Turkey Thighs With Pickled Cranberries And Onions For Two Recipes

CRANBERRY GLAZED TURKEY

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
• 2. Place onions and garlic in a 10-inch cast iron pan. Rinse turkey thighs and place on top of onions and garlic.
• 3. In a blender, combine cranberries, maple syrup, orange, water, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, peppercorns, and olive oil. Blend until smooth. Pour over turkey, onions, and garlic.
• 4. Bake for 1 hour, turn the turkey once, and then back clearing the sauce from the top of the thigh. Brush thighs with olive oil and bake another 30-40 minutes. (Baking with the sauce on for the first hour helps lock in moisture. Brushing with olive oil makes crisps the turkey and makes it more visually appealing.)
• 5. Garnish with parsley. Serve.

HERB-ROASTED TURKEY THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Combine room temperature butter with thyme, rosemary, parsley, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
• Pat turkey thighs dry with a paper towel; season with salt and pepper.
• Place potatoes, onions, and garlic on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Add turkey thighs and rub herb butter over the meat and under the skin. Top with lemon zest and juice.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Continue to bake, basting turkey with its own juices after 15 minutes, until no longer pink in the centers, about 30 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

TURKEY THIGHS IN BROWN SAUCE

Steps:

• Rinse and pat the turkey thighs dry with paper towels, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, mix the flour with poultry seasoning until well combined.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; dredge the turkey thighs all over with the seasoned flour, shake off excess flour, then cook the turkey thighs in the hot oil until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes per side.
• Stir the onion, mushrooms, and garlic into the pan. Stir until the mushrooms have begun to give up their juice and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Whisk the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and sherry together in a bowl, and stir in the oregano, parsley, and garlic powder. Pour the mixture over the turkey thighs. Cover the pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the turkey meat is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Slice the turkey thighs, and serve with sauce.

SWEET AND TANGY SLOW-COOKER BBQ TURKEY THIGHS

Steps:

• Heat the cranberries and 1/2 cup vinegar, covered, in a microwave-safe bowl until the cranberries are softened, 45 to 60 seconds, then transfer to a blender. Add the honey, ketchup, tomato paste, paprika, mustard, garlic, onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and blend until the cranberries are finely pureed. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of sauce. Reserve and refrigerate 1/4 cup. Pour the remaining 1 1/4 cups into a 6-quart slow cooker.
• Stir together 1 tablespoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl to combine.
• Remove the skin from the turkey thighs, and discard. Place the thighs on a large plate, dry well with paper towels and season both sides with the salt-and-pepper mixture. Place the thighs in the slow cooker, and turn to coat in the sauce. Cover with the lid, and turn the heat to high for 4 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone.
• Transfer the thighs to a plate, and let cool for about 10 minutes. Stir the reserved sauce and the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar back into the pot. When the thighs are cool enough to handle, shred the meat into 1/2-inch strips. Return the meat to the sauce, and stir to coat. Make sandwiches with the meat and potato buns, and serve. Or let the meat cool, and refrigerate up to 2 days.

TURKEY THIGHS WITH CRANBERRY ORANGE GRAVY

Steps:

• 1. Place thighs in crockpot.
• 2. Mix together cranberry sauce, orange juice, onion soup mix, garlic cloves, salt and pepper and pour over turkey thighs. Cook on low 8 hours.
• 3. Remove turkey from crock. Strain juices into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Mix together the triple sec and cornstarch. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into gravy until thickened. Add the cream of mushroom soup. Serve over turkey and there is plenty for potatoes. Garnish with parsley

TURKEY BRAISED WITH CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Combine tablespoon of butter with oil in deep skillet or casserole large enough for turkey legs to fit comfortably. Turn heat to medium high; after a minute add garlic and thyme. Cook for a minute, add turkey legs. Brown on both sides (they will brown unevenly, because of their shape), sprinkling with salt and pepper, and stirring garlic so it does not burn. Remove turkey.
• Add onion, mushrooms, sugar, pinch of salt, and some pepper, and cook; stir occasionally, and adjust heat so vegetables do not burn. When very soft, add 1 cup liquid, half the zest, and cranberries. Bring to boil, return turkey to pan; cover and adjust the heat for a steady simmer.
• Cook about 2 hours, checking every 30 minutes and adding more liquid if necessary, until meat is very tender. Taste sauce, and add more salt, pepper, and sugar if necessary. Remove meat; if sauce is soupy, raise heat and reduce a little; stir in remaining butter. Carve meat as neatly as you can; serve on a bed of sauce, garnish with remaining orange zest.

TURKEY THIGHS WITH PICKLED CRANBERRIES AND ONIONS FOR TWO

Steps:

• Finely grate 1/2 teaspoon zest from the lemon and put it in a small bowl with the garlic and thyme. Halve the lemon and squeeze 1 tablespoon of the juice into the bowl. Mix everything into a paste.
• Pat the turkey thighs dry and season with salt and pepper. Smear turkey with the paste and place thighs on a plate. Refrigerate, uncovered, so the skin can dry out, for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• Meanwhile, squeeze the remaining juice from the lemon halves into a medium bowl. Add the onion, cranberries, lime juice, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt, tossing well. Let the mixture sit at room temperature, tossing occasionally, until the onions wilt and turn pink, 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate until serving. (These can be made up to 3 days in advance.)
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put turkey thighs on a baking pan and dot with butter. Roast the thighs for 40 to 50 minutes, until the skin is crisp, the meat is cooked through and the juices run clear. (No need to rest here.)
• Serve turkey with a little of the cranberries and pickles on top, with herbs scattered over everything.