Serves 10 people with plenty of leftovers.
- Turkey: Bon Appétit's Expertly Spiced and Glazed Roast Turkey
- Gravy: Bon Appétit's Why-Is-It-So-Good Gravy
- Stuffing: Bon Appétit's Cornbread Stuffing With Sausage and Corn Nuts
- Mashed potatoes: Bon Appétit's Mashed Potatoes With Crispety Cruncheties
Schedule:
- Friday/Saturday: Thaw turkey (if necessary)
- Sunday: Make dry brine mixture and cornbread
- Tuesday: Breakdown turkey, begin dry brining, cook gravy
- Wednesday: Cook stuffing & mashed potatoes
- Thursday: Cook turkey, finish sides
Start defrosting turkey in refrigerator (24 hours for every 4 pounds before Tuesday):
- 12-14 pound whole turkey
Consider keeping salt separate.
Combine in a medium bowl:
- 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, very finely ground
- 2 tablespoons whole pink peppercorns, very finely ground
- 4.5 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Lightly grease a 13x9" glass baking dish:
- Canola oil
In a large bowl, whisk together:
- 240 grams AP flour
- 425 grams medium-grind yellow cornmeal
- 50 grams sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoons black pepper
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
- 4 eggs
- 450 grams buttermilk
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture; stir into dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top.
Bake cornbread on center rack, rotating dish halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (~20–25 minutes).
Let cornbread cool slightly, then transfer to wire rack (otherwise it will stick to the glass). Meanwhile, lower oven temperature to 325 F.
Cut into 3/4" inch pieces. Divide cornbread evenly between 2 large rimmed baking sheets and bake, tossing occasionally, until dried out and lightly browned around the edges (40–50 minutes):
- 3 pounds cornbread, cut into 3/4" pieces
Let cool at least 30 minutes and transfer to a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
With gloved fingers (or a fork), mash together in a 24-ounce container until homogenous:
- 55 grams flour
- 56 grams (4 tablespoons) butter, room temperature
Set aside for gravy.
Preheat oven to 450 F.
Separate turkey into leg quarters, breasts (do not separate), wings, and backbone. Place wings, backbone, neck, etc, intended for gravy into a large roasting pan. Place leg quarters and breasts on a wire rack set in a baking sheet (triple lined with aluminum foil if roasting in the same pan on Thanksgiving), apply dry brine mixture, and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.
- Turkey
- Dry brine mixture
In the large roasting pan, toss wings, backbone, and neck with oil until coated.
- 3 pounds reserved turkey parts (no organs), broken down into 1" pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Roast, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and starting to crisp (about 25–35 minutes).
Remove wings from oven and add, tossing to coat with oil:
- 2 heads of garlic, cut in half crosswise
- 2 large shallots, unpeeled, halved
- 4" piece ginger, scrubbed, thickly sliced
- 4 ounces baby bella, shiitake, or white button mushrooms, torn into large pieces
- 8 grams black peppercorns, lightly crushed
- 60 grams olive oil
Return to oven and roast, tossing halfway through, until poultry is deeply browned and crisp and vegetables are browned (about 30–40 minutes).
Remove roasting pan from oven. Transfer solids to a 7-quart stock pot.
Set roasting pan onto griddle over medium-high heat. Add sherry and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until sherry is almost completely reduced (about 2 minutes).
- 60 grams (0.5 cup) amontillado sherry
Transfer everything to a 7-quart stock pot, add stock and parsley, and bring to a low simmer over medium-high heat:
- Roasted turkey parts and aromatics
- Reserved organs
- 1.5 quarts chicken stock, warmed
- Parsley, including stems
Reduce heat and simmer gently, skimming fat from surface occasionally and turning wings so both sides get a chance to be submerged, until liquid is flavorful, mahogany in color, and reduced by about one-third (about 30–40 minutes).
Strain through a fat separator, discarding fat and solids, rinse pot, and return broth back to pot, and bring to a simmer.
Add and whisk constantly until completely incorporated:
- Beurre manié
Simmer, whisking often and skimming any foam from surface, until gravy is thick enough to coat a spoon (about 6–8 minutes).
Refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet or in a large baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Roast until very tender (about 80–95 minutes) and internal temperature reaches 210 F.
- 5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
Meanwhile, place in a large saucepan:
- 336 grams (24 tablespoons) butter
- 1 large head of garlic, halved crosswise
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 10 grams black peppercorns, lightly crushed
- 30 grams kosher salt
- 1050 grams (5 cups) whole milk
- Zest of 1 large lemon (in large strips)
Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Immediately remove from heat, cover, and let sit at least 30 minutes.
When potatoes are done, remove skins while they are very hot (hold with a kitchen towel), add to a 4-quart soup pot, and mash immediately.
Return garlic mixture to a simmer, then strain into pot with potatoes, discarding solids.
Set potato mixture over medium heat and whisk until liquid is incorporated and potatoes are very smooth and bubbling. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Transfer to a 13x9" baking dish, cover, and refridgerate.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Pulse in a food processor until finely chopped (about 15 seconds):
- 5 cloves of garlic
Add and process in long pulses until coarse crumbs form (about 1 minute):
- 2 1/2"-thick slices country-style bread, torn into 1" pieces
Add to breadcrumb mixture, and pulse just once or twice to combine:
- 2.5 cups kettle-style potato chips (such as Cape Cod)
Heat in a large skillet over medium heat until foaming:
- 5 tablespoons butter
Add:
- Breadcrumb mixture
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Cook, stirring, until mixture is coated in butter and fragrant, about 1 minute.
Transfer skillet to 350 F oven and bake, tossing every 5 minutes, until dark golden brown (about 15–20 minutes).
Meanwhile, combine in a small bowl:
- 4 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
- 1.25 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika
- Zest of 1 large lemon, finely grated
Remove crumb mixture from oven and immediately toss in thyme mixture. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Let topping cool in pan.
Transfer to a 12-ounce container and refrigerate.
Cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring and breaking up with a spoon, until lightly browned and cooked through (6–8 minutes):
- 1.5 pounds breakfast sausage, casings removed
Transfer to 24-ounce deli container, allow to cool, and refrigerate.
Reduce heat to medium and melt:
- 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter
Add and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned (~15 minutes):
- 2 medium onions, blended
- 4 stalks celery, blended
- 1 jalapeño (with seeds), blended
- Kosher salt
Add and cook, stirring once, until very fragrant (~1 minute):
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Add and cook, stirring often, until very fragrant and vegetables are starting to brown around the edges (~3 minutes):
- 3/4 cup corn nuts, finely ground
Add and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost completely evaporated (~3 minutes):
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
Add and toss to combine:
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
Remove from heat. Transfer to another 24-ounce container, allow to cool, and refrigerate.
Cook in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and glaze thickens slightly (it should just barely coat a spoon, about 10-12 minutes).
- Small handful of hardy herbs (such as sage, rosemary, bay leaves, and/or thyme)
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 2x1" strips orange zest
- 80 grams (~1/3 cup) soy sauce
- 80 grams (~1/3 cup) red wine vinegar
- 70 grams (~1/3 cup) brown sugar
Remove glaze from heat, discard solids, and refrigerate.
Whisk together in a small bowl and set aside:
- 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon MSG
- 1/3 cup minced parsley
T-4.5h: Rest turkey at room temperature for 2 hours.
T-2.5h: Place two racks distributed in middle of oven, with enough room for the breasts to fit on the bottom rack; preheat to 425 F.
Rub turkey:
- 6 tablespoons canola oil
Pour into each baking sheet:
- 1 cup water
Roast turkey with the dark meat on the top rack, and the white meat on the bottom rack, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until skin is mostly golden brown (about 20-25 minutes).
T-2h: Reduce oven temperature to 300 F and continue to roast turkey, brushing with glaze every 20 minutes and adding more water as needed to maintain liquid in baking sheet, until the breast registers 150 F, and the thighs register 170 F, 50-70 minutes longer.
- Turkey glaze, warmed
T-1.5h: Tent with foil and rest 30-60 minutes before carving.
Reserve drippings for gravy.
In a large bowl, combine cornbread, sausage, and vegetable mixture.
In a medium bowl, whisk together until very well combined:
- 3 eggs
- 3.5 cups low sodium chicken broth
Pour liquid mixture over cornbread mixture and let sit, gently stirring every minute or so, until cornbread has absorbed all or virtually all of the liquid. Season:
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- Black pepper
Lightly grease a 3-quart or 13x9 baking dish. Transfer stuffing to dish and tap dish lightly against counter to distribute and compact stuffing.
Cover tightly with foil and bake until stuffing is very hot throughout and bubbles appear around sides (40–45 minutes).
Remove foil, and move to highest rack in the oven until top is lightly browned (15-20 minutes). A 425 F oven or quick broil at the end will speed the process.
T-1.5h: Reheat over medium, whisking constantly and loosening with more milk if needed:
- Mashed potatoes
- Milk
Add:
- Minced parsley
Transfer mashed potatoes to a large bowl and sprinkle topping over.
- Mashed potatoes
- Mashed potatoes topping
T-1.5h: Return to a gentle simmer, cover, and hold until turkey comes out of the oven:
- Gravy
T-1h: Add and whisk to combine:
- Turkey drippings
Remove from heat and whisk in:
- Flavor enhancing slurry
Season to taste:
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper