Elizabeth Heiskell's grandmother had a problem. My Thanksgiving turkey was browning too quickly. That's no good.
“That would drive her crazy,” Heiskell, a food contributor and cookbook author from Oxford, Mississippi, told Fox News Digital. She said her perfectionist grandmother needed her birds to “really have a Norman Rockwell look.”
What is the resourceful grandmother's solution? Wrap the turkey in a pillowcase, soak the pillowcase in alcohol, and place the whole thing in the oven.
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This may sound completely ridiculous, but Heiskell swears by it and continues to make turkeys this way.
On the eve of Thanksgiving, Heiskell and his family gather for a celebration. You'll find your pillowcase, tear it up, and start preparing your holiday turkey.
Food contributor Elizabeth Heiskell told Fox News Digital that she prepares her turkey the night before Thanksgiving. (Elizabeth Heiskell)
“It's like a team sport,” she said.
Pillowcases must be “100% cotton” and clean, she said, “and not the ones you slept on the night before.”
But it doesn't have to be new, Heiskell said, noting that her grandmother used a pillowcase that “probably wasn't in the best shape” when cooking the turkey. (Some people use cheesecloth instead.)
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Heiskell said her grandmother “took the turkey, rubbed it with butter, put all the seasonings on it, then wrapped it in this pillowcase and put it in a roasting pan” on a V-rack.
“The key is that you need to completely cover the bird.”
“Then she poured red wine or cognac or whatever was in there, melted the butter and soaked the pillowcases, and baked them until almost done. Then she turned the pillowcases over and poured the butter and wine mixture over again. I brushed it on, then put the pillowcase on.'' I put it back in the oven to brown. ”
“The bottom line is you need to completely cover the bird with the pillowcase,” she says. “Then you have to saturate it completely.”
The end result, Heiskell said, was “the most amazing turkey,” something that Better Homes and Gardens' test kitchen and others have called for.
Pillowcase Turkey by Elizabeth Heiskell
For 10-12 people
Device
A 100% cotton pillowcase, clean and cut to fit around the turkey if necessary.
V rack for roasting pan
roasting pan
material
for turkey
Türkiye (12-15 pounds)
1 yellow onion (roughly chopped)
3 celery stalks (coarsely chopped)
1 lemon (cut into 4 pieces)
3 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature
8 smoked bacon slices
2 cups red wine, more if needed
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, more as needed
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6 peppercorns
10 sprigs of fresh flat leaf parsley
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
for gravy
2 cups liquid from turkey roasting pan
red wine if desired
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Heiskell says the pillowcase method produces golden brown turkeys. (Williams Sonoma)
direction
1. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash the turkey and remove the giblets and neck. Fill the cavity with onions, celery, and lemon. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Spread 1 stick of butter evenly over the skin and sprinkle the bird liberally with salt and pepper.
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3. Unfold a large, clean pillowcase. Cut into squares large enough to wrap around the entire turkey. Place a V-shaped rack in a large roasting pan. Hang a pillowcase over a rack and arrange 4 bacon slices on top of the cloth. Place the turkey breast side down on top of the bacon, then arrange the remaining 4 bacon slices on top of the turkey and fold the pillowcase over so the turkey is completely covered. Thoroughly soak pillowcase and turkey with wine and 1 cup of broth. Scatter the peppercorns, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves over the bottom of the pot. Roast the turkey for 20 minutes.
This recipe calls for cooking the whole turkey while wrapping it in a pillowcase. (Elizabeth Heiskell)
4. Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium heat, combine remaining 2 sticks of butter and remaining 1/2 cup of soup with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Heat, stirring, until the butter melts. Remove from heat. After the turkey has roasted for 20 minutes, brush generously with the butter mixture, making sure the pillowcase is still completely soaked.
Baste turkey with pan juices every hour.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 165 degrees and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 175 degrees. Continue baking for another 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Baste the turkey with the pan juices every hour, making sure the pillowcase is always soaked. Once the pot is dry, pour in equal amounts of wine and broth.
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6. Remove turkey from oven and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the pillowcase from the turkey and flip the turkey over so the breast side is up. Brush the breasts with the remaining melted butter mixture and continue to sear until the skin is crispy and brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a carving board and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
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7. While the turkey is resting, make the gravy. Strain the juices from the roasting pan into a large glass measuring cup. Add more wine, if needed, for a total of 2 cups of liquid. Return the liquid to the pot over medium heat and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. In a small bowl, mix the butter and flour to make a paste. Bring the mixture to a boil in a saucepan and continue whisking until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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8. Carve the turkey and serve with gravy.
This recipe belongs to Elizabeth Heiskell and was shared with Fox News Digital.
