Spit Roasted Turkey Recipes

Steps:

• To spit-roast the turkey, grease the bird inside and out, and truss (tie) it into a tight shape that balances easily on the spit.
• It's better to put two small turkeys on a spit rather than one that's too large.
• The cavity can be filled with onion, lemon or orange slices, sprigs of fresh herbs or sprinklings of dried herbs (regular stuffings don't cook properly with this method.) Besure to have a drip pan under the bird and use the drippings to baste it.
• As a guideline, a 3 to 4 lb (1. 5 to 2 kg) bird will take about 1 1/2 hours to spit roast.
• a 6 to 8 lb (3 to 4 kg) bird will take 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• For a covered barbecue (gas or charcoal), cook the bird stuffed or unstuffed.
• Place the bird on the grill over a drip pan nestled between two beds of hot coals.
• Roast until meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the inner thigh registers 185 degrees F (85 degrees C).

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Let the turkey sit at room temperature while the oven is heating.
• When you are ready to cook, make the rub. Combine the dried sage, seafood seasoning, pepper, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the olive oil using just enough to make the rub the consistency of wet mud. Massage the rub all over the turkey. Stuff the fresh herbs into the cavity. Using butcher's twine, truss the turkey: tie the legs together and make sure the wings are held tight against the turkey's body. If you are using a rotisserie, put the turkey onto the spit. Otherwise, place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and put it into the oven. Mix together the lemon juice and olive oil and baste the bird every 20 minutes. Bake the turkey for approximately 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature taken at the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F and the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving; the temperature will raise 5 degrees while the turkey rests. If you do not have a meat thermometer, the juices should run clear when the turkey is poked in a few places [between the leg and thigh] with a fork.

Steps:

• For the turkey: Prepare a grill fitted with a rotisserie attachment according to the manufacturer's instructions for cooking over medium-high heat.
• Truss the turkey with butcher's twine so it is compact, then mount the turkey on the rotisserie spit. Push in the spit forks so they are very secure; tighten the screws well.
• Mix together the sugar, paprika, 2 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon pepper in a small bowl until combined. Rub the turkey all over with oil and sprinkle with the seasoning. Place the spit on the rotisserie. If you are using a large kettle-style charcoal grill, position a 9-by-13-inch disposable aluminum pan under the turkey. If you are using a multi-burner gas grill, position a 9-by-13-inch disposable aluminum pan or a half-sheet pan under the turkey, depending on the clearance between the bird and the grill grates; if necessary, remove the grill grates and place the pan on the bars below. Cover the grill and cook until the skin starts to brown slightly, about 20 minutes. Uncover the grill, drizzle the turkey slowly with the melted butter as it turns, then cover the grill and continue to cook for another 40 minutes.
• For the stuffing (see Cook's Note): Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sage, thyme, celery, onions, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat.
• Beat the eggs with the parsley in a large bowl. Add the bread, then pour in the vegetable-broth mixture and toss to combine.
• After the turkey has been roasting for 1 hour, uncover the grill and carefully spoon the stuffing into the pan under the turkey. Cover the grill and continue to cook until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F and the stuffing is golden on top and hot throughout, another 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes; remove the stuffing earlier if it starts to brown too quickly on the bottom. Remove the turkey from the spit and let rest for 30 minutes before carving. Keep the stuffing warm until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix 1/4 cup butter, garlic, paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic and herb seasoning, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Place turkey breast with skin side up into a roasting pan. Loosen skin with your fingers; brush half the butter mixture over the turkey breast and underneath the skin. Reserve remaining butter mixture. Tent turkey breast loosely with aluminum foil.
• Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour; baste turkey breast with remaining butter mixture. Return to oven and roast until the juices run clear and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, not touching bone, reads 165 degrees F (65 degrees C), about 30 more minutes. Let turkey breast rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
• While turkey is resting, transfer pan drippings to a skillet. Skim off excess grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon in skillet. Place skillet over low heat; cook and stir shallot in turkey grease until opaque, about 5 minutes. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet with shallot and whisk in white wine, scraping any browned bits of food from skillet. Whisk in chicken stock and flour until smooth. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened. For a creamier, lighter gravy, whisk in half-and-half.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450. Use a sharp knife to remove the turkey's backbone. (Reserve the backbone to make stock.) Turn the turkey over, and press on it very hard to flatten the breast; dislocate the thigh joint where it meets the torso.
• Put the bird breast side up in a large roasting pan. The wings should partly cover the breasts, and the legs should protrude a bit. Tuck the garlic and herbs under the bird's skin and in the nooks of the wings and legs; smear with butter (or drizzle with olive oil), and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
• Roast for 20 minutes, undisturbed. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and put them in a roasting pan and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper and some of the herbs; don't crowd the pan. Put in the oven.
• If the turkey is browning too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 400; begin to check it after about 55 minutes of total cooking; it's done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 155. Cook the vegetables until slightly caramelized and soft; if necessary, they can continue to cook while the turkey rests before carving.
• Separate the turkey's legs from the torso and slice; slice the breast as well. Pass the meat on a platter with the vegetables.

Steps:

• Remove any giblets from the cavity and reserve for stock or gravy. Pat turkey and turkey neck dry with paper towel; rub turkey all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt per pound of turkey, the pepper and the lemon zest, including the neck. Transfer to a 2-gallon (or larger) resealable plastic bag. Tuck herbs and 6 garlic cloves inside bag. Seal and refrigerate on a small rimmed baking sheet (or wrapped in another bag) for at least 1 day and up to 3 days, turning the bird over every day (or after 12 hours if brining for only 1 day).
• Remove turkey from bag and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey, uncovered, back on the baking sheet. Return to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours to dry out the skin (this helps crisp it).
• When you are ready to cook the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for one hour.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. In the bottom of a large roasting pan, add the cider and enough wine to fill the pan to a 1/4-inch depth. Add half the onions, the remaining 6 garlic cloves and the bay leaves. Stuff the remaining onion quarters and the lemon quarters into the turkey cavity. Brush the turkey skin generously with oil or melted butter.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack set inside the roasting pan. Transfer pan to the oven and roast 30 minutes. Cover breast with aluminum foil. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh reaches a temperature of 165 degrees, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Transfer turkey to a cutting board to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pat turkey dry with paper towel and place it on a rack in a roasting pan. In a small bowl or on a clean cutting board, mash the butter together with the orange zest, sage, garlic, salt and pepper to create a paste. Lift the turkey's skin at the neck and gently use your hand to separate skin from breast meat. Rub about half of the compound butter under the skin, covering the breast meat. Rub the rest of the butter over the skin of the turkey and season with a little more salt and pepper.
• Fold the wings of the turkey under the bird, and tie its legs together with butcher's twine. Pour the wine and orange juice into the roasting pan, scatter the sage leaves over the liquid and carefully slide the pan into the oven.
• Roast for about 2 to 3 hours, basting bird every 30 minutes with drippings. Start checking the bird 1 hour and 45 minutes into cooking, and tent it with foil if skin is turning too dark. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone registers 165 degrees. Transfer to a cutting board or platter and allow to rest at least 30 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.
• Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
• Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 4 hours.
• Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.