Achiote Butter Basted Turkey With Ancho Chili Gravy Recipes

ROAST TURKEY RUBBED WITH ACHIOTE-CHIPOTLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. For the butter mixture, place chipotles and garlic in the food processor; process to a paste. Add the achiote paste, thyme, sage and orange zest; process until combined. Add the butter gradually, pulsing until smooth.
• Rub the bird inside and out with the salt; rub with the butter mixture, working some of the butter between the skin and the breast as well. Place the garlic, onions, orange halves, carrot, celery, thyme, sage and bay leaves inside the turkey cavity. Tie the turkey legs together with butcher's twine.
• Place the bird on a rack in a large roasting pan. Pour enough of the broth into the pan to cover the bottom of the pan by about ½ inch.
• Roast 30 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees. Cook, basting the bird with broth every 30 minutes, adding more broth to the pan as needed. Cook until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees, about 2½ hours. Transfer turkey to a cutting board; set aside, loosely covered with foil, 30 minutes.
• For the gravy, skim off the fat from the pan drippings; pour fat into a large skillet. Reserve pan drippings in the roasting pan. Heat the fat over medium heat; slowly whisk in flour, whisking until mixture begins to brown and thicken, about 10 minutes. Slowly whisk in all but { cup of the remaining broth.
• Heat mixture to a simmer over medium heat; slowly whisk this mixture into the reserved drippings in the roasting pan; heat. (If the gravy is too thick, add the reserved broth until you reach the desired consistency.) Carve turkey; serve with gravy.
• Note: Achiote paste, made from annatto seeds, is available in Latin American markets.

SOUTHWESTERN TURKEY WITH GARLIC-ANCHO CHILI PASTE AND GRAVY

Steps:

• For paste:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Separate heads of garlic into individual cloves (do not peel). Pierce each clove once with toothpick. Scatter garlic on baking sheet; roast until tender and beginning to brown, about 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Peel garlic, cutting hard tip off each clove. Pack enough garlic into 1/2-cup measuring cup to fill (about 40 cloves); reserve any remaining garlic. Blend 1/2 cup garlic in processor to form course puree.
• Meanwhile, place chilies in small saucepan. Add enough water just to cover. Simmer over medium-low heat until chilies are soft and most of water evaporates, about 15 minutes. Add chili mixture, oil, cumin, and honey to garlic in processor. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover paste and garlic; chill.)
• For turkey:
• Pat turkey dry. Season with salt and pepper. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen skin. Spread 1/2 cup garlic-paste over breast under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Rub 2 tablespoons paste all over outside of turkey. Reserve remaining paste for gravy. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Place on rack set in roasting pan. (Can be done 1 day ahead if turkey is not stuffed. Chill turkey and paste separately.)
• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add neck and giblets, turkey neck pieces and onion; sauté brown, about 15 minutes. Place contents of skillet around turkey in pan. Add celery, tomato, allspice and any reserved garlic to pan; pour in 2 cups broth. Roast turkey 1 hour 30 minutes. Tent turkey and entire pan loosely with heavy-duty foil. Continue to roast turkey until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F. or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting often with pan juices and 3 cups broth, about 1 hour 40 minutes longer for unstuffed turkey (about 2 hours 25 minutes longer for stuffed turkey). Place turkey on platter. Tent with foil; let stand at least 30 minutes. Reserve mixture in pan for gravy.
• For gravy:
• Using tongs, remove turkey parts from pan; discard. Pour mixture in pan into sieve set over large bowl. Press on solids in sieve to release liquid. Spoon fat from pan juices; add enough broth to juices to measure 6 cups.
• Stir 1/2 cup reserved garlic-chili paste in heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until liquefied. Add flour and stir 1 minute (mixture will be very thick). Gradually add 6 cups broth mixture, whisking until smooth. Simmer until reduced to 4 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper.
• Serve turkey with gravy.