Brown Bag Turkey Recipe

How to make it

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• 1. De-thaw your turkey properly.
• Rinse it off and take out all of the giblet bags.
• Pat it dry with paper towels.
• 2. Place the turkey on a clean surface where you can flip it around.
• Now using your hands rub the turkey with butter all over.
• 3. Season it with any and all of your favorite turkey spices and herbs.
• Just sprinkle them all over it.
• 4. Slide your hand up inside the turkey.
• Lift it up and slide it into the brown paper bag.
• Roll up the open end to seal the turkey in.
• 5. Place the bag/turkey into the pan you had waiting for it.
• 6. Spray the bag, sides and top, with spray cooking oil.
• If you do not have spray cooking oil rub cooking oil on the
• bag before you get started cleaning the turkey so its ready
• for you when you need it.
• 7. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of water to the pan.
• 8. Place turkey in preheated oven and cook to the specific time
• that the label tells you to cook for the size of turkey you have.
• 9. Check to be sure the bag does not burn, spray with more oil
• if necessary.
• Yeah, I know that they have come out with cooking bags, but
• why second guess a perfect turkey.
• My turkeys come out moist and golden brown.
• Its one of those things my kids come home for.
• ========ERMA'S NOTES==============
• A Recipe For Roasting Heritage Turkeys
• Courtesy of Chef Laura Pensiero, Gigi Trattoria, Rhinebeck, NY.
• Farm turkeys generally roast more quickly than the water
• filled agribusiness turkeys.
• Before cooking, rinse the turkey and the giblets under cold
• running water.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• A hotter oven can dry out your turkey; a lower temperature
• risks prolonged time in the "danger zone," which is the
• temperature range in which bacteria multiply fastest.
• If you stuff the turkey, put the stuffing into the bird immediately
• before putting the turkey into the oven.
• ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
• Preparing Your Turkey:
• Truss the legs together and tuck the wing tips back under
• shoulders of the bird.
• Be sure the turkey is completely thawed.
• Times are based on fresh or completely thawed frozen birds
• at a refrigerator temperature of about 40° degrees F or below.
• Add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the pan.
• Once your bird has reached the desired golden brown, a tent of
• foil may be placed over the turkey.
• This prevents over-browning and drying.
• For turkeys up to 20 pounds, roast for 15 minutes a pound -
• - an 18-pound bird should roast for about 4 1/2 hours.
• Roast larger birds for 12 minutes a pound.
• A stuffed turkey may require an extra buffer of 30 minutes.
• Take the temperature of the bird as well as the stuffing.
• Oven temperatures vary, as do farm fresh turkeys, so begin
• checking for doneness about 30 minutes before the turkey
• is expected to be done.
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• Testing For Doneness:
• Temperature: Deep breast should be 160 to 165 degrees F. Concurrently, thigh temperature should register at 180 to 185 degrees F.
• Knife test: Insert a paring knife into the breast and thigh. When the juices run clear – not at all pink – the turkey is cooked.
• Leg separation: When the turkey is adequately cooked, with a light tug, the leg will easily separate from the bird.
• When the turkey is done, cool it at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before carving. This lets the meat solidify a bit more and makes for easier and more attractive carving. Refrigerate leftovers no more than 2 hours after removing the turkey from the oven. Wrapped tightly in aluminum foil or freezer-grade plastic, the roasted meat can be frozen.
• Storing: A farm fresh turkey can be stored in a very cold environment – 28 to 34 degrees F – up to 8 days in advance. Have thermometers on hand for refrigeration and for testing the final doneness of the Thanksgiving centerpiece.
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• How Many People Your Turkey Will Feed:
• 6 pounds: 4-6 people
• 8 pounds: 6-8 people
• 12 pounds: 8-10 people
• 15 pounds: 10-12 people
• 18 pounds: 12-15 people
• 22 pounds: 15+ people