Best 5 Greek Lemon Turkey Recipes

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.

FESTIVE ROAST TURKEY WITH ROSEMARY, GARLIC AND LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• To ensure your amazing festive turkey is thoroughly cooked the first thing you need to do is let it sit at room temperature for about an hour. That-way the meat will be the same temperature throughout and cooked evenly.
• Preheat your oven at 400F (200C) with the rack placed in the lower third of the oven. You don't want this amazing festive turkey to get burned, do you?
• Now its time to prepare the glazing. In a small saucepan heat the oil till hot but not enough to cause the ingredients to sizzle. Place the rosemary, garlic and lemon zest and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the lemon is slightly shriveled and garlic is soft. It should take about 2-3 minutes.
• Remove the glazing from the heat and let it cool.
• Now its time to start preparing your amazing festive turkey! Start by tucking its wing tips underneath the body. Season on the inside with plenty of pepper and some salt - careful not to make it too salty though!
• Fill stuff the turkey with your stuffing, fold the neck skin over the opening and tie the legs together with a kitchen twine.
• Now for the glazing. Brush your amazing festive turkey with 1/2 cup of the rosemary-lemon oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper.
• Peal your onions in quarters and layer them on the bottom of a heavy roasting pan. Place your roasting rack on top followed by your perfectly seasoned and glazed festive turkey!
• Roast until the turkey is golden brown. It will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour. To keep it nice and moist reduce heat to 375F (190C), add 1 cup of water to the pan, brush with the rosemary oil. Remember to cover with a lid or foil at this stage. Repeat every 30 minutes. If the pan becomes dry remember to add some more water.
• The best way to know when your festive turkey is done is using a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh. If it reads 165F (73C) it's done!
• Once ready, transfer your amazing festive turkey to a platter or carving board and loosely tent with foil. Remember to let it rest for 30 minutes as the juices are still hot on the inside and if carved straight away they will simply run out of the meat...
• You can use your roasting pan glazing as a base for an amazing white wine gravy. Just add 1 cup of white wine and let it simmer for a few minutes for an amazing sauce...

LEMON-HERB TURKEY WITH LEMON-GARLIC GRAVY

Steps:

• For lemon-herb butter:
• Make 4 long 1/2-inch-deep cuts in lemon. Place in microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high 2 minutes. Place garlic head in medium microwave-safe bowl; add enough water to cover garlic. Cover bowl and microwave on high until soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer garlic to work surface; cool and peel.
• Pour any lemon juice from bowl into small cup. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into same cup; reserve juice for gravy. Scrape all fruit and pith from inside peel halves; discard insides. Chop peel. Blend peel and garlic in mini processor until finely chopped. Add butter and all remaining ingredients; process to blend. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to bowl. Cover lemon juice and lemon-herb butter separately; chill. Bring butter to room temperature before using. WELL PRESERVED: The microwave method for the lemon is a neat trick. It's a two-minute way to make fresh-tasting Moroccan-style "preserved" lemons (which usually take from one week to one month to cure). TEST-KITCHEN TIP: Fennel fronds, those delicate, feathery, dark-green leaves rising from the fresh fennel bulb, are jampacked with fennel flavor. At the market, look for fennel bulbs that still have the fronds attached (you'll find that some bulbs have been too closely trimmed).
• For turkey:
• Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 325°F. Transfer 2 tablespoons lemon-herb butter to small bowl; reserve for gravy. Sprinkle main turkey cavity with salt and pepper and spread with 2 tablespoons lemon butter. Starting at neck end of turkey, carefully slide hand between skin and meat of breast, thighs, and upper drumsticks to loosen skin. Spread lemon butter over thigh and drumstick on both sides. Arrange a few lemon slices under skin. Spread remaining butter over breast meat; place lemon slices atop butter under skin. Fill main cavity with any remaining lemon slices, parsley and sage sprigs, and fennel fronds. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Tuck wing tips under.
• Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Rub outside of turkey all over with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour stock into pan. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F to 170°F, about 3 hours. Tilt turkey so juices from main cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent very loosely with foil; let rest at least 30 minutes (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees). Reserve pan.
• For gravy:
• Scrape juices and browned bits from reserved roasting pan into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat, reserving 2 tablespoons. Add enough stock to juices to measure 1 2/3 cups.
• Heat reserved 2 tablespoons fat in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot; sauté 2 minutes. Add flour; whisk until golden, about 4 minutes. Add degreased pan juices and 2 cups stock. Bring to boil, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat and simmer until gravy is reduced to desired consistency, about 4 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons reserved lemon butter, 2 tablespoons reserved lemon juice, lemon peel, and sugar, then herbs. Whisk in crème fraîche, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• *Available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

LEMON TURKEY SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in hot oil until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and red bell pepper; cook and stir until carrots begin to soften, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Pour turkey stock into vegetable mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors blend, about 20 minutes.
• Stir cooked turkey, lemon juice, and lemon zest into turkey stock mixture; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add spinach leaves, salt, and black pepper; simmer until spinach wilts and turns bright green, 1 to 2 minutes.

YOUVARLAKIA AVGOLEMONO (LEMONY GREEK MEATBALL SOUP)

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, 1/4 cup dill, onion, carrot, rice, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Gently mix with your hands until well combined.
• Gently form the mixture into 24 meatballs, each about 1 1/4 inches in diameter, placing them on a plate or baking pan. Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. This helps the meatballs keep their shape while cooking.
• In a large pot, bring stock to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium and use a slotted spoon to carefully add meatballs to the pot. The broth should cover the tops of the meatballs by about 1/2 inch. If not, add a little water. Simmer gently, adjusting the heat so the broth doesn't boil, until meatballs are cooked through and rice is tender, 25 to 35 minutes. (Break open a meatball to test it.) Remove pot from heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and lemon juice until just mixed. Slowly add a ladle of warm broth to egg-lemon mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in another two ladles of broth to temper the egg mixture.
• Slowly drizzle the egg-lemon mixture back into the pot with the meatballs, stirring gently so you don't break apart the meatballs. Return the pot to medium-low heat until it just starts to simmer. (Wait for a bubble or two to appear, but don't let the pot boil.) The broth should be silky. Remove from heat, stir in remaining 1/2 cup dill. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. (It may need quite a bit of salt if you are starting with unsalted broth.) Garnish with nutmeg, if you like, and dill, and serve.