This is a transcription of Chris Young’s from-frozen turkey roasting method.
I’ve made a few adaptations to avoid ultra-processed foods (as in the browning elixir) and for my own particular equipment. Using a drill to core out an opening for a probe thermometer also seemed unnecessary to me.
This recipe requires a precise instant-read thermometer. Ideally, it’s a lot easier if you have a probe that either connects with your oven or connects to a sensor (wirelessly or with a heatproof cable) outside. That avoids having to constantly re-open the oven and jab holes through the turkey to track whether it’s done.
Ingredients
For the browning elixir
- 80 g whisky
- 20 g bitters
- 10 g dark soy sauce
For the turkey
- Whole turkey, frozen
- Kosher salt
Method
Stir together the browning elixir in a small container until it’s well-combined, and then set it aside.
Preheat an oven to around 90 °C (200 °F) with fan (convection) if available.
Place the turkey on a roasting tray. Put the tray into the preheated oven, and cook the turkey just until the surface is thawed, about 20 minutes.
Remove the turkey from the oven and generously salt it. Then place the roasting tray back in the oven, and cook the turkey until it’s thawed, about 1-3 hours.
Take the turkey out of the oven again. Insert a temperature probe, and brush the turkey with the browning elixir. Depending on the turkey, remove the frozen giblets in the carcass as well.
Raise the oven temperature to 150 °C (300 °F). Cook the turkey until its core temperature reaches 68 °C (155 °F), about 5-7 hours.
Remove the roast turkey from the oven and let it rest for 20-30 minutes to finish cooking before carving.