Roasted Brined Turkey With Cider Gravy Recipes

BRINED HERB-CRUSTED TURKEY WITH APPLE CIDER GRAVY

Steps:

• To brine the turkey: Combine all of the ingredients for the brine in a large container. Add the turkey and let it brine in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
• To prepare the turkey for cooking: Remove the turkey from the brine the night before roasting and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. Combine the rosemary, sage, and butter for the herb crust in a small bowl. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Work the butter under the skin of the turkey and massage it into the breasts and the legs. Massage the butter on the outside of the skin as well. Tie the legs together over the breast so they will protect it during cooking and help keep it moist and juicy.
• Gravy preparation: Put the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, apples, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and thyme in a roasting pan and season with salt. Arrange the turkey on top of the veggies and refrigerate overnight UNCOVERED! Yes, that's right, uncovered. This will help the skin dry out and become really brown and crispy. Make sure that there is no raw food near the turkey in the refrigerator. After refrigerating overnight, the turkey is ready to go in the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Put 2 cups chicken stock and 1 cup apple cider in the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until the skin gets really nice and brown, about 40 minutes. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees F for the remainder of the cooking time. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes or so and add more stock to the roasting pan, if needed. Cook about 17 minutes per pound. Once it gets to the proper color, tent the turkey with aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark.
• Remove the turkey from the oven when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey registers 160 degrees F. Make sure that the thermometer is not touching a bone when doing the reading. When the turkey has reached the proper temperature, remove it from the roasting pan to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
• Strain all the veggies over a bowl to separate them from the stock/mixture. Discard the veggies. Skim off the fat and add it to the roasting pan. This is the fat for the roux. Put the roasting pan over 2 burners and over a low heat and whisk in the flour. Cook until the mixture looks like wet sand, about 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the remaining 1 cup apple cider, remaining chicken stock and the stock/cider mixture. Cook until the mixture has thickened and reached a gravy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Pour into a serving pitcher or bowl.
• Carve the turkey, transfer to a serving platter and serve with the gravy.
• Give thanks for such a great turkey!!!

ROAST TURKEY WITH CIDER SAGE GRAVY

Steps:

• Cook turkey:
• Put oven rack in lowest position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Tie celery, parsley, thyme, marjoram, sage, and bay leaf into a bundle with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni.
• Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Rub turkey inside and out with salt and pepper, then put onion and bouquet garni in large cavity. Working from large cavity end, run your fingers between skin and flesh of breast to loosen skin without tearing. Put 1 tablespoon butter under skin of each side of breast and massage skin from outside to spread butter evenly. Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and fold wings under body. Put turkey on rack in a large flameproof roasting pan and, if using remote thermometer, insert it into thickest part of a thigh (do not touch bone).
• Brush remaining 2 tablespoons butter over turkey, then roast 30 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Baste turkey with pan drippings or butter, then continue to roast, basting every 30 minutes, until a thigh registers 165°F on thermometer, 2 to 2 1/2 hours more.
• Carefully tilt turkey so any juices from inside cavity run into roasting pan, then transfer turkey to a serving platter and discard onion and bouquet garni from cavity. Let turkey stand 30 to 40 minutes (thigh temperature will rise to 175°F).
• Make gravy while turkey stands:
• Remove rack from roasting pan and pour pan juices through a sieve into a 1-quart glass measure. Straddle roasting pan across two burners, then add cider and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour cider through sieve into glass measure with pan juices, then skim fat, reserving 1/4 cup of it. (Reserve 6 tablespoons total if using turkey fat for wild rice stuffing; recipe follows.) Add enough turkey stock to drippings to total 4 cups.
• Cook chopped onions in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add sage and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add turkey stock mixture and any turkey juices accumulated on platter and bring to a boil. Stir together flour and reserved 1/4 cup fat in a small bowl, then whisk into gravy. Reduce heat and simmer gravy, uncovered, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve turkey with gravy on the side.
• *Available at most cookware stores and cooking.com

ROAST TURKEY WITH APPLE-CIDER GRAVY

Steps:

• In a pot large enough to hold the turkey, combine all of the brine ingredients and stir. Add the turkey to the pot, cover, and refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours. Remove the turkey from the pot, discard the brine, and rinse the turkey thoroughly under cold water. Pat dry.
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
• Combine the onion, celery, apple, parsnip, quince, herbs, and spices in a bowl and toss. Spoon into the cavity of the turkey.
• Truss the turkey, tying its legs together tightly with kitchen twine. Place the turkey on a roasting rack set in a large roasting pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, place in the oven, and roast for 2 1/2 hours.
• Uncover the turkey and reserve the foil. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Brush the turkey with half of the melted butter and cook for 30 minutes. Brush on the remaining butter and continue cooking for about 1 hour and 15 minutes longer, basting every 30 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 150 degrees. (The internal temperature will rise 10 degrees while the turkey rests).
• Transfer the turkey to a cutting board. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan. Spoon the vegetables from the cavity of the turkey into the pan; cover the turkey loosely with the reserved foil, and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the gravy: Add the butter to the roasting pan with the vegetables. Place the pan over medium heat, using 2 burners if necessary. Use a wooden spoon to stir and brown the vegetables lightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cider, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the turkey drippings. Transfer the gravy to a 3-quart saucepan, add the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the gravy has thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour any juices that have accumulated around the turkey into the pan and continue cooking for 1 more minute. Season with the salt and pepper. Strain the gravy into a warm sauceboat.
• Carve the turkey and serve with gravy.

ROASTED BRINED TURKEY WITH CIDER GRAVY

Steps:

• For the Brined Turkey, mix water, apple cider, salt, sugar and bay leaves in 6-quart container or tall stockpot. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Place turkey breast in brine. if necessary, place a plate on top of turkey to keep it submerged. Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove turkey from brine. Discard remaining brine. Rinse turkey under cool running water. Pat dry. Place turkey on rack in foil-lined roasting pan.
• Mix butter, thyme, rosemary and sage in small bowl until well blended. Rub 1/2 of the mixture under skin of turkey. Rub remaining mixture over entire surface of turkey. Cover loosely with foil.
• Roast 1 hour. Remove foil. Roast 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer or until internal temperature reaches 165°F, basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove turkey from oven. Cover loosely with foil. Let stand 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, for the Cider Gravy, melt butter in medium saucepan on medium heat. Add flour and seasonings; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Gradually whisk in stock and cider. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes or until thickened. Serve turkey with gravy.

CIDER-BRINED TURKEY WITH MAPLE-CIDER GLAZE

Steps:

• For the turkey brine: Heat the apple cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, oranges, shallots, parsley, sage and thyme in a saucepot to dissolve the sugar and salt. Then let the mixture cool completely.
• Divide the turkey pieces between two 2 1/2-gallon resealable plastic bags or containers big enough to hold them. Add equal parts of the brine to the two bags. Let rest for several hours in the fridge, preferably overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry. Rub the skin with oil and sprinkle with pepper. Set the turkey on a metal rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet and cook about 15 minutes per pound, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers about 165 degrees F. The temperature will go up 5 to 10 degrees as it rests.
• For the glaze: Place a small saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the apple cider, turkey stock, maple syrup, butter, peppercorns and orange rind. Bring the mixture to a light simmer and reduce by half. Baste the turkey every now and then during the last half of the cooking time.