Perfect Pancetta Roast Shallot Stuffed Turkey Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.
• Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
• Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.
• Slice the turkey and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic and fennel seeds and cook until the shallot is slightly soft, 2 minutes. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Lay the turkey, skin-side down, on a cutting board. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and pound lightly with a meat mallet until it's about 8 by 12 inches and 1/4 inch thick. Remove the plastic wrap and season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
• Cut four 12-inch pieces of kitchen twine. Spread the garlic mixture evenly over the turkey. Arrange the pancetta on top in an even layer, then sprinkle with the parsley. Starting from a long side, roll up the breast and tie gently with the twine. Brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Put the stuffed turkey breast on a rack in a roasting pan and pour 1 cup water into the pan. Roast until the skin is golden, about 40 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and roast until the skin is crisp and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey registers 155 degrees F to 160 degrees F, about 10 more minutes.
• Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest at least 30 minutes before slicing. (If making ahead, let cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap, unsliced, and refrigerate up to 2 days.) Make the sandwiches: Drizzle the cut sides of the rolls with olive oil. Sandwich the provolone and turkey in the rolls and drizzle the meat with any pan drippings.
• Stand the corn upright in a large bowl when slicing off the kernels so they don't scatter all over the counter.

Steps:

• Up to two days ahead, season the bird all over with flaky sea salt - 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 it will be. Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time by allowing 40 mins per kg for the first 4kg, then 45 mins for every additional kg. As a guide, a turkey of this size should take 3½-4 hrs plus 30-45 mins resting.
• To make the butter, mash the garlic with the thyme, lemon zest and a pinch of salt using a pestle and mortar, then beat in the butter until well mixed. Can be prepared up to two days ahead and chilled.
• Gently push your fingers under the skin of the turkey, starting from the neck, until you can push your whole hand down the length of the breast - take care not to tear the skin. Spread the butter under the skin so that it covers the breast meat, reserving 1 tbsp butter for the shallots. Lay the pancetta (or bacon) on your work surface in two rectangles of six overlapping slices. Carefully push each rectangle under the skin to cover and protect each breast. This can be done the night before; take the turkey out of the fridge 1 hr before roasting to bring it back to room temperature.
• On the day, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the whole shallots into a bowl with the thyme, bay and remaining 1 tbsp butter, then season and toss to coat. Lift the turkey into a roasting tin, massage the olive oil into the skin and season well if you haven't already seasoned ahead. Tip the shallots into the roasting tin, around the turkey, and stuff the lemon halves into the cavity. Cover the tin loosely with foil and roast for the calculated cooking time.
• For the final 30 mins, remove the foil and pour off all of the cooking juices (reserve them for the gravy). Spoon the shallots into the cavity and increase the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roast for the final 30 mins until the turkey is golden and the thigh juices run clear when pierced with a skewer, or until a digital cooking thermometer reads over 70C. Leave the turkey to rest on a warm platter covered with foil - it will stay warm for about 1 hr. If you want to make turkey gravy, pour the fat off the juices and add the gravy to the roasting tin. Bring to the boil, then pour into a gravy jug. To serve, bring the whole turkey to the table, along with the herbs, if using. Carve onto a hot platter with a little of the hot gravy poured over. Any leftover meat can be frozen in the gravy, or used in leftovers.

Steps:

• Mix butter, chopped parsley, chopped sage, chopped thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl to blend. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Transfer herb butter to small bowl; cover and refrigerate. Bring butter to room temperature before using.) Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Sprinkle main cavity of turkey with salt and pepper. Place whole parsley, sage and thyme sprigs and 4 shallot halves in cavity. Starting at neck end, carefully slide hand between skin and breast meat to loosen skin. Spread 3 tablespoons herb butter over breast meat under skin. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together to hold shape. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Rub 4 tablespoons herb butter over turkey. Cover only breast area of turkey with sheet of heavy-duty foil. Scatter remaining shallots in pan around turkey.
• Roast turkey 30 minutes; baste with 1/2 cup broth. Continue roasting turkey for 1 1/2 hours, basting with 1/2 cup broth every 30 minutes. Remove foil from over turkey breast. Continue to roast turkey until golden brown and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F, basting with pan juices every 20 minutes, about 1 hour longer. Transfer turkey to platter. Brush with 1 tablespoon herb butter. Tent loosely with foil; let stand 20 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer shallots from roasting pan to plate. Pour pan juices into medium bowl; spoon off fat and discard. Add wine and 1 cup chicken broth to roasting pan. Set pan directly over 2 burners and bring broth mixture to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Continue to boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes; pour into large glass measuring cup. Add degreased pan juices. Add enough broth if necessary to equal 3 cups liquid.
• Blend flour into remaining herb butter. Pour broth mixture into heavy medium saucepan and bring to boil. Gradually whisk in herb butter mixture. Add any accumulated juices from turkey platter. Boil until gravy thickens enough to coat spoon lightly, whisking occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add shallots to gravy; simmer 1 minute. Season gravy with salt and pepper. Serve turkey with gravy.