How to Get the Crispiest Roast Turkey Skin
By Stacy Adimando
Want skin so crispy you can hear it crack, plus extra-flavorful meat? Rub the bird with a thin layer of butter between the flesh and the skin before roasting. As the temperature rises in the oven, the butter will melt, naturally basting the bird with fat and helping the skin crisp up to a gorgeous golden brown.
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For a flavor bonus (can you handle it?), you can super-charge the flavor of your turkey by mashing one of the following spice combinations into a stick of room-temperature butter. Then pile your flavored butter onto a large piece of plastic wrap, and roll into a log to store in the fridge alongside the turkey.
" Fresh grated ginger and finely chopped sage leaves
" Grated garlic, finely chopped anchovy and fresh or dried rosemary
" Finely grated orange zest and brown sugar
" Grated lemon zest and fresh chopped tarragon
" A few dashes each of Asian fish sauce and toasted sesame oil
" Pear or quince preserves, or orange marmalade
" Sriracha sauce or harissa paste
" Herbs des Provence
" Mustard seed or grainy mustard
HOW TO BUTTER YOUR BIRD:
When you remove the turkey from the fridge (about 2 hours before you plan to roast it), take out your flavored butter, too. It’ll come to room temperature as the turkey does, turning super-spreadable and ready to coat your bird.
Before trussing the bird, carefully pat it dry with paper towels (this will help the butter adhere to the skin rather than sliding off).
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Lift the skin around the cavity and gently separate it from the flesh, being careful not to tear it. Use your fingers to distribute the butter in a thin layer all over the breasts and legs. Rub a little on top of the skin, too. Then you’re ready to roast!
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photo: Charles Masters
