Spice Islands Holiday Herb Baste For Turkey Recipes

THANKSGIVING PIONEER-STYLE HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• For the turkey: Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting.
• Combine the butter, sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper and fill the cavity with half of the carrots, celery, and onion. Rub the entire turkey with herb butter and season liberally with salt and pepper.
• Put 4 cups of the chicken stock in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
• Place the remaining vegetables on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Put the turkey on top of the vegetables, put in the oven, and roast in the oven until lightly golden brown, 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting, basting with the warm chicken stock every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 160 degrees F, about 2 to 2 1/4 hours longer. Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to baking sheet and tent loosely with foil, and let rest 20 minutes before slicing.
• For the sage gravy:
• Strain the cooking liquid from the roasting pan into a medium saucepan (should be about 4 cups, if not, add more stock to make 4 cups). Add the neck, bring to a boil, add the sage leaves, remove from the heat, and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove the sage leaves.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced. Whisk in the stock and cook until thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and chopped sage.

SAVORY HERB TURKEY RUB

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well, until the olive oil is well incorporated into the rest of the rub.
• Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and apply the rub all over the bird, including the cavity. Make sure to get it under the skin of the breast. Discard any leftover rub that has come into contact with the raw meat. Roast the turkey using a preferred method or recipe.

SPICE ISLANDS HOLIDAY HERB BASTE FOR TURKEY

Steps:

• Blend butter with remaining ingredients.
• Stuff turkey or season with salt and pepper. As desired.
• Rub half the herb butter under skin of turkey.
• Cook turkey according to your favorite method, basting with herb butter every half hour until done.

APPLE AND HERB BRINE FOR TURKEY

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients (except olive oil and butter) in a large pot and bring to a boil.
• Turn off heat and let the brine cool completely.
• Place a cleaned turkey (giblets removed) breast-side down into the brine. You can brine it right in the pot if it fits, or in a brining bag.
• Refridgerate turkey in brine for 16 - 24 hours.
• Remove turkey from brine and rinse really well to remove excess salt from surface of the bird. (All the good brine flavor will be inside the meat).
• Pat your turkey dry with paper towels and brush a mixture of olive oil and butter all over your bird.
• Roast your turkey according to your directions. (I roast mine in a roasting bag.).