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" Over the years, my family and I have fine-tuned our own Thanksgiving tradition: Thanksgiving Saturday. My brother and I grew up celebrating Thanksgiving with my dad (post-divorce), and so we&amp;#039;d celebrate with mom later that weekend. Once I moved out on my own, I became the permanent host of Thanksgiving Saturday, which gave me plenty of opportunities to try different turkey recipes. There have definitely been some memorable birds. I don&amp;#039;t really wing it, so to speak \u2014 I always prepare a turkey from a recipe, even if I do sometimes go off script when it comes to the gravy (this is because I make excellent gravy; I like flavor, I like stirring, and I like fine-tuning the mixture until it has the proper taste and consistency). And I nearly always brine my turkeys, in a simple salt-water solution (I&amp;#039;ve never gotten exotic with the brining fluid, simply because I like to mix up the flavors on the outside of the turkey \u2014 see below). This year, Rich and I will be on our honeymoon during Thanksgiving, but I will certainly be remembering turkeys past while we&amp;#039;re sitting on a tropical mountainside, sipping on exotic cocktails. Here are some of my favorite recipes \u2014 maybe you&amp;#039;ll give one of them a try this year: 1. Porcini Mushroom Turkey with Mushroom Gravy. Okay truly, this was a masterpiece. So flavorful, smokey-earthy mushroomy goodness in every bite, a savory explosion of taste. However, I will warn you: if you cut no corners, it is incredibly labor-intensive. This was a recipe primarily prepared by my first husband, who happily took charge of the bird while I managed the apps, sides, and desserts. Which was good, because this is one of those recipes that requires you to separate the skin from the flesh before cooking so that you can massage the flesh with mushroom butter. I did make the gravy \u2014 but only after the ex made the turkey stock. Bottom line: if you are feeling up to the task, this is an incredibly delicious turkey, one that my mom and brother still talk about to this day. 2. Miso-Rubbed Turkey with Turkey Gravy. And when Mom and my brother Richard aren&amp;#039;t waxing poetic about the Porcini Mushroom Turkey, they are salivating while recalling the Miso-Rubbed Turkey I made on my own once I was single. (Though that might be a bit of an overstatement, now that I think about it: surely I talked my brother into rubbing the red miso paste under the skin of the turkey?) As promised by the good people at Gourmet magazine, which is where the recipe comes from, using miso doesn&amp;#039;t make the turkey taste like your favorite Japanese food, rather it tastes extra meaty and slightly sweet-smokey. This recipe wasn&amp;#039;t as involved as the one above, but very nearly as show-stopping. 3. Roast Turkey with Madeira Pan Gravy. I didn&amp;#039;t have to look far for this recipe \u2014 it was published in the November 2006 issue of REDBOOK. That year, I wanted to keep it simple, and when food editor Babs Chernetz started taste-testing her planned Thanksgiving article menu a few months before the issue went to press, I knew this was the recipe to try. I mean, the story was called &amp;quot;How to roast the perfect turkey&amp;quot; \u2014 that was a good enough promise for me! And the beauty part is, this bird comes out juicy and delicious, without numerous, complicated prep steps or ingredients. As for the gravy, the use of Madeira, one of my favorite wines to cook with, sealed the deal. Oh \u2014 and I am pretty sure I also sauteed mushrooms and threw them into the gravy at the end, just because my family and I are cuckoo for mushrooms. This is the recipe to make if you want a delicious bird, but either a) don&amp;#039;t have a lot of time to dwell on prep, or b) have picky eaters sitting round your table who make spaz out if they hear the words porcini or miso. And hey, if you&amp;#039;ve got a recipe you&amp;#039;ve tried that&amp;#039;s even better than the ones I mentioned here, please do tell me about them! After all, I do still have a Christmas menu to plan.... "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/food-recipes/advice/a4402/mouth-watering-roast-turkey-re/>