Thanksgiving Spice Rub & Roasting Tips

Roast turkey gets a big boost from a spice rub. This recipe is a basic formula which can be modified to taste. Your custom-blend makes a terrific gift, simply buy a nice decorative bottle with a good seal at a home furnishings store. 

Thanksgiving Spice Rub

These herbs and spices include fennel, sage, rosemary and marjoram as the dominant scents. Measure out one batch with these proportions, and see how you like it. Adjust to your palate and you'll have your very own Thanksgiving Spice Rub. 

Technique:

These can be ground with mortar and pestle, spice grinder or coffee grinder.

• To use a coffee grinder: Buzz a torn up piece of soft bread in the coffee grinder, before and after, then your coffee won't taste like Thanksgiving turkey or vice versa.
• This blend can be used for roast chicken or pork roasts, too.
• If you're brining the roast, omit the salt.

Basic Thanksgiving Spice Rub

• Fennel seed (2 TBSP)
• Dried sage (2-3 tsp)
• Dried Rosemary (2-3 tsp)
• Marjoram (2 tsp)
• Coriander seed (1-2 tsp)
• White pepper (2 tsp)
• Kosher salt (if not brining)
• Powdered ginger (1/4 tsp)
• Cayenne pepper (1/4 tsp)
• Powdered allspice (1/4 tsp)

Other additions that are wonderful: culinary lavender, fennel pollen. 

Mix with softened butter and apply between the breast meat and skin. Rub the turkey with the spiced butter bird before roasting. 

Turkey Roasting Tips:

1. Buy a fresh, not frozen, turkey.
2. Rinse (including cavity) and pat dry.
3. For crisp skin, let turkey rest uncovered in fridge prior to roasting.
4. Place aromatics (carrot, celery, onion, lemon, sage, thyme) in cavity and strew vegetables on bottom of roasting pan.
5. Place cheesecloth over breast while roasting. Dampen with olive oil or seasoned butter.
6. Baste only a couple of times (it won't make the turkey moister, it does help distribute the herbs and gives you a tasty skin.)
7. Use giblets (minus liver) to enrich cartons of broth, along with aromatics herbs and veggies.
8. When the turkey is roasted like this, your roasting pan will provide a beautiful rich base for your gravy.
9. Be sure to let turkey rest before carving.
10. Decorate platter with kale and lady apples.

For more Thanksgiving tips, recipes and ideas see this collection of holiday and seasonal advice.