Harissa And Pomegranate Lacquered Turkey Recipes

ROAST TURKEY WITH POMEGRANATE GRAVY

Steps:

• Roast turkey:
• Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Working from neck (small) cavity, run your fingers between skin and meat to loosen skin from breast, legs, and thighs, being careful not to tear skin. Rub softened butter between skin and flesh, then sprinkle turkey cavities and skin with salt and pepper. Fold neck skin under body and secure with metal skewer and fold wing tips under breast. Stuff large cavity with onion and thyme sprigs and tie drumsticks together with kitchen string. Brush skin all over with some melted butter.
• Put turkey on rack in a large flameproof roasting pan and roast, basting with some melted butter and/or pan juices every 20 minutes (if turkey is browning too fast, cover loosely with foil), until thermometer inserted into fleshy part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours.
• Carefully tilt turkey so any juices from inside large cavity run into roasting pan, then transfer turkey to a platter (do not clean roasting pan) and let stand, loosely covered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 180°F).
• Make gravy while turkey stands:
• Cook sugar in a dry 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted into a deep golden caramel. Add 1/2 cup pomegranate juice (use caution; mixture will bubble and steam vigorously) and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramel is dissolved. Remove syrup from heat.
• Pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure or bowl, then skim off fat and reserve 1/4 cup of it. Add enough turkey stock to pan juices to total 3 1/2 cups liquid. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add water and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Pour through fine-mesh sieve into glass measure with stock.
• Whisk together reserved fat and flour in a 3-quart heavy saucepan and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, until pale golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Add hot stock mixture in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, whisking, and add pomegranate syrup, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in any turkey juices accumulated on platter and simmer gravy 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and stir in remaining tablespoon pomegranate juice.
• Remove string and skewer from turkey and discard onion and thyme from cavity. Serve turkey with gravy on the side.

ROAST TURKEY WITH POMEGRANATE GLAZE

Steps:

• Combine first 5 ingredients and reserved neck, heart, and gizzard in saucepan. Simmer over medium heat. Simmer until giblet broth is reduced to 3 3/4 cups, about 1 hour. Strain; discard solids. Chill 3/4 cup broth for Bread Dressing with Dried Apricots, Pistachios, and Mint .
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Whisk orange juice and next 4 ingredients in small bowl to blend for glaze. Place turkey on rack in heavy large roasting pan. Starting at neck end, carefully slide hand between skin and breast, thighs, and legs to loosen skin. Using pastry brush or hand, apply thin coat of pomegranate glaze over meat under skin. Stuff main cavity with lemon, quartered onion, and mint. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together loosely. Brush turkey with some of remaining glaze.
• Roast turkey 20 minutes. Pour 1 cup giblet broth into pan; brush turkey with glaze. Roast 20 minutes; brush with glaze. Roast 20 minutes. Add 1 cup broth to pan, brush with glaze, and cover turkey loosely with foil. Roast 20 minutes. Brush with glaze and reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Continue to roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, brushing with glaze every 20 minutes, about 1 hour 10 minutes longer, about 2 1/2 hours total.
• Transfer turkey to platter. Tent loosely with foil. Let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature will increase 5 to 10 degrees).
• Meanwhile, tilt roasting pan and spoon fat from surface of juices. Add 1 cup giblet broth to pan. Place pan over 2 burners. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, scraping up browned bits. Add chilled butter and simmer until gravy is smooth, whisking. Season with salt and pepper. Serve turkey with gravy.
• *A thick pomegranate syrup available at Middle Eastern markets, some supermarkets, and by mail from Adriana's Caravan (adrianascaravan.com). Do not use cane sugar molasses.

EVERYTHING SPICED CHALLAH TURKEY PASTILLA

Steps:

• For the challah: In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar and water. Whisk to dissolve, then add eggs and salt and whisk again. Place yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. With mixer on medium speed, gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading.
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Place dough in a bowl lightly greased with vegetable oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until almost doubled in size.
• For the turkey filling: In a medium cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. When shimmering, add ginger and onion and saute until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. To the skillet, add turkey, pistachios, raisins, cinnamon, and chili powder. Saute until turkey is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• For the everything spice: Place the onion flakes, dried garlic, salt, caraway seeds, poppy seeds and sesame seeds in a bowl; mix and set aside.
• To assemble: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and roll into a rectangle approximately 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 3-inch squares. Spoon 2 tablespoons turkey filling on top of each square. Fold up the sides to form dumplings and crimp the tops. Place top-side down on a baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each pastilla. In a small bowl whisk egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pastillas with the egg wash, then sprinkle with the everything spice.
• Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool, then dust with powdered sugar and serve.

CITRUS AND HERB TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 with rack in lower third position.
• Season cavity of turkey with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stuff cavity with orange, lemon, onion, garlic, and herbs. Tie legs with twine and transfer turkey to a rack set inside a roasting pan.
• Rub skin with olive oil and season with remaining salt and pepper.
• Pour 2 cups chicken stock into roasting pan and transfer to oven. Roast turkey for 2 1/2 hours or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 165 degrees. After first hour of roasting, baste turkey every 30 minutes, and tent with foil if skin becomes deep golden brown before turkey is cooked.
• Remove turkey from oven and transfer to a carving board. Let stand at least 15 minutes.
• Place roasting pan on stovetop over medium-high heat and bring pan drippings and remaining 1 cup chicken stock to a simmer. Combine milk and flour in a mason jar and shake vigorously to combine. Whisk milk mixture into gravy and simmer, whisking constantly, until gravy thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
• Carve turkey and serve with gravy.