...and make it moist.
Put the frozen turkey into the refrigerator on a tray at least 5 days before Thanksgiving. Friday night the week before is good.
Preheat oven to 325.
In a small bowl, combine olive oil and some herbs. I like thyme, sage, and some Ms. Dash or lemon pepper. Let the herbs sit and infuse the oil for about 5 minutes.
Pour a cup of wine (white Bordeaux preferred but whatever you have will be fine) into a glass and set it near the roasting pan.
Open up the turkey package. You've thawed it, right? Remove the neck from the cavity and the giblet bag from the neck area and please throw them away. No one wants to eat that stuff, trust me.
If there's a bag of gravy save that. You're going to be busy and using premade gravy is just fine.
Throw away the plastic coverings and lay the turkey on the pan. Glove up if you can, this is going to be messy. Dip your hands into the bowl of herb-infused olive oil to get some oil in your hand (leaving the herbs behind in the bottom of the bowl) and cover the turkey, inside and out, with a light coat of oil. Spread it around and make sure you get everywhere, even inside, between the wings and body, inside the neck cavity, everywhere.
Place the turkey upside down into the roasting pan, cover with the lid or foil, and put into the oven.
Clean your hands and the work area with disinfectant. Lean against the counter and sip the wine. Think about how lucky you are to have a family who loves you, no matter how dysfunctional you might all be. Sip some more and be grateful.
Roast the turkey upside down for 45 minutes. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, turn the turkey right side up, and spread the last of the oil (with the herbs) across the breast portion. Press a square sheet of aluminum foil onto the herbed breast, crimping it down tight.
Cover the roasting pan again and return it to the oven for the remainder of the cooking time.
You definitely want to use a meat thermometer love.
When the turkey is nearly done remove the foil and let the breast get browned too.
Oila', the secret to moist turkey breast.
Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday. I'll never forget the year I returned from Scottsdale after surgery and you all did the cooking for me. I love you all, very very much.
