Last year, my sister and I used the “Perfect Roast Turkey” recipe from Martha Stewart and it was indeed perfect.
20 pound turkey, thawed
4 sticks of butter, room temp
1 bottle of white wine (dry)
2 teaspoons of sea salt
2 teaspoons of pepper
1 bunch of thyme
1 bunch of sage
1 head of garlic, cut in half
2 lemons, cut in half
cheesecloth
Let the turkey set out at room temperature for 2 hours. Take out all of the inners from the turkey cavity. Pat the entire turkey down with a paper towel. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees with the rack in the lowest position.
In a saucepan, melt 3 sticks butter and combine with bottle of wine. Fold the cheesecloth to create a 4 layer piece that would cover the entire bird. Soak the cheesecloth in the butter and wine mixture.
In the turkey’s large cavity, sprinkle half of the salt & pepper evenly. Stuff the turkey with the sage, thyme, garlic & lemon. Close up the cavity with its own skin using toothpicks. Tie the legs together with twine.
Rub the remaining 1 stick of butter on the outside of the turkey and sprinkle with remaining salt & pepper. Place the butter & wine soaked cheesecloth over the turkey, covering completely.
Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Baste with butter and wine basting liquid.
Reduce the oven to 350 degrees for the next 2 1/2 hours. Baste with butter & wine mixture every 30 minutes.
After the first 3 hours (30 min at 450 degrees and 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees) remove the cheesecloth (it will be very brown). Bake for 1 more hour or until thermometer reads 180 degrees at the thickest part of the thigh.
Total cooking time 4 hours.
Transfer the turkey to a serving platter and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.
The Gravy
Pour the pan juices from the turkey pan into a glass pitcher (or measuring cup). Let the fat settle to the top. Spoon off or pour off the fat and discard. Into a glass jar, put 1/3 cup of flour along with 1/3 cup of the hot pan juices. Shake well. Pour the flour mixture into the turkey pan along with the remaining juices. Place over a medium heat and scrape all of the bits off of the pan. Whisk or stir over medium heat until thickened. Serve warm.