I’m no stranger to roasting turkeys. I cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner at 21, and in the decades to follow, I’ve tried just about every imaginable technique for cooking that holiday bird. Well, I never deep fried it, but year after year, I’ve done my share of experimenting, from brining to spatchcocking.
I’ve roasted it upside down and right side up, some stuffed, others unstuffed. Yes, I have done my share of turkey rubbing, soaking, and injecting. America’s Test Kitchen has done its share of turkey testing, too.
One of its methods that I most enjoy involves a few hours of salt-water soaking followed by building aromatic flavors throughout the bird with a tasty paste. The paste-like mix teams a combination of fresh herbs with lemon zest, minced shallots and garlic, plus a little Dijon mustard and olive oil. Once whirled in the food processor, part of the mixture is rubbed under the skin of the turkey’s breasts, thighs, and drumsticks, an uncomplicated process if you first remove any large cocktail rings and don’t have long, pointy fingernails.
The next step is somewhat surprising, but it adds a lot of flavors to the white meat. Using a sharp paring knife, a smallish slit is cut into each breast, about 1 1/2-inches deep. An expansive pocket is created by sweeping the blade’s tip back and forth.
A tablespoon of the paste is added to each pocket. Initially, I was concerned that cutting the skin, even a little, might cause the meat to dry out. But it doesn’.
