Almost every Thanksgiving, there’s an “it” turkey recipe that makes the rounds. In 2006, The Judy Bird, a dry-brined turkey recipe from then L.A. Times’ Food Editor Russ Parsons, was the bird in everyone’s oven. The name came from Parsons’ inspiration, chef Judy Rodgers, who was known for her dry-brined chicken at Zuni Café in San Francisco. In recent years, we’ve seen trends around slathering your turkey with mayonnaise or cooking it in a giant parchment packet, a la Martha Stewart.
We hadn’t seen a trendy turkey this year until recently, when there was one method that inundated our social media feeds.
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What is Butter Blanket Cheesecloth Turkey?
This year, a classic method, the butter blanket cheesecloth turkey, has taken over social media (or at least our feeds). If you type “cheesecloth turkey method” into TikTok, you’ll be served plenty of options. Buzzfeed Tasty had a version that’s very popular and Food Network has a on their site too, with an accompanying social video. In the video, Food Network Kitchen’s Executive Chef Ginevra Iverson says that the recipe is one of their “top-rated” turkey recipes.
But what is it exactly? As the name suggests, you season your turkey, then cover it with a large piece of cheesecloth that’s been soaked in melted butter (and sometimes wine).
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@guarnaschelli I have ALREADY salted inside #the turkey cavity. Just showing you how I butter cheesecloth to protect the breast meat. You can stuff your bird, brine it, cold smoke it. This is JUST the buttered cheesecloth / roasting method. #thanksgiving #fyp #yummy #delicious #tasty #cooking Buttered Cheesecloth Turkey: One 14-to-16-pound turkey, innards for stuffing, neck reserved for gravy Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Stuffing, optional 1 or 2 sticks (8-16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted Directions Special equipment: 1 large double-layered piece of cheesecloth * Preheat the oven to 500F. * Stuff the turkey: Place the turkey on a flat surface, season with salt and pepper on the inside & out & stuff the cavity with stuffing if using. * Prepare the turkey: Soak 1 large double-layered piece of cheesecloth in the butter. Pour any remaining butter on top of the bird & cover the breast meat with the cheesecloth to keep it moist for the first part of cooking, tucking it into the natural crevices of the bird to keep it in place. * Lower the oven to 350F & count about 12 minutes per pound of the turkey weight. * After about 1-1/2 hours, take the turkey out, gently remove the cheesecloth from the top of the breasts, baste the turkey with any pan juices, rotate the pan halfway & return to the oven. * How do you know when the turkey is done? The temperature of the thigh meat (where the meat is thickest & takes the longest time to cook) should register 1″165F when tested with a thermometer. The thigh juices should also be clear, not pink. When done, remove the bird from the oven, transfer to a flat surface and allow it to rest, breast side down, for 30 minutes. Why rest the turkey breast side down after cooking it breast side up? So the juices flow back through the meat as it sits. Carve & eat.
♬ original sound – Alex Guarnaschelli
Who Invented Butter Blanket Cheesecloth Turkey?
This is where things get a little bit murky. Figuring out the origins of recipes is a tricky business to begin with because people all over the world are always cooking and creating and being inspired by others so recipe origin stories are often unclear.
A few sources, including Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, say that the technique began with Julia Child. Guarnaschelli’s mother used to make the turkey for Thanksgiving and attributed it to Child. Maria Guarnaschelli was a legendary cookbook editor and publisher, so cookbooks and cookbook authors are things that she was well versed in. Martha Stewart is also often credited for the recipe, which she sometimes calls Turkey 101.
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How Do You Make Butter Blanket Cheesecloth Turkey?
Different recipes vary somewhat, but the general idea is soaking cheesecloth in melted butter (anywhere from one stick to three and a half), then draping the turkey breast with the soaked cloth and letting it roast. You can layer this method onto your favorite turkey recipe or use a specific recipe that features the technique. Martha Stewart has a Perfect Roast Turkey: Cheesecloth Method recipe and Food Network’s version is called Butter Blanketed Turkey.
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What’s So Great About Butter Blanket Cheesecloth Turkey?
No matter the exact origins of the recipe, people who have made this turkey agree that it’s pretty outstanding. The butter blanket helps infuse the turkey breast with flavor and keeps it moist and juicy.
Oftentimes when you cover a turkey it doesn’t brown because the covering, whether that be parchment or foil, doesn’t allow the air to circulate around the turkey. The great thing about cheesecloth is the wide weave of the fabric holds onto the butter, helping to gradually baste the meat but it also breathes, which means the skin of the turkey can get brown (but not too brown) as it cooks under its buttery shroud.
Another great thing about this method is the reveal, which is why it’s perfect for social media. As the turkey roasts the cheesecloth gets deeply brown and molds around the bird. When the turkey comes out of the oven the buttery breastplate looks a little suspect—until you peel it away to reveal the St. Tropez tan beneath.
If it’s half as good as it looks, we can understand why this is a trending turkey that’s stood the test of time.
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