Dad’s Special Thanksgiving Turkey, guaranteed to please picky children and even people who don’t generally like turkey.
Ingredients
- 1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 1/2 to 7 pounds
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup dry white wine
Instructions
Pour yourself a glass of wine. A full-bodied chardonnay would work with this turkey, or a Pinot Noir.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Have a responsible kid place the turkey, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. This is a good time to say a prayer to your guardian angel for help.
Instruct a pre-adolescent child to combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice in a small bowl to make a paste.
Tell the responsible child to Loosen the skin from the meat gently with his fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Massage it gently into the skin for several minutes. This is good for angsty teenagers. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin.. Pour the dry white wine into the bottom of the roasting pan. Pour yourself another glass of chardonnay or Pinot Noir.
Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown. Tell the teenager to use an instant-read thermometer and insert into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. You want it to be at 165F. It’s a good idea to look over their shoulder at this point, because for some reasons teenagers can be distracted and may leave the turkey in too long.
If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Although the turkey is resting, it is still actually cooking, which is another reason why it’s important to pull it out on time.
Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey. Happy Thanksgiving!