Barbara Kafka s Simple Roast Turkey
Description
To make Kafka's Giblet Gravy to go with the bird, see here| New Window. Barbara Kafka’s high heat-roasting technique ruffled feathers in the 1990s (500 degrees! No rack, no trussing, no basting!)—until everyone realized it gives you crackly-skinned turkey in no time at all. There's no salt, which isn’t a typo. The bird is so juicy you won’t miss it. Some notes from Kafka: "Many Thanksgivings at my house have proved the high-heat method to be ideal. A fifteen-pound turkey at room temperature takes two hours to roast. However, it may take several hours for the turkey to reach room temperature. While the turkey is sitting out, cover it loosely with a towel, otherwise the skin will dry out.
Ingredients
- 1 15 pound turkey, thawed if necessary, and at room temperature, wing tips removed, reserving giblets and neck for gravy, liver for stuffing
- 1 cup water, turkey stock, or chicken stock
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Place the oven rack on second level from bottom of oven. Heat oven to 500° F.
- Rinse the turkey inside and out. Pat dry. Sprinkle the outside with pepper. If stuffing, stuff cavity and crop, securing openings with long metal skewers. Lace them. Do not truss.
- Put turkey in an 18 by 13 by 2-inch roasting pan, breast side up. Put in oven legs first. Roast until the leg joint near the backbone wiggles easily, about 2 hours. After 20 minutes, move the turkey around with a wooden spatula to keep from sticking. Remove the turkey to a large platter. Let stand 20 minutes before carving.
- Pour off grease from roasting pan and put pan on top of the stove. Add water or stock. Bring to a boil while scraping the bottom vigorously with a wooden spoon, loosening all the crisp bits in the bottom of the pan. These add intensity to the gravy. Let reduce by half. Serve on the side in a sauceboat or add to gravy.
