Tasty Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

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:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pull the neck and giblets out of the cavity; ditch the liver and save the rest of the giblets for gravy. Dry the turkey with paper towels, then season inside and out with salt and pepper. Fill the turkey with aromatics like chopped onions, carrots, apples and herbs, then place breast-side up in a roasting pan and brush with melted butter. Tent with foil and roast for 2 hours (for a 10- to 12-pound turkey; add an extra 15 minutes per pound for larger birds). Remove the foil, baste with more melted butter and crank the oven to 425 degrees F. Roast for another hour or until the meat at the thigh registers 165 degrees F. Let rest while you make the gravy.

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a turkey roaster with long sheets of aluminum foil that will be long enough to wrap over the turkey.
• Stir together the parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the herb mixture into the cavity of the turkey, then stuff with the celery, orange, onion, and carrot. Truss if desired, and place the turkey into the roasting pan. Pour the chicken broth and champagne over the turkey, making sure to get some champagne in the cavity. Bring the aluminum foil over the top of the turkey, and seal. Try to keep the foil from touching the skin of the turkey breast or legs.
• Bake the turkey in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear. Uncover the turkey, and continue baking until the skin turns golden brown, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Defrost the turkey. Place the wrapped turkey on a baking sheet and set on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Defrost for 1 day if fresh, or 4-5 days, if frozen. For a quicker defrost, submerge the turkey in a large sink or cooler filled with cold water and defrost for 30 minutes per pound of turkey.
• 1 day before cooking, brine the turkey. Measure the salt into a small bowl. Set up your work station with kitchen shears, a plastic bag, a fresh baking sheet with a wire rack set over it, and a garbage can nearby.
• Cut the packaging off the defrosted turkey, being careful not to cut the skin or flesh, and remove from the bag. Set the turkey on the baking sheet with the wire rack. Cut off any excess skin around the neck and release the plastic holder securing the legs. Remove any innards and giblets from the cavity and discard. Thoroughly pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
• Sprinkle the salt all over the turkey, making sure to get in the cavity, under the skin, and between any crevices.
• Refrigerate the turkey, uncovered, for 1 day. If brining for more than 1 day, cover the turkey with plastic wrap, then remove for the last day to let the skin dry out before roasting.
• A few hours before serving, prepare the turkey for roasting. Set an oven rack at the lowest height and the other in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325˚F (160˚C).
• Add the butter to a medium bowl. Chop the sage leaves and add to the bowl, along with the garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Mash the herbs into the butter. Set aside.
• Set a roasting pan or single-use aluminum pan over a baking sheet near your work station.
• Trim off the wing tips of the turkey and add to the roasting pan. Cut off any excess skin to expose the wishbone, then use a paring knife to cut out the bone. Use your hands or kitchen shears if the bone is hard to remove. Add to the roasting pan.
• Turn the bird so the legs are facing you. Tug out the plastic holder. Loosen the skin around the breasts, using your fingers to create a pocket. Be careful not to tear the skin. Rub the herb butter under the skin, then all over the rest of the turkey. Make sure to get in any crevices and the cavity.
• Stuff the lemon wedges and ¼ of the onion inside the turkey cavity. Add the rest of the onion wedges to the roasting pan, along with the carrot and celery. Pour the chicken broth into the pan.
• Use the wire rack to rest the turkey over the roasting pan, then pour any accumulated juices from the baking sheet into the pan.
• Set the roasting pan on the lowest oven rack. Place the turkey on the wire rack on the middle oven rack, directly over the roasting pan to catch any juices.
• Roast the turkey for about 2 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 160˚F (71˚C). Start checking the turkey about 90 minutes into roasting to ensure it does not overcook.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and set the wire rack over a baking sheet to catch any juices. Let rest for about 30 minutes while the internal temperature climbs to 165˚F (74˚C).
• Meanwhile, make the gravy: Remove any solids from the roasting pan. Strain the liquid into a large pot and bring to a boil, then let reduce to your desired consistency. The gravy can be served as is or, for a thicker gravy, ladle a few spoonfuls of stock into a small bowl with the flour. Whisk until no lumps remain, then stir a bit of the flour mixture at a time back into the pot. Return to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes, until thickened. Repeat as needed until the gravy has reached your desired consistency. Reduce the heat to low, whisking occasionally, until ready to serve, or remove from the heat and bring back to temperature before serving.
• Carve the turkey: Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board with a lip to catch any juices. First, release the legs to make carving the rest of the bird easier. Using a sharp knife, cut along where the legs meets the breasts, being careful not to cut all the way through. Then, use your hands to pull the legs and thigh away from the carcass and tuck them under the wings to keep them in place.
• Cut straight down along both sides of the breast bone until you can't cut any further, then cut horizontally near the wing to release the breasts from the carcass.
• Cut all the way through the legs to release from the hip joint.
• Find where the shoulder meets the breast, then cut through that joint to remove the wings, using your hands to pull the wing away if the joint is tough to find.
• Set the carcass aside--you can pick off any remaining meat for leftovers, or make stock from the whole carcass.
• Slice the breasts crosswise, against the grain, then transfer to a serving platter. Cut the drumsticks from the thighs through the joint, wiggling the knife to find an easy release or pulling apart with your hands. Add the drumsticks to the platter. Cut the thigh meat away from the bone, then into bite-size pieces, and add to the platter. Release the flats from the wings by cutting through the joint, pulling apart with your hands if necessary, then add to the platter.
• Rearrange the meat on the platter so the larger pieces of meat with crispy, browned skin are on top. Garnish the platter with sage leaves and lemon wedges, if desired.
• Serve with the warm gravy.
• Enjoy!