Chef's Thanksgiving Tips

Every family has Thanksgiving traditions that they swear by, and chefs are no different. In the video above, we catch up with a few chefs and writers to get their take on what makes their turkey day special.

Bill Telepan, of Telepan in New York City, says,"The big turkey secret I have is I'm not a briner, I'm a salter." He recommends salting the turkey the night before, putting it high heat for 20 minutes, then lowering the heat for the remainder.

Gramercy Tavern's Michael Anthony has two suggestions. "I like to poach the turkey first the night before, let it air dry, and then finish it 45 minutes to an hour in the oven, it comes out really crispy on the outside succulent on the inside." His second method requires a bit more equipment, but he is also a fan of smoking the turkey. He believes that the smoked turkey is always a crowd favorite.

Amanda Cohen of Dirt Candy and Cedric Vongerichten each have simpler advice. Cohen likes "to have a bottle of bourbon or whiskey with me" and Vongerichten (also a briner) thinks the key element is "giving it a lot of love."

But The New York Times' Melissa Clark thinks she has the winning solution: "Dry brine, don't wet brine. Take salt and herbs and whatever flavorings you like — I like to put coriander and lemon zest." She takes her dry brine, pats it on the bird, and leaves it for two days.

For more chef tips, watch the video above!

For more turkey talk, visit The Daily Meal's Guide to Thanksgiving!