Transform Thanksgiving with French-Inspired Turkey | Full Episode | America's Test Kitchen (S25 E9)

herbes de Provence

🥗Healthier: fresh herbs

💰Cheaper: Italian seasoning

Fresh herbs enhance flavor without added preservatives.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil provides healthier fats.

white wine

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water with vinegar

Vegetable broth adds depth without alcohol.

chicken broth

🥗Healthier: homemade broth

💰Cheaper: water

Homemade broth can be lower in sodium.

Make herb paste by blending 3/4 cup fresh parsley, 1/4 cup dried herbes de Provence, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a food processor for 30 seconds.

Mix 1/4 cup of the herb paste with 1/4 cup kosher salt and 4 teaspoons sugar.

Separate the skin from the meat of the turkey, starting with the breast and then the legs.

Rub 2 tablespoons of the salt mixture under the skin of the breast and 4 teaspoons on each leg.

Stuff remaining salt mixture into the cavity of the turkey.

Tuck the wings under the turkey and tie the legs together with twine.

Place the turkey on a wire rack and refrigerate uncovered for 24 to 48 hours.

Before roasting, blot any moisture from the turkey skin.

Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil with 1 teaspoon baking powder to create a slurry and brush it over the turkey skin.

Make a foil shield for the white meat to even out cooking.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and place a baking steel in the bottom.

Pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into the hot roasting pan and place the turkey inside.

Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and roast for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil shield and brush the turkey with a mixture of herb paste and melted unsalted butter.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens