometer in the leg registers 170-175F and one in the breast 160-165.
[…] I pulled up last year’s experimental turkey recipe, easier with smaller birds for sure. Start the bird out breast side down, then turn on its side, […]