Lemon Turkey With Couscous Stuffing Recipes

Steps:

• Up to two days ahead, make the salt mix by grinding the salt with the thyme leaves and pepper in a spice grinder or using a pestle and mortar. Sit the turkey in a roasting tin and gently push your fingers under the skin, starting from the neck, until you can push your whole hand in down the length of the breast. Take care not to tear the skin.
• Season the bird all over with the salt mix, inside and out and under the skin. Leave the turkey in the tin, breast-side up, and put in the fridge for up to two days - the longer you salt it, the more succulent the turkey will be. For the crispest skin, leave the turkey uncovered so it dries out, but loosely cover it if you prefer.
• Tip the butter, vegetable stock powder and lemon zest into a small bowl and mix until completely combined. Cover and chill. Can be made a few days ahead or frozen, wrapped in cling film, for one month.
• Remove the turkey from the fridge an hour or so before you want to cook it. Remove the butter from the fridge to soften. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Work out your cooking time based on 40 mins per kg for the first 4kg, plus 45 mins for every kg after that.
• Use your hands to spread the butter under the skin so that it covers the entire breast area and work it into the crevice between the thigh and the main body, then smooth the skin over with your hands. Put the onion, lemon halves, and garlic in the cavity.
• Cover the tin loosely with foil and roast for the calculated cooking time. Around 30 mins before the end of cooking, increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, remove the foil, baste the turkey and return to the oven. When the turkey is beautifully brown and cooked through, remove from the oven and leave to rest on a warm platter covered with foil for up to 1 hr. Save the juices from the tin to make gravy.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and minced thyme. Pat turkey dry. Sprinkle salt and pepper over skin of turkey and inside cavity; brush with butter mixture. Place the lemon, onion, garlic and thyme sprigs inside cavity. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together., Place flour in oven bag and shake to coat. Place bag in a roasting pan; add turkey to bag, breast side up. Cut six 1/2-in. slits in top of bag; close bag with tie provided., Bake at 350° for 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours or until a thermometer reads 180°. Remove turkey to a serving platter and keep warm. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving. If desired, thicken pan drippings for gravy. Freeze option: Freeze cooled turkey and gravy in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a covered skillet, gently stirring and adding a little broth or water if necessary.

Steps:

• Make lemon butter and roast turkey:
• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lowest position.
• Stir together all butter ingredients with 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Rinse turkey inside and out, then pat dry. Put turkey on rack in roasting pan. Sprinkle turkey cavities with 1/2 teaspoon salt (total).
• Starting at large cavity, gently slide your fingers between skin and flesh of breast and legs to loosen skin, being careful not to tear skin. Using a tablespoon measure, slide 2 tablespoons butter under skin of each breast half and 1 tablespoon on each drumstick (6 tablespoons total), pushing butter out of spoon with a finger on outside of skin.
• Melt remaining lemon butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Toss onion wedges with 2 tablespoons melted lemon butter.
• Spoon stuffing into large cavity of turkey. Fold neck skin under body, then tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and tuck wings under body. Brush turkey all over with half of remaining melted lemon butter and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Roast until skin is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Rotate pan 180 degrees. Brush remaining melted lemon butter over turkey and roast 30 minutes more. Baste turkey and scatter onion wedges around it, then roast, basting turkey and rotating turkey 180 degrees every 30 minutes (if pan becomes completely dry, add 1/2 cup water; if skin becomes too dark, loosely cover turkey with foil) until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of thighs (test both; close to but not touching bone) registers 170°F and stuffing registers at least 165°F, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours more (total roasting time: 3 to 3 1/2 hours). Transfer turkey and onions to a platter, reserving juices in pan. Let turkey stand, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 175°F).
• Make gravy while turkey stands:
• Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add 1 cup turkey stock and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into 2-quart measuring cup and skim off and reserve fat. (If using a fat separator, strain pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour pan juices from separator into measuring cup, reserving fat.)
• Stir together flour and 6 tablespoons reserved fat (if you don't have enough fat, add butter) in a heavy medium saucepan, then cook roux over medium heat, whisking, until pale golden, about 3 minutes. Add pan juices and remaining 3 cups stock in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking. Stir in any turkey juices from platter and briskly simmer, whisking occasionally, until gravy is thickened to desired consistency, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Steps:

• Mix the boiling water, salt & couscous in a large bowl. Then stir in the raisins and almonds, cover & let steam for ten minutes. Fluff with fork to separate the grains.
• Stir in the almond meal, butter, cinnamon, sugar & lemon pieces. Taste for seasoning and adjust according to your tastes. Set aside to cool.
• Mix the saffron and Ras el Hanout with olive oil and rub all over the turkey. Stuff the turkey at both ends with the couscous, packing it loosely.
• Sew the openings closed with strong thread. Tie the turkeys feet together and place breast side down in a roasting pan. Add 3-4 Cups water, onion, and salt and 1/2 cup butter to the pan. Cover with foil and cook on 325 for an hour.
• At the end of the first hour of braising, turn the turkey over, then add the honey to the juices in the pan. Continue cooking and basting the turkey until tender (approximately 2 more hours).
• Transfer the turkey to a serving platter and remove the string. Pour the juice from the pan into a medium pot.
• Simmer the juice over medium heat until the liquid in the pot has evaporated and the honey begins to caramelize.
• Then stir in last of the butter into the honey mixture to make a rich, thick sauce. Pour over the turkey and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Carefully loosen turkey skin, leaving it attached at the back. Combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, lemon peel, salt and pepper; spread under turkey skin. Place turkey to one side in a shallow roasting pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.
• For stuffing, in a bowl, pour boiling water over couscous. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until water is absorbed. Add the remaining ingredients; toss to combine. Spoon stuffing into other side of pan, shaping into a 8-in. x 5-in. x 2-in. mound. Cover pan and bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes.
• Uncover turkey; leave stuffing covered. Bake 40-50 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees F. Cover turkey with foil and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with stuffing.