Emily Flores
For decades, Martha Stewart has been America’s go-to guru for holiday entertaining, and her turkey techniques have achieved legendary status. After roasting hundreds of birds, she’s perfected two extraordinary methods that promise to deliver the juiciest Thanksgiving turkey you’ve ever tasted.
Let’s explore her game-changing techniques that will elevate your holiday centerpiece.
The Wine-Soaked Cheesecloth Method
Martha’s classic technique involves an ingenious approach that keeps the turkey moist throughout the process while ensuring beautifully golden skin. The secret is surprisingly simple: she covers the turkey with cheesecloth that’s been soaked in butter and white wine. This creates a self-basting blanket that continuously moistens the bird as it roasts.
Here’s how it works: Before roasting, Martha melts an entire stick of butter and combines it with dry white wine in a bowl. She then folds a large piece of cheesecloth into a four-layer square large enough to cover the fillet and part of the legs. The cheesecloth is soaked in the butter-wine mixture until fully saturated.
After preparing the turkey (removing giblets, patting dry, and seasoning), she places it on a roasting rack in a heavy metal pan. The wine-and-butter-soaked cheesecloth is then draped over the turkey. As the bird cooks, this special covering continuously bastes the meat, locking in moisture and flavor.
The science is sound—the saturated cloth protects the delicate fillet meat while flavoring the pan drippings. The cheesecloth works as a protective barrier, preventing the fillet from drying out before the darker leg meat finishes cooking. The butter maintains crispness while the wine adds subtle acidity to balance the richness.
Remember to remove the cheesecloth during the final 30 minutes of roasting to let the skin achieve that amazing golden-brown finish.
The Parchment Paper Revolution
While her cheesecloth method has been a staple for years, Martha recently revealed what she considers an even better technique: the parchment paper method. In her words, “I cannot tell you, it is so utterly delicious.”
This newer approach involves cooking the turkey inside a parchment paper pocket that crafts a steamy environment. The parchment continuously recirculates moisture around the bird throughout the cooking process, ensuring it’s infused with its own juices.
The technique, known as cooking “en papillote” (in paper), allows the turkey to steam in its own flavorful juices essentially. Martha even stuffs her bird with a sweet-and-savory brioche stuffing that cooks directly inside both the turkey and the parchment pocket.
Martha notes that this method will steam the turkey as it cooks, so it’s important to remove the parchment about 30 minutes before the bird is done to give the skin time to brown and crisp. After roasting in parchment for most of the cooking time, she finishes it at a higher temperature after removing the paper, giving you the best of both worlds.
The Final Touch: Proper Resting
Regardless of which method you choose, the expert emphasizes one important final step: let your turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. This lets the juices redistribute across the meat, ensuring every slice stays moist.
Both techniques have devoted followers, with many home cooks reporting that these methods have revolutionized their Thanksgiving meals. The results are consistently described as “spectacular,” succulent meat with perfect golden-brown skin that will have your guests gasping with delight when you bring it to the table.
Whether you choose the classic cheesecloth method or her newer parchment paper approach, you’ll be rewarded with what might just be the juiciest turkey you’ve ever served.