I told you about this a few years ago, but I feel I can’t share it enough, and I’ve learned a bit more since the first time I did it.

I’m a true believer about this method of cooking a turkey and would be even if it weren’t a great timesaver. It’s also fun, which you understand if you like cooking and learning new things, and it makes what is definitely the best turkey gravy I’ve ever eaten (I believe it’ll make you say buh-bye to giblet gravy, too).

You do everything except cook the turkey the day before, so this is Wednesday work, which means your oven is free most of Thursday morning for other things. Brilliant.

Echols: Thanksgiving traditions for the modern family

You’ll also have to watch this video, which is an instructional one from Tasty — not optional — but I have some pointers here: 

1. Watch the video several times. Watch it now, repeat, watch it again later, then have it on your laptop or tablet when you’re in the kitchen actually breaking down the bird. Read the comments too, if only to get excited about it. Everyone loves this! Some people even start on Tuesday and cook the turkey on Wednesday.

2. When breaking down the bird, pause the video as often as you need to catch up. (I keep a pencil by the laptop and use the eraser to stop and start the video by hitting the spacebar. Your hands will be covered in turkey.

3. This seems so obvious, but I missed it the first time and almost did the second time: Make sure you turn the bird top side up before you start. It’s not as easy to tell as you think, but you want the backbone up when you loosen the oysters. The video is clear to me now, having done this several times, but it’s still worth pointing out to save you from befuddlement right at the start.

4. Have your gloves, kitchen shears, a heavy chef’s knife, and your favorite knife at hand. You’ll need the weight of the chef’s knife for a couple of bones, but I was more comfortable with a smaller knife. Get them sharp before you start.

Feast mode: Memphis restaurants offer Thanksgiving takeout meals

5. The video is so helpful, but I have one extra step when making the gravy, which is detailed in the directions below, so be sure to read that as you won’t find it in the video. It’s IMPORTANT.

6. Take your time and feel your way. Remember: It’s just a big chicken. If you’ve watched the video a few times, you’re not going to make a big mistake. If you make a wrong cut, chances are you can correct it. If it’s not as clean as the one in the video, welcome to Club Imperfect. No one will know when it’s cooked and carved.

Make the turkey, then spread the word. This is the way to go.

Ultimate Thanksgiving Turkey

Ingredients
Turkey, whatever size you need, broken down and cooked as detailed in video link 

Brine (see note)
¼ cup Kosher salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon granulated garlic

Stock
Turkey carcass, neck and wing tips
1 rib celery, cut in four pieces
1 yellow onion, skin on, quartered
1 large carrot, roughly cut
Salt
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Water

Gravy
¼ cup fat from cooking carcass
¼ cup flour
Pan drippings from cooking carcass
Pan drippings from cooking turkey pieces on Thanksgiving Day

Directions

Brine
Mix all ingredients and rub on both sides of turkey pieces.

Notes: If you have a large turkey, double the amount. Better to have extra than having to stop and make more. Put turkey on a sheet pan and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight. (Make room ahead of time.)

Stock
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the turkey carcass, neck and wing tips in a roasting pan, surround with vegetables, sprinkle lightly with salt and drizzle with oil. Cook 30 minutes. Remove from oven, add the turkey pieces and vegetables to a stock pot and set aside for a minute.

Drain the fat from the roasting pan to one Pyrex measuring cup, then pour water in the hot pan and start scraping to get all the flavorful bits off the bottom. (I use a roasting pan instead of a sheet pan as shown in the video, and I put it over medium high heat when scraping to help me get every bit.)

Pour that liquid in another Pyrex measuring cup and set aside. Cover the cooked carcass and vegetables with water. Bring to a boil and simmer about 2 ½ hours.

Gravy
Heat fat in a Dutch oven or large pan (this makes a lot). Add flour to make a roux, stirring and cooking about two to three minutes over medium high heat.

Gradually add in the reserved pan drippings, stirring constantly until smooth. Add stock, bring to a boil to get to a good consistency and STOP: This is where we’ll deviate a little from the video.

Don’t season now. Refrigerate the gravy overnight. On Thanksgiving Day, after you roast your turkey pieces according to the video (at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, then 400 for another 30 minutes or so, until the breast meat is 160 degrees and thighs are 170) and remove them from the pan, add water and get the pan drippings from both your sheet pans. Add to the gravy and bring to a boil, simmer 10-15 minutes, then taste and season with salt and pepper.

Carve the turkey as the video instructs. Be sure to have to-go containers for the gravy, because everyone will want to take some home with their dressing.

Recipe Exchange: Alice’s Kahlua Pecan Pie

And here’s a link to the dressing recipe I’ve been using, the only one I’ve ever found fool-proof.

Linda Joplin showed me how to make it in 2019 and it’s very close to my grandmother’s. This year I’m going to add about half a roll of cooked sage sausage to it, though I’m not going to tell anyone. I know my grandmother used to add sausage; I’ll let you know how it turns out.