Geoffrey Zakarian Turkey Recipes

THANKSGIVING TURKEY TWO WAYS

Steps:

• The morning before roasting, spatchcock one of the turkeys. Remove the backbone by cutting 1 1/2 inches to the left and right of the backbone (opposite side of breast) from front to back. Remove the backbone and reserve for stock if desired. Place the turkey breast-side up on a large flat surface. Place a clean kitchen towel on top and press down firmly on the breast to flatten. Season both sides of the spatchcocked turkey with 1 tablespoon each of the celery salt, granulated garlic, granulated onion and pepper.
• Season the whole turkey inside and out with 1 tablespoon black pepper and the remaining celery salt, granulated garlic and granulated onion. Allow both turkeys to sit in the refrigerator overnight, uncovered, to dry the skin.
• The next day, allow the turkeys to come to room temperature for 1 1/2 hours.
• Arrange one oven rack in the bottom lowest position of the oven and one in the top third. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the minced parsley, tarragon, oregano, minced thyme, lemon zest and shallots with some salt and pepper in a small bowl. The salt will help to draw the moisture and flavor from the mixture. Add the olive oil to form a paste. Divide the mixture between the turkeys and spread all around both sides of each turkey. Season again with salt and pepper. Halve 3 of the lemons. Stuff the cavity of the whole turkey with the lemon halves and parsley and thyme sprigs.
• Divide the carrots, onions and fennel between 2 roasting pans or baking sheets. Arrange the spatchcocked turkey skin-side up on the vegetables in one pan. Put the whole turkey breast-side up on the vegetables in the second pan. Divide the stock and wine between the 2 pans.
• Put the whole turkey on the bottom oven rack and the spatchcocked turkey on the top rack and roast, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices and adding a little more liquid to the bottom of the pans as needed to prevent burning. Keep an eye on the turkeys: when the spatchcocked turkey is nicely browned, remove the roasting pan and carefully move the top oven rack to the middle position (see Cook's Note). Move the whole turkey to the middle rack and the spatchcocked turkey to the bottom rack and continue to roast until the thickest part of the thighs registers 155 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 hours total (10 minutes per pound) for a 12-pound spatchcocked turkey and 2 hours 25 minutes to 3 hours total (12 to 15 minutes per pound) for a 12-pound whole turkey. Allow the turkeys to rest for at least 1 hour before serving.

LEMON AND HERB ROASTED THANKSGIVING TURKEY

Steps:

• For the turkey: Twenty-four hours before cooking your turkey, liberally season the inside and outside of the bird with salt and pepper. Using a mini chopper or mortar and pestle, grind the oregano, parsley, tarragon, sumac, thyme, shallots and lemon zest together with some salt and pepper; the salt will help draw the moisture and flavor from the mixture. Add the olive oil to form a paste. Spread the herb mixture all around the inside and outside of the turkey. Refrigerate the turkey, uncovered to dry the skin, for 24 hours.
• For the roasting: Remove the turkey from the fridge 90 minutes before roasting and allow it to come to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Season the turkey again with salt and pepper. Put the parsley and thyme sprigs in the cavity with the lemon and shallot halves.
• Put the carrots, celery and onions in the bottom of a roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack. Add a cup of water or stock to the bottom of the pan. Add the turkey to the rack and roast, adding a little more water or stock to the pan if necessary to prevent the drippings from burning, for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to roast, basting the turkey with the pan drippings every 30 minutes, until the thickest part of the leg registers an internal temperature of 155 degrees F, another 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Allow the bird to rest, tented with foil, for at least 1 hour before carving. The temperature will rise to about 165 degrees F during resting.
• Pour the pan drippings into a saucepan, set the pan over medium-high heat and cook until reduced by one-half, about 10 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted. Pour the reduced turkey drippings over the carved turkey just before serving.

TURKEY BREAST WITH LEMON AND CAPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Let the turkey breasts stand at room temperature for 1 hour prior to cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Fit a baking sheet with a wire rack.
• Pat the turkey breasts dry and season heavily with salt and pepper all over. Put the olive oil in a large skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Sear the breasts skin-side down until light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the breasts over and add the garlic, thyme, rosemary and 4 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet. Once the butter has melted, use a spoon to baste the turkey breasts with the herb and garlic infused butter for 30 seconds.
• Transfer the breasts to the rack on the baking sheet, pour the butter and herb mixture over the breasts and cook, basting every 15 minutes, until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 degrees F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Transfer to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil and rest for 15 minutes.
• Deglaze the skillet that the breasts were seared in with the white wine over medium-high heat, then reduce until almost dry, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the turkey stock and reduce by 90 percent, another 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and slowly whisk in the remaining 6 tablespoons butter, keeping the mixture creamy and emulsified. Once all the butter is incorporated, add the capers, parsley, lemon zest and shallot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Slice the turkey and transfer it to a platter. Pour some sauce over the slices and serve the rest of the sauce on the side. Garnish with fresh herb sprigs if desired.

CLASSIC GRAVY

Steps:

• For the brown turkey stock: In a 4-quart saucepot over medium-high heat, brown the butter and add the giblets. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook until the giblets are browned. Add the carrots, celery and onions and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are browned. Add the turkey stock, rosemary, cinnamon, sage and star anise, bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook at a slow simmer until the stock is rich and dark and reduced to 5 cups, about 1 hour. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside.
• For the gravy: When your turkey is done, measure out 1/4 cup of the fat from the roasting pan and discard the rest. Put the 1/4 cup turkey fat back into the roasting pan with the drippings, put the pan over medium-high heat and add a splash of the reserved 5 cups brown turkey stock to loosen the pieces. Whisk in the flour and remaining stock and simmer until the proper consistency is achieved, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and vinegar and season to taste.

SUMAC DRY BRINED ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• For the turkey: Two days before cooking, combine the salt with the herbes de Provence, sumac and black pepper in a bowl. Rub all over the turkey, inside and out, and under the skin of the breast and legs where accessible, being careful to not tear the skin. Place on a sheet tray fitted with a rack or in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 2 days.
• Bring the turkey out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours before cooking to temper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the butter, minced thyme and lemon zest in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place the turkey on a work surface. Spread the butter under the skin of the turkey around the legs and breasts, as evenly as possible. Stuff the cavity with the quartered lemons, apple, shallots and sprigs of thyme. Tie the legs closed with kitchen twine. Place the onions, carrots, celery and garlic at the bottom of a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Place the turkey on the rack. Roast, basting every 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the leg (do not touch bone) reads 155 to 160 degrees F, 12 to 14 minutes per pound, or 2 to 3 hours. Allow the turkey to rest for 90 minutes.
• For the gravy: Meanwhile, strain the drippings and juices from the roasting pan into a bowl. Discard the vegetables. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until the raw flavor is cooked off, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cider vinegar and soy sauce for depth. Slowly whisk the strained drippings into the flour to avoid clumps. Simmer until the gravy just coats the back of a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. (The gravy will not be a heavy thick gravy, but rather a light gravy.) Season to taste. Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy.