Featured Recipe
Onion Soup Turkey Roast
By Kate
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Turkey roasted with dehydrated onion soup mix, white wine, and chicken broth. Wine adds fruitiness, broth keeps moist. Coating the bird in soup mix starts flavor and tenderizes skin. Cornstarch thickens pan sauce quickly to a glossy finish. Roasting slow, basting with broth keeps turkey juicy without messing with skin crispness. Substitutions: use dry mushroom soup if no onion mix; vegetable broth replaces chicken without loss in flavor balance. Rest bird to lock juices. Sauce simmers till sheen appears, coats spoon. Tactile and visual cues critical for doneness, moisture retention, sauce texture.
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Prep:
15 min
Cook:
Total:
Serves:
8 servings
roasting
turkey
French cuisine
holiday meals
Introduction
Turkey is a beast to tame. Skin tough, meat prone to drying out. Use dried onion soup not as seasoning alone but as a brine of sorts—flavor plus moisture management. Wine and broth combo does the double duty: flavor and moisture. Roast low, slow yet watch temps not climb too fast or skin ruptures. Baste with broth evenly. Sauce thick with cornstarch, not flour—less dull, shines. Resting turkey crucial: proteins relax, juices settle. Sauce reduces to glossy finish; no gritty starch, no thin drippings. Go for smell, listen to bubbling, check the feel of the skin for crispness. No guessing. Practice, patience, results.
Ingredients
About the ingredients
Adjust quantities if bird smaller or bigger; roughly 60-70 g dried soup per kilo adds punch but dilutes if too much. If allergic or no onion soup, substitute with mushroom soup mix or mix dried thyme, garlic, onion powder, and celery salt for fresh flavor. Broth low sodium to control salt in final dish, prevents over-salting as soup mix already salty. White wine—dry, under 13% alcohol, enough acidity to cut through fat. If unavailable, dry vermouth or light sherry—less fruity but acceptable. Cornstarch for gluten-free thickening; can replace with arrowroot powder one-to-one, but add off heat to avoid cloudiness. Vegetable oil for skin brushing avoids burning butter notes.
Method
Technique Tips
Apply onion soup evenly, pressing gently with fingers to trap flavors into skin pores. Cover well in fridge to let flavors burrow but keep skin dry for crispness. Tie legs tight for compact shape aiding even cooking. Lower oven rack to protect turkey skin from overexposure to heating element—prevents burns. Baste with broth periodically every 30 minutes after initial roasting period only; too early basting cools skin, frustrates crisping. Internal temperature best indicator of doneness; thigh over breast site. Remove promptly after reaching temp, tent loosely to avoid steaming crust while resting. Strain pan juices to avoid burnt bits ruining sauce sheen. Slurry must be whisked briskly at moderate boil, otherwise sauce lumps. Sauce thickens visually: coats spoon, holds shape without runny drips. Add pepper last—black pepper powder oxidizes flavor when overheated. Always taste; soup mix and broth saltiness varies widely.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Onion soup mix; press gently into skin—trap flavors. Refrigerate 24-48 hours—don't skip this. Skin stays dry, crisp later. Low sodium broth; prevents too much salt.
- 💡 Use instant probe thermometer. Check thickest thigh; avoid bones. Target temps; 80-82 °C or 176-180 °F. If undercooked; keep basting with broth every 30 minutes.
- 💡 Tent turkey after roasting—20 minutes rest essential. Juices need redistribution. Helps slices stay moist—dry turkey, bitter end. No shortcuts here.
- 💡 Cornstarch for sauce—quicker thickening without dullness. Mix with water till smooth. Whisk into boiling juices—quickly or lumps form. Look for glossy, coats spoon.
- 💡 Adjust wine; use dry vermouth or sherry if no white wine. Same acidity needed. Watch for browning skin—oven rack prevents burning; protects turkey.
