Lemon Herb Turkey Recipes

LEMON-HERB TURKEY BREAST RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 F.
• Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. I spray the roasting pan rack with nonstick cooking spray.
• Stir together garlic, mustard, chopped herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice until combined.
• Gently pull back the skin from the meat and rub about 1/2-2/3 of the mixture directly on the meat. Spread the rest of the mixture evenly on the skin.
• Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan, and place the quartered lemon into the cavity.
• Roast the turkey for about 2 hours, or until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast.
• If the skin starts to get too dark, tent some aluminum foil over it.
• Remove from the oven, and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

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.

LEMON-HERB TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• In a blender, combine the lemon juice, oil, soy sauce, parsley, onions, garlic, mustard and seasonings; cover and process until smooth. Pour 1 cup marinade into a 2-gal. resealable plastic bag; add turkey. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade for basting. , Line the bottom of a large shallow roasting pan with foil. Drain and discard marinade; place turkey on a rack in prepared pan. , Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until a thermometer reads 170°, basting every 30 minutes with reserved marinade. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.) Cover and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.,

LEMON-HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and minced thyme. Pat turkey dry. Sprinkle salt and pepper over skin of turkey and inside cavity; brush with butter mixture. Place the lemon, onion, garlic and thyme sprigs inside cavity. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together., Place flour in oven bag and shake to coat. Place bag in a roasting pan; add turkey to bag, breast side up. Cut six 1/2-in. slits in top of bag; close bag with tie provided., Bake at 350° for 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours or until a thermometer reads 180°. Remove turkey to a serving platter and keep warm. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving. If desired, thicken pan drippings for gravy. Freeze option: Freeze cooled turkey and gravy in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a covered skillet, gently stirring and adding a little broth or water if necessary.

LEMON AND HERB TURKEY HINDQUARTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200C.
• Place the turkey hindquarter in a roasting pan.
• Add salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice, olive oil and herbs into a bowl. Mix well and rub mixture on turkey.
• Place tray in the oven. Cook at 200C for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180C and cook for about 90 to 120 minutes, basting the meat regularly with the pan juices.
• Test with skewer, when juice runs clear it is done.
• Serve with cranberry sauce.

LEMON-HERB TURKEY WITH BAY BUTTER AND GRAVY

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine butter and 3 tablespoons salt. Lightly pound bay leaves and two-thirds of rosemary in a mortar-and-pestle (or roll over a few times in a sealed plastic bag with a rolling pin), keeping leaves intact.
• Using your fingers, separate turkey skin from breasts and legs. Rub half of butter mixture under skin. Tuck bay-rosemary mixture and lemon zest evenly under skin. Season both cavities with salt; stuff with all but 3 sprigs thyme and all but 3 sprigs remaining rosemary. Rub outside of turkey all over with remaining butter mixture. Transfer turkey to a roasting pan lined with a rack and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 24 hours and up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature 1 to 2 hours before roasting.
• Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in lower third. Prick whole lemons all over with the tines of a fork. Stuff 2 lemons into larger cavity, along with 1 head garlic; tie legs with kitchen twine. Stuff remaining lemon into neck cavity. Pour 1 cup stock into pan. Add remaining 1 head garlic.
• Roast turkey 1 hour. Continue roasting, basting every 20 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh (near but not touching bone) registers 165°, 1 hour, 30 minutes to 2 hours, 30 minutes more, depending on size. If pan becomes dry during roasting, add more stock, 1/2 cup at a time. Transfer turkey to a carving board or platter; let stand at least 20 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, remove rack from pan. Tilt pan and skim excess fat from drippings (or use a fat separator). Place pan across 2 burners. Carefully remove lemon from neck cavity and squeeze 1 to 2 tablespoons juice into drippings; squeeze cloves of roasted garlic from pan into drippings. Add remaining rosemary and thyme sprigs. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups stock; boil until reduced by half and thickened slightly, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and more squeezes of lemon juice to taste. Strain gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Carve turkey and serve with gravy.