Honey Brined Turkey With Giblet Cream Gravy Recipes

HONEY BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• 2-3 days before the big day, start defrosting your turkey. Make sure you have time enough to defrost thoroughly before brining so that it cooks properly. Combine hot water and salt in a large bucket or cooler and stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in vegetable broth and honey, then add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler or bucket lid. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours. Remove turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub all over with vegetable oil. Heat grill to 400 degrees F. You're going to want the grill to stay at 350 degrees after you put the turkey on. The turkey should also never be over direct heat. With our grill, we turned all the burners on to preheat it and then turned half of them off and took half of the grills off. The smoke bomb is placed on the side with the burners on, and place the turkey on the side with burners off. Make 4 smoke bombs by making pouches out of double layers of 12 inch square aluminum foil. In the middle of the square, place hickory wood chips, rosemary, thyme and cinnamon stick. Fold or roll the sides of the square to create a pouch, leaving a small part of the top open. Place the turkey directly on the grill, but not over direct heat. Cut out the bottom and up the side of an aluminum roasting pan to wrap around the turkey. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour. After 1 hour, check the bird. Switch sides by sliding the grills that the turkey is on to the other side, making sure to keep the turkey over indirect heat (turn on/off burners as you switch sides). If the turkey is starting to brown, cover with aluminum foil. Also, replace smoke bomb. Continue to check and switch sides in the same manner every hour until the bird reaches 160 degrees F (a meat thermometer is a must!). Once it reaches 160 degrees, about 3-4 hours, remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.

GIBLET CREAM GRAVY

Steps:

• While your turkey cooks, place giblets in large sauce pan.
• Add 6 cups water, 3 1/2 cups chicken broth, carrots, onion, celeryand bay leaf.
• Simmer over medium heatuntil stock is reduced to around 3 cups.
• (about 2 hours) Strain the stock into a bowl.
• Chop giblets.
• Set aside.
• Melt 5 T butter in large heavy saucepan over medium heat.
• Add 5 T flour and whisk 2 minutes.
• Gradually add turkey stock, cream and up to 1 cup of turkey pan juices.
• Simmer gravy until desired consistency, whisking occasionally.
• Add chopped giblets.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.

BRINED ROAST TURKEY WITH PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, bring the water, cloves, ginger, black peppercorn, bay leaves and salt to a boil. Lower to a simmer and stir in the honey and maple syrup until well blended. Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold tap water. Reserve the neck and specialty meats for pan gravy. Set the turkey in the brine, making sure that the turkey is fully immersed in the brine. Place a weight on top of the turkey to make sure it is always covered with brine. Marinate for at least 4 hours to overnight, depending on the weight of the turkey, in the refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a shallow roasting pan, place the carrots, celery and onions. Remove turkey from brine.
• Mix together the butter, garlic, chopped rosemary, and sage to make a compound butter. Using your hands, loosen to the skin from the breast by gently inserting your fingers between the skin and the flesh. Rub the compound butter underneath the skin. Insert the apples, onions, and whole rosemary and sage into the cavity of the turkey.
• Place the turkey over the vegetables, breast-side up, in the roasting pan. Tuck the wings back and under the turkey. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. This will make a compact shape and will create a great presentation. Drizzle the turkey with olive oil and rub it into the skin. Roast the turkey to at least 165 degrees F in the breast, about 2 1/2 hours. If the skin gets too dark during roasting, tent with foil.
• Transfer turkey to a platter and allow to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the pan gravy.
• Tilt the pan and skim as much fat as possible off the juice with a spoon. Set the pan on 2 burners set on medium heat. Deglaze roasting pan with white wine and Madeira. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Reduce until only a quarter remains. Add the Turkey Stock, thyme and parsley. Bring to a boil and strain into a saucepan. Bring back to a boil, skim and lower to a simmer. Whisk in the beurre manie until well incorporated and continue to cook until gravy has thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Heat a saucepan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and heat. Add the neck and giblets and cook until browned all over, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and deglaze with the port. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the port is almost completely evaporated, about 10 minutes.
• Add the carrots, onions, celery, rosemary and peppercorns. Cover with cold water by 4-inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for 2 hours, adding a little more water, if necessary. Skim any scum that rises to the surface of the stock and discard.
• Strain the stock. Use immediately, or cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

HONEY BRINED HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck from turkey, reserve for gravy. Rinse turkey with cold running water and drain well. Blot dry with paper towels.
• Prepare brine by mixing water, honey and salt in a large bowl. Stir until honey dissolves. Add half the thyme and sage along with the garlic and black pepper. Set aside. Add chicken stock.
• Line an extra-large stock pot with a food-safe plastic bag. Place the rinsed turkey in the bag and pour brine over the turkey. Gather the bag tightly around the turkey, causing the turkey to be surrounded by the brine. Seal the bag and refrigerate the pot, bag and brined turkey for at least 12 hours.
• Pre-heat oven to 350°F Remove turkey from brine and pat dry inside and out. Discard brine. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (about 2 1/2" deep) roasting pan.
• Squeeze lemon juice into the main turkey cavity. Put the squeezed lemon halves into the cavity along with the rest of the thyme and sage. Coat turkey lightly with oil and sprinkle inside and out with salt, pepper.
• Insert an oven safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful the pointed end of the thermometer does not touch the bone. Roast turkey, basting with poultry stock every half hour or so.
• Loosely cover with aluminum foil to prevent over browning, remove foil during last hour and a half of cooking time. Continue to roast until thermometer registers 180°F in the thigh, or 170°F in the breast.
• Remove turkey from the oven and allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes before carving.

HONEY-BRINED TURKEY WITH GIBLET CREAM GRAVY

Steps:

• For turkey:
• Line extra-large stockpot with heavy large plastic bag (about 30-gallon capacity). Rinse turkey; place in plastic bag. Stir 8 quarts water, 2 cups coarse salt and 1 cup honey in large pot until salt and honey dissolve. Add 1 bunch fresh thyme, peeled garlic cloves and black pepper. Pour brine over turkey. Gather plastic bag tightly around turkey so that bird is covered with brine; seal plastic bag. Refrigerate pot with turkey in brine at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours.
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Drain turkey well; discard brine. Pat turkey dry inside and out. Squeeze juice from lemon halves into main cavity. Add lemon rinds and remaining 1 bunch fresh thyme to main cavity. Tuck wings under turkey; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Rub turkey all over with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Roast turkey 1 hour. Baste turkey with 1 cup chicken broth. Continue to roast until turkey is deep brown and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F, basting with 1 cup chicken broth every 30 minutes and covering loosely with foil if turkey is browning too quickly, about 2 1/2 hours longer. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey loosely with foil and let stand 30 minutes. Pour pan juices into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat; reserve juices.
• For gravy:
• While turkey cooks, place reserved turkey neck, heart and gizzard into large saucepan. Add 6 cups water, 3 1/2 cups chicken broth, carrots, onion, celery and bay leaf. Simmer over medium heat until turkey stock is reduced to 3 cups, about 2 hours. Strain turkey stock into bowl; reserve turkey neck and giblets. Pull meat off neck. Chop neck meat and giblets.
• Melt 5 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add 5 tablespoons all purpose flour and whisk 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in turkey stock, cream and up to 1 cup reserved turkey pan juices (juices are salty, so add according to taste). Simmer gravy until thickened to desired consistency, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add chopped turkey neck meat and giblets; season to taste with pepper.
• Serve turkey with gravy.