Brown Butter & Sage Turkey
Brown Butter & Sage Turkey is a show stopping recipe to serve for Thanksgiving! A 24-hour dry brine is the secret to keeping this turkey super juicy and tender, and is an easy step that anyone can do to enhance a regular roast turkey.
Ingredients
- 1 14-pound whole turkey neck and giblets removed from cavity
For the Dry Brine:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme fresh, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sage fresh, finely chopped
For the Brown Butter:
- 1 1/4 cup butter salted
- 8 sage leaves fresh
For Stuffing the Turkey:
- 1 yellow onion quartered
- 1 head garlic cut in half
- 8 sage leaves fresh
- 1 cup Italian parsely fresh
- 2 bay leaves fresh
- 2 tablsepoons olive oil
For Roasting the Turkey:
- 12 shallots whole, peeled
Instructions
To Make the Dry Brine:
- 24 hours before you want to serve the turkey, dry brine it. Combine the dry brine ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle the dry brine over the front, sides, and back of the turkey, making sure to rub it in to all the areas of the turkey.
- Place the turkey on a rack set over a baking dish. Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 24 hours.
To Make the Brown Butter:
- Place the butter into a small sauce pan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
- Once the butter melts, it will will bubble up, then subside. Once it subsides, swirl the butter in the pan, watching for it turning brown.
- Once the butter begins to brown, you will see brown flecks form and the butter will smell nutty. When you see this, remove the butter from the heat and add the sage leaves. Let the butter and sage steep together for 20 minutes.
- Remove the sage leaves from the butter and place in the fridge to harden overnight.
To Butter & Stuff the Turkey:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Remove the turkey from the refrigerator. Do not rinse it.
- Carefully separate the skin from the meat on the breasts and legs using your fingers to lift and get under the skin. This is where the brown butter is going to go. Use a tablespoon to help reach into deeper areas where you fingers can't reach if needed.
- Place a heaping tablespoon of brown butter under the skin of each breast and use your hands to smooth it out in an even layer under the skin. Repeat this process for the legs as well.
- With the remaining brown butter, coat the entire exterior of the turkey with it by using your hands. Make sure to get all over the breasts, wings, legs and thighs to ensure the turkey browns.
- Once coated in butter, drizzle the turkey with the olive oil and use your hands to cover the turkey evenly in the oil. This will prevent the butter from burning as the turkey cooks.
- Stuff the cavity of the turkey with the quartered onions, garlic, sage, parsley and bay leaves.
- Tie the turkey legs together using 100% cotton bakers string.
- Add the shallots to the bottom of the pan and place the turkey in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes per pound or until the internal temperature of the turkey breast reaches 165 degrees F. *For a 14-pound turkey, it took about 4 hours and 15 minutes*.
- Once the turkey reaches 165 degrees F in the breast, remove it from the oven, cover and let stand for 30 minutes. This will allow the meat to continue cooking slightly and become juicy.
- Once rested, carve the turkey and arrange on a platter. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!