Spice-Rubbed Roast Turkey

Name: Spice-Rubbed Roast Turkey
Yield: Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients: 2 cups, table salt; 1 , turkey (12 to 14 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly, giblets, neck, and tailpiece discarded; 1 1/2 tablespoons, coriander seeds; 1 tablespoon, cumin seeds; 1 tablespoon, allspice berries; 2 teaspoons, mustard seeds; 3 tablespoons, sweet paprika; 2 tablespoons, ground ginger; 1 tablespoon, dried thyme; 1 teaspoon, cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon, ground cinnamon; 1 1/2 teaspoons, vegetable oil

3 comments

Appears in Cook's Illustrated November/December 2003

Spices can give a holiday bird pizzazz, but not if they fall off or turn into a soggy mess. Could we boost the mild flavor of turkey and still keep the skin crisp?

SERVES10 to 12

TIME2¾ hours, plus 12 hours brining and 20 minutes resting

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

We wanted a spice-rubbed turkey recipe featuring succulent meat perfumed with spices and covered with crisp, flavor-packed, mahogany-colored skin. To reach this goal, we brined and then air-dried the turkey for maximum skin crispness and ap...

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