Congratulations! Are you in the DC area? If so, I respectfully submit that a) your bird doesn’t have to come from WF and b) you have other recipe options!
Over the years, I most often buy Maple Lawn Farm free-range birds, which are available at Harris Teeter, MOM’s and David’s Natural Market and topped a Post taste test years ago. They are reliable, locally grown (Fulton MD) and sold at some farmers markets too.
Re the recipe: We’ll be publishing new and Voraciously-friendly, not quite traditional turkey recipes v soon, but this oh-so-simple recipe from butcher Pam Ginsburg is — dare I say it? foolproof. And here’s a link to more of what we have on file.
Re first-timer tips:
* If you have the time and refrigerated space to let your turkey air-dry overnight, the skin will roast up nicely.
* A shallow roasting pan will allow more of the bird to get browned (and cook a bit faster) than one of those deep, expensive roasting pans you see in kitchen stores this time of year. I tested several turkeys this year in a $30 model, and liked the results. It has slanted sides, a flat rack (better than V rack, imho, and def better than a disposable alum pan) with handles.
* Use a digital thermometer to gauge doneness — you can spend a little or a lot, but it takes the guesswork out of roasting.
* Carve it in the kitchen after a good rest; watch The Post for a really engaging way to guide you through that process!
