Poppy O'Toole's Flavorful Method For The Most Succulent Holiday Turkey

Every year as Thanksgiving approaches, we hear more ideas for cooking the most delicious, succulent turkey. It could be that you need a new turkey fryer, or perhaps a convection oven will give you the juicy results you're looking for. For those who are still searching for the perfect holiday turkey recipe, chef Poppy O'Toole has your solution for you.

While the Michelin-trained chef and self-proclaimed Potato Queen is best known for her 15-hour potato hack video and her potato content and commentary, @poppycooks also waded into the area of turkey hacks with a two-part TikTok video for those who want to say no to dry turkey. In Part 1, she shows how to dry brine the turkey, using a combo of "some salt, sugar, herbs including rosemary and thyme and mixed spice to add a bit of extra flavor."

After it's sat covered in the fridge for a few days, the next step is to add compound butter, a recipe she shares in Part 2 of her TikTok video. The compound butter is a mix of rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon zest, orange zest, and softened butter all mashed together with a little orange or lemon juice. The compound butter mixture is shoved inside the turkey along with onions, lemons, apple chunks, and herbs. Lastly, dry the turkey off, season it, and cook it.

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Fans Loved Her Dry Brine And Compound Butter Recipes

The debate over whether dry or wet brining is best has been ongoing, but the main ingredient for any brine is salt, which helps soften the meat by breaking down the protein, allowing more moisture in and making it taste juicy. Some chefs, like chef Vivian Howard, prefer a wet brine for the turkey, which includes covering it in a butter-soaked cheesecloth and using pine needles.

Poppy O'Toole is definitely in the dry-brained camp, even responding to a fan who asks why. "Easier, more flav[o]rsome turkey," O'Toole replied in the comments. "Wet brine can make it very juicy but mostly with just added water!" Another person commented that a person can achieve moist turkey by basting it often a letting it rest, an apparent reference to Gordon Ramsay's secret to perfect turkey. O'Toole caught on immediately, retorting, "Thanks, Gordon."

O'Toole's recipe for compound butter was also a must-have for cooks familiar with turkey addition. One person shared that the compound butter was a hit with their partner, who normally hates turkey. O'Tpple's two videos combined for millions of views on TikTok, so they've obviously struck a chord with a lot of people trying to psyche themselves up to make this year's holiday turkey.

Read the original article on Mashed.