Grandma's Roasted Turkey

Cooking the family turkey is often an intimidating and sometimes terrifying event that sends wives (and some husbands) running for cover every holiday season. It doesn't have to be that way. In fact, cooking a turkey is probably one the easiest things to do if you have all the right facts in front of you. There are only a few things you really need in order to roast a turkey that your family and guests will be talking about all year. This incredibly simple recipe will "deliver" you from the thrones of "turkey terror" and elevate your Thanksgiving & Christmas turkey to legendary status that your family will brag about year 'round! And yes, your turkey will be compared to "Grandma's" from this point on! Here it is…

INGREDIENTS

1- Whole turkey

2-Large onion, coarse chopped

4- Carrots, coarse chopped

6-Ribs of celery, coarse chopped

2-Cups Water

Lawhorn's Signature Seasoning- enough to liberally coat the entire bird top to bottom and inside the cavity.

Utensils needed:

1 roasting pan, a digital meat thermometer, a basting tube, whip, sieve

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 300°. Take giblets & neck out of the cavity and put them in a pot for gravy. Cut the wings off and add to the pot. Mix the carrots, celery & onion together(mirepoix). Spread 1/2 of the mirepoix in the roasting pan. Liberally coat the cavity with Lawhorn's then stuff the cavity with the other 1/2 of the mirepoix. Coat the exterior of the bird top to bottom and put in roasting pan breast side up. Follow the cooking time on the turkey label for the weight of your bird, generally about 20 minutes per pound. After 1 hour, add the water to the pan. As you check on the bird, make sure the water does not evaporate. This "pot liquor" is going to make your gravy awesome! Check internal temperature with a digital probe in the middle part of the breast. do this by pushing it in until you hit bone, then pull it up about 2-3 inches. Pull it out at 150°, cover with foil and let it sit for 20 minutes. I bone the turkey out and then carve it, but you can carve it whole if you don't know how to remove the breasts and thighs from the carcass. This turkey WILL BE the best you ever served your family, Enjoy!

Gravy

Roux (butter/flour cooked together to make a thickening agent) generally 1 stick of butter to 1 cup of flour. Melt the butter then whisk in the flour until it just barely drips off your whip. All most a paste consistency. Stir constantly over med-high heat until flour starts to bubble and lighten in color. DO NOT LET IT STICK OR TURN BROWN!! If it starts to brown at all, take it off the heat. Throw it away & start over.

3/4 gallon Turkey stock

As your bird is roasting, add cold water to the giblets covering over then 1" add 2 TBS of Lawhorn's to the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Let stock simmer and reduce by 1/2. After the bird is roasted, put all carcass scraps (including mirepoix) into the gravy pot along with the drippings out of the pan. Let boil and reduce by about 1/2. Taste the broth for flavor and alt content, add more seasoning if needed, then strain the stock into another pot. Bring stock to simmer then quickly whisk in about half of the roux. Keep stirring the gravy and adding roux until your desired thickness. Let gravy simmer for about 10 minutes until the flour is completely cooked. Adjust salt & pepper if needed, strain through a sieve to remove any lumps if necessary, and serve.

Awesome gravy, awesome bird!! Your turkey is now something that your whole family will be "thankful" for, forever!!!