Tandoori Turkey Recipe By Tasty

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk yogurt, tandoori seasoning and, if desired, pepper flakes until blended. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 6-8 hours, turning occasionally., Preheat oven to 450°. Drain chicken, discarding marinade in bowl. Place chicken in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Add sweet potatoes; drizzle with oil. Bake 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and lemon slices. Bake until a thermometer inserted into chicken reads 170°-175°, 10-15 minutes longer. Broil 4-5 in. from the heat until browned, 4-5 minutes. If desired, serve with cilantro and naan.

Steps:

• The day before serving, prepare the turkey for brining. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Set the neck aside for the stock. Cut off the wing tips and set aside with the neck.
• Butcher the turkey into 8 pieces: 2 breasts, 2 legs, 2 thighs, and 2 wings. Set aside the carcass for the stock.
• Combine the salt, brown sugar, pepper, and granulated garlic in a small bowl.
• Set a wire rack inside a baking sheet. Place the turkey parts skin-side up on the rack and generously sprinkle with the seasoning blend. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
• Make the stock: Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C).
• Place the turkey carcass, wing tips, and neck on a baking sheet with the onion, carrots, and celery. Season lightly with salt and drizzle with oil.
• Roast for 30-45 minutes, or until the carcass and vegetables are deep brown.
• Transfer the roasted vegetables, turkey carcass, and other parts to a large stock pot.
• From the still-warm baking sheet from roasting the carcass, pour any rendered fat into a small bowl. Add about 1 cup (240 ml) of water to the pan and scrape off any browned bits from roasting process, then pour into a separate bowl. Reserve for the gravy.
• Strain the stock, discarding the solids. The stock will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator or for 3 months in the freezer.
• Cover the carcass with cold water. Add the bay leaves and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Continue to simmer (don't boil!) for 3 hours.
• Make the gravy: Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the turkey fat and flour, stirring to combine. Cook the fat and flour together, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. This is a roux--you are cooking out the raw flour taste and deepening the flavor.
• Gradually add the stock to the roux, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, continuing to stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator until ready to warm for serving with the turkey. The gravy will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• 2 hours before you are ready to serve the turkey, preheat the oven to 425°F (220˚C).
• Remove the turkey parts from the fridge and drizzle with oil before placing in the hot oven.
• Roast for 30 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet to ensure even browning. Reduce the oven temperature to 400˚F (200˚C).
• Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 160°F (70˚C).
• Or when the thigh registers 170˚F (77˚C). Start checking after about 20 minutes, removing any parts from the oven as they reach proper temperature so that they don't overcook.
• Once all parts are done, loosely cover with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes while you warm the gravy.
• Add the gravy and sage, if using, to a medium saucepan over low heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed.
• Serve the turkey with the gravy and your favorite Thanksgiving dishes.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• ​​Make the tandoori spice blend: Set a medium skillet over medium-low heat and let the pan warm for a few minutes. Working one spice group at a time, toast the cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mace blades (if using), fenugreek seeds, black and green cardamom pods, black peppercorns, and cloves in the warm skillet until each spice is fragrant and lightly browned, a few minutes per spice. Transfer the toasted spices to a plate or small tray while you toast the remaining spices. Let cool to room temperature.
• Set a mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Once all of the whole spices have cooled, transfer to a high-powered blender or spice grinder (working in batches, if needed) and grind the spices into a fine powder. Pour the ground spices into the strainer and sift into the bowl below. Return any larger pieces to the blender and re-grind and sift into the bowl.
• Add the Kashmiri chile powder, ground ginger, garlic powder, and nutmeg to the bowl with the ground spices and mix well to combine (if using ground mace, add here). Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place until ready to use. The spice mixture will keep for up to 2 weeks.
• Make the yogurt marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, ¾ cup of the tandoori spice blend, the lemon juice, salt, ginger, and garlic until smooth.
• Remove the innards from the turkey and discard (or save for another use). Pat the turkey dry all over with paper towels. Place the turkey in a bowl large enough to fit the bird, then pour the yogurt marinade all over the turkey. Use your fingers to gently loosen the turkey skin, starting from the top of the cavity and working your way toward the breasts and down toward the legs, being careful not to tear the skin. Use your hands to work the marinade underneath the skin and all over the entire bird. Once well-coated, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
• While the turkey is marinating, make the tandoori ghee: Add the ghee to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the tandoori spice blend (it should sizzle lightly once it touches the ghee), then stir to incorporate and remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the salt. Transfer ¼ cup of the ghee to a small bowl and set aside to use for the gravy. Carefully pour the remaining 1¼ cups of ghee into a heat-proof container.
• After marinating, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours before cooking.
• Arrange a rack in the lower-middle section of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Set a V-shaped rack inside a roasting pan.
• Once ready to cook, remove the turkey from the yogurt marinade and wipe off as much as possible. Squeeze out as much marinade as possible from underneath the turkey skin as well.
• Grab the turkey by the legs and carefully transfer to the prepared roasting pan with the breast side up. With your hands, rub about a third of the tandoori ghee over the bird, then rub another third underneath the skin. Reserve the remaining ghee for basting the turkey.
• Stuff the cavity with the lemons, garlic, ginger, and cilantro. Tuck the wings underneath the turkey, then tie the legs together with kitchen twine, wrapping around the bird to secure. Pour 3 cups of chicken stock into the bottom of the roasting pan.
• Roast the turkey for 30 minutes, rotating halfway, until the skin is mostly golden brown. While the turkey roasts, melt the remaining third of tandoori ghee in a small saucepan over low heat, or in a small bowl in the microwave.
• After roasting for 30 minutes, baste the turkey with the melted ghee. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C). If the bottom of the pan looks dry, pour in 1-2 more cups of stock. Continue roasting, basting and rotating the turkey every 30 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the leg reaches 165°F (75°C), 120-150 minutes more. The skin should be shiny, crisp, and golden brown-if the skin begins to get too dark, lightly tend the bird with aluminum foil. Remove the turkey from the oven and baste once more. Let rest for 30-60 minutes. Reserve the drippings, discarding the fat, for making the gravy.
• Make the tandoori gravy: Add the reserved ¼ cup tandoori ghee to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking frequently, for 3-5 minutes, until the roux is darker in color and smells fragrant and toasted. Add 1 tablespoon of the tandoori spice blend and whisk to combine, letting toast for another minute, until fragrant. Gradually whisk in the turkey drippings (adding chicken stock as needed for a total of 3 cups). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until thickened slightly. Remove the gravy from heat.
• To serve, set the whole turkey in the center of a large platter for a classic presentation, or carve the bird and arrange the cut pieces on the platter and garnish with cilantro and quartered limes. Serve immediately with the hot gravy alongside, as well as any traditional tandoori sides of choice.
• Enjoy!