We weren’t sure what to expect for our first Thanksgiving in Seattle. Josh wanted to buy a few rotisserie chickens, but I refused. Thanksgiving without family is sad enough, but Thanksgiving without turkey would be…unfestive.

So, with some trepidation, we bought a 6 pound frozen turkey. Two of Josh’s friends were in town, and none of us had ever cooked a turkey before.

We Googled the entire process, and somehow made it happen:

Step 1 
Open turkey packaging. It will be slimey and gross, so do it over the sink.

Step 2
Excavate the cave-like innards of the turkey cavity. This too will be slimey and gross, so make sure the garbage disposal is reachable.

Step 3
Wash out the turkey guts with warm water. Probably not a necessary step, but you’ll feel better if it at least gets a rinse, since there were some nasty things hanging out in there.

Step 4
Fill a garbage bag halfway with 1 part salt, 8 parts warm-to-hot water. A bucket or large bowl would probably be better, but our 2-person household has no such thing. Place the turkey in and check that it’s completely submerged.

Keep the turkey in the fridge overnight in the salt water solution.

—-

12 hours later… 

Step 5
Take the turkey out of the salt water and rinse it off. Then place on a broiler sheet and start the spiceage. Rub some olive oil all over the skin and cover with a mixture of the following spices:

Garam masala
Chili powder
Garlic salt
Basil
Paprika
Cinnamon
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne pepper
Montreal steak rub 

Step 6
Cut up apples and stuff inside turkey. We hoped this would keep the inside from drying out. I don’t think it really affected the meat, but baked apples ended up being a tasty side dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours.

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3 hours later… 

Step 7
Carve up your delicious Thanksgiving turkey.

Step 8
Enjoy feasting with friends. Stuff your face. Guzzle wine. Repeat until food coma commences.

The turkey had a cajun jerk style rub with an Indian flair. Good stuff. We’ll try it again next year!