Looking for a Thanksgiving turkey recipe that's both delicious and a conversation starter? Food contributor and cookbook author Elizabeth Heiskell shares her family's unique tradition: the pillowcase turkey. This method, passed down from her grandmother, involves wrapping the turkey in a 100% cotton pillowcase (clean, of course!) before roasting. While it may sound unusual, Heiskell assures that it results in a perfectly cooked, golden-brown turkey.
The process begins on Thanksgiving eve, a family affair where they prepare the pillowcase and the turkey. After rubbing the turkey with butter and seasonings, it's wrapped in the pillowcase and placed on a V-rack in a roasting pan. The pillowcase is then saturated with a mixture of red wine, cognac, or another spirit, along with melted butter. The turkey roasts until almost done, then flipped and browned. The key is to ensure the pillowcase completely covers and saturates the turkey, creating a moist and flavorful bird.
Heiskell's Pillowcase Turkey Recipe
Serves 10-12
Equipment:
- Clean 100% cotton pillowcase (cut if needed)
- V-rack
- Roasting pan
Ingredients:
Turkey (12-15 lbs)
For the Turkey:
- 1 chopped yellow onion
- 3 chopped celery stalks
- 1 quartered lemon
- 3 sticks softened unsalted butter
- 8 slices smoked bacon
- 2 cups red wine (plus more as needed)
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth (plus more as needed)
- 6 peppercorns
- 10 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper
For the Gravy:
- 2 cups turkey drippings
- Red wine (if needed)
- 2 tbsp softened unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 500°F.
- Prepare the turkey: rinse, remove giblets, stuff cavity with onion, celery, and lemon. Pat dry, rub with butter, and season.
- Wrap the turkey: Place bacon on the pillowcase draped over the V-rack, place the turkey on top, add more bacon, and wrap. Saturate with wine and broth. Add herbs and peppercorns to the pan.
- Roast for 20 minutes at 500°F.
- Make the basting mixture: Melt butter with broth, salt, and pepper.
- Baste and continue roasting: Reduce heat to 300°F, baste every hour, ensuring the pillowcase stays saturated. Roast until internal temperature reaches 165°F (breast) and 175°F (thigh).
- Brown the turkey: Increase heat to 400°F, remove the pillowcase, flip the turkey, brush with butter, and roast until golden brown.
- Make the gravy: Strain pan juices, add wine if needed, scrape up browned bits, whisk in butter-flour paste, simmer until thickened, and season.
- Carve and serve.
This unique cooking method promises a moist and flavorful Thanksgiving turkey. Try it this year and impress your guests with this unusual yet effective technique.
