INGREDIENTS:
1 whole turkey
2 stalks celery (roughly chopped)
1 carrot (roughly chopped)
1 onion (cut into quarters)
3 -4 crushed garlic cloves
olive oil
1 brown paper bag (2 if Turkey is huge)
1 can of chicken broth (for gravy)
1/2 cup of corn starch (for gravy)
Directions:
-Take everything out of the turkey. There will be a giblet bag and some other stuff
-Next add vegetables to the inside of the turkey. You don’t even have to peel anything. This is easy because the veggies are just for flavor – you are going to throw them away later
-Take the onion and cut it into quarters
-Chop a nice long carrot
-Do the same with a couple stalks of celery
-Add several cloves of garlic that you mash between a broad kitchen knife and the kitchen counter
-Throw it all inside the turkey
-Then rub the turkey all over with olive oil – not butter because butter usually has salt in it and salt is the enemy of a moist turkey. Make sure the whole bird is covered in olive oil
-Put the turkey in the brown paper bag, staple shut.. then put on roasting pan
-If you have a huge turkey use two paper bags at each end and staple together. It won’t stick to the bird because of the olive oil
-Sprinkle the bag all over with water
-Place into pre-heated 375 F oven ON THE MIDDLE RACK (Do not let the paper bag touch the heating element in the oven). The bag wont burn because paper burns at 451 and we’re at 375 degrees
-Roast for 13-15 minutes per pound
-When you think it’s ready, shove a meat thermometer through the bag and into the turkey and give it a minute to register. Make sure it doesn’t touch the bone
-The thermometer should register between 163-170 degrees
-Remove from oven, cut away the bag and remove the basting pan
-Do not throw out the drippings!
-To make the gravy, strain the pan juices into a really big pot. Any juices that accumulate on the turkey platter get poured into the pot
-Add six oz. of boiling chicken broth and 1/8 cup of corn starch to the gravy to thicken it up. Cook on low heat and stir and cook and stir
-If it seems it isn’t going to be thick enough, add a little more corn starch
(FAQ) What about the talk that brown paper bags are unsafe for cooking? (Answer) If you mean unsafe because of fire, it is important that the bag doesn’t make contact with the heating element of the oven. If you mean because of the recycled paper bag releasing toxins into the turkey, all I can say is that this recipe has been around for over 30 years. I’ve been posting this recipe for over 15 years and never had a single complaint that anyone got sick. I have received hundreds of emails over the years that this is the best turkey they’ve ever tasted and the perfect recipe for first time chefs!
Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!!
-Omelette