It’s almost Thanksgiving again, which means it’s time for my personal tradition - convincing people to try boiling their Thanksgiving bird.

Why Boiling?

I spent ten years in search of a recipe that made turkey taste good. I tried dry brining, wet brining, smoking, roasting, bbq, rubs and injections… In fairness, I never tried deep-frying, but when the list of possible side effects includes explosions and house fires… well, I just don’t need that much excitement in my life.

Then I happened across a factoid that changed my whole outlook.

Before the 1900’s, boiling was the preferred method for preparing turkey! Unlike roasting, boiling infuses the bird with flavor while also retaining moisture!

Boiling also happens to be both the fastest and simplest preparation I’ve tried. It’s simply better on every axis!

You get a better-tasting result, in less time and with less effort than traditional methods!

So… what’s the catch?

Well, nothing in life is perfect, so you’ll have to make one tradeoff when boiling your turkey: you won’t get a crispy-brown-skinned bird to drop on the table. Sadly, boiling results in soggy skin (which I just peel off and throw away).

You’ll want to carve this bird up in the kitchen and present the slices as a fait accompli. Believe me, once people taste the result, they won’t care at all that they didn’t get to ogle an over-tanned bird.

The Recipe

Ingredients

15-18 lb turkey
1 quart dry white wine (Non-alcoholic substitutes: 1 qt apple cider vinegar or 2.5 cups white wine vinegar)
water to cover
2 large onions, skins on, cut into 1-2" slices
2 untrimmed ribs of celery
12 (or so) raw black peppercorns
2 Tbsp dried sage
2 Tbsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp dried parsley
2 Tbsp coarse Salt (approx - I did this by sight and just threw it in the pot)
1/4 lb of raw bacon or pork belly
table salt

Directions

Put onions, celery, spices, salt and bacon into a very large pot.
Trim the turkey and put skin, neck, fat, etc into the pot. Do not add the giblets - they add bitterness.
If necessary, remove the breasts, thighs, drums, etc from the carcass (depends on the size of your pot!)
Put turkey meat into pot
Pour wine into the pot
Add water enough to cover the turkey
Bring to a rolling boil, regularly removing scum from the surface as necessary
Reduce heat to a low boil
Continue boiling for about 1 hour or until a thermometer in the thickest part of the breast reads 150-155F (See Note below)
Remove turkey meat to a large colander and drain
Let rest for ~10 minutes to finish
When ready to serve, remove skin, which will be sage-colored. Don’t worry - the meat will look normal and taste amazing.

Optional - Make Some Stock/Gravy:

If you’re the sort to prefer gravy that didn’t come from a packet, the stock here makes for a fantastic base!

After removing the turkey meat, continue boiling the stock until it has reduced by about half
Remove all solids from the stock
Taste the reduced stock and add table salt to taste
Use fat separator or a large spoon to skim most of the fat from the stock
Use the remaining stock either directly on meat (thin stock will penetrate directly into the meat, adding moisture and flavor!) or as the base for thicker, traditional gravy.

Note About Cooking Temperature

The USDA standard says to bring a turkey to 165 degrees before it’s safe. HOWEVER, as low as 140F the bacteria are dying off - you just need to hold temp long enough to finish killing everything. If you can get your turkey to 150+ for at least 5 minutes, the meat will be fully sterilized and safe to eat.

At 164, you only need to hold temp for 12 seconds, which is why it’s recommended - it’s super simple. If you’re patient enough to set the turkey aside for a few minutes before slicing it, you’ll be fine to pull the turkey at 150-155 and keep more moisture inside the meat! Source

So… Where Did This Come From?

This is my personal recipe! I took heavy inspiration from a pair of traditional boiled turkey recipes and then tweaked things according to my preferences.