Roasting a turkey

Last December I received a free 13-pound frozen turkey from the grocery store, which worried me because I'd never cooked a whole turkey before. I managed to make it through the holidays by pretending I couldn't see it looming there in the freezer, but then last week I screwed my courage to the sticking place and gave it a shot.

I used this recipe, and I found a recipe for Giblet Pan Gravy.

I moved the turkey to the refrigerator on Sunday morning and then began the brining process on Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning about 8am, I removed the turkey from the brine and set it back in the refrigerator, uncovered until about 4pm, at which point I chopped the onions, carrots, and celery, brushed melted butter over the skin, and placed it all in the oven.

Earlier in the day I bought a roasting pan at Bed, Bath, and Beyond -- a sturdy model on sale because it had been on display -- along with a baster.

The turkey turned out moist and delicious, with crispy skin. It required another hour of cooking time than the recipe called for, but I just relied on my meat thermometer for accuracy. Making the gravy was a pain in the ass, which required a lot of babysitting the stovetop. It turned out nice too, if a little salty. I'm just not sure I care enough to try that recipe again. Here is a picture of deglazing the roasting pan on the left, and the roux on the right:

And the final product! Mmmm.