When it comes to a hearty and flavorful fall or winter meal, nothing beats a classic roast turkey with all the trimmings. This recipe provides a step-by-step guide to creating a succulent and tender turkey, complemented by aromatic apples, onions, and crispy fried sage leaves. The homemade apple cider gravy adds a rich and tangy touch, tying all the flavors together. Alongside the main dish, you'll also find recipes for savory stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes, and a delightful cranberry sauce, all contributing to a complete and satisfying Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a home cook looking to impress your guests, this comprehensive guide will lead you through the process of preparing a memorable and delicious holiday meal.
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ROAST TURKEY AND GRAVY WITH ONIONS AND SAGE
"No one wants to stand around hoping their gravy won't be lumpy at the moment the turkey comes out of the oven. With this recipe, that will never happen!"
Provided by Ina Garten
Categories main-dish
Time P2DT3h30m
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Two or three days before you plan to roast the turkey, combine 3 tablespoons salt, the minced thyme and lemon zest. Wash the turkey inside and out, drain it well and pat it all over with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the salt mixture in the cavity of the turkey and rub the rest on the skin, including under the wings and legs. Place the turkey in a shallow dish just large enough to hold it and wrap the whole dish tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 or 2 days. The day before you plan to roast the turkey, remove the plastic wrap and leave the turkey in the fridge. The skin will dry out and turn a little translucent.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Put the turkey in a large roasting pan, discarding any juices in the dish. Place the onion, lemon and thyme sprigs in the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tie the wings close to the body. Brush the turkey with the butter and sprinkle it generously with salt and pepper.
- Roast the turkey for 2 to 2 1/4 hours, until the breast meat registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer (put the thermometer in sideways). Remove from the oven and place the turkey on a carving board. Cut off the legs and thighs and put them back into the roasting pan, covering the breast and carcass tightly with aluminum foil. Place the roasting pan back in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the dark meat registers 180 degrees F. Remove the dark meat to the carving board with the turkey, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Pour a 1/4-inch layer of the gravy into a large (12-by-16-inch) ovenproof serving platter (make sure it's ovenproof!). Carve the turkey and arrange it artfully on top of the gravy. Place the platter uncovered into the oven for 15 to 30 minutes, until the turkey is very hot. Serve hot with extra gravy on the side.
- For the gravy:
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onion becomes browned and starts to caramelize. Sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, cognac, sage leaves, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock) and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour and strain, pressing the solids lightly and then discarding them. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- After the turkey is cooked, remove it to a carving board to rest while you finish the gravy. Place the roasting pan on the stovetop over medium heat and add the wine. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring and scraping up all the bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. Slowly whisk the gravy base into the pan. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the gravy is smooth and slightly thickened. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.
APPLE AND SAGE TURKEY
Provided by Aida Mollenkamp
Categories main-dish
Time 5h10m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- For the turkey: Heat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature white oven heats, about 30 to 45 minutes. Discard the giblets and reserve neck. Rinse out the turkey's cavity and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the turkey all over with 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil; season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the sage leaves under skin. Season the cavity with salt and pepper, squeeze 1/2 of the orange all over the bird and put the other half inside the cavity along with the garlic.
- Arrange the turkey in a large roasting pan and roast until the skin is golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Put the neck, onions, and apples in a bowl and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Reduce the oven the temperature to 350 degrees F and add the apples, onions and turkey neck to the roasting pan. Baste with pan drippings about every 45 minutes. Roast the turkey until the internal temperature of the inner thigh reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove from the oven to a cutting board and let rest uncovered, at least 30 minutes, while you prepare the gravy. Remove apples and the onions to a serving platter. Carve the turkey and arrange on the serving platter. Serve with the Simple Gravy.
- No Recipe Recipe: Simple Gravy:
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it foams, whisk in the flour until smooth. Cook until the flour loses its raw flavor and turns peanut color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth until the mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook until it becomes a light tan color.
- Meanwhile, remove the turkey from roasting pan and set aside to rest. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings from roasting pan. Put the pan on the stovetop over medium heat. When pan juices are hot, add the sage leaves and fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the neck bone. Add a big splash of apple juice and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan.
- Strain this liquid into the thickened chicken broth mixture and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes until thick and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with your turkey and sides.
APPLE-SAGE ROASTED TURKEY
A hint of apple flavor gives a slightly sweet spin to a holiday dinner's main event. The lovely aroma wafting from your kitchen as this turkey cooks will have everybody talking. -Suzy Horvath, Milwaukie, Oregon
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 3h50m
Yield 14 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325°. In a small saucepan, combine apple cider, jelly and butter. Cook and stir until butter is melted. Remove from heat and set aside., In a small bowl, combine minced sage and butter. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from the turkey breast; rub butter mixture under the skin. Brush turkey with apple cider. Sprinkle salt and pepper over turkey and inside cavity., Place apples, onion and sage leaves inside the cavity. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan., Bake, uncovered, 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°, basting occasionally with cider mixture. Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly. Cover and let stand 20 minutes before slicing. Freeze option: Place sliced turkey in freezer containers; top with any cooking juices. Cool and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a covered saucepan, gently stirring and adding a little broth or water if necessary.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 506 calories, Fat 19g fat (9g saturated fat), Cholesterol 191mg cholesterol, Sodium 466mg sodium, Carbohydrate 14g carbohydrate (12g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 66g protein.
ROAST TURKEY WITH CIDER SAGE GRAVY
Categories Fruit Juice turkey Roast Thanksgiving Apple Fall Kosher Sage Gourmet
Yield Makes 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 21
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
APPLE SAGE ROAST TURKEY
This is a typical sage roasted turkey with a little bit of an extra punch. This attractive turkey also lends itself to a fantastic gravy.
Provided by submrnfamily
Categories Whole Turkey
Time 3h20m
Yield 1 Whole Turkey
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In small saucepan over medium heat, stir 1/3 cup apple cider, jelly, and butter until the mixture is melted and smooth.
- Remove from heat.
- Rub the turkey inside and out with the 2 tablespoons apple cider and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Gently loosen the skin over the entire turkey breast by inserting fingertips between skin and flesh.
- Slide as many sage leaves as you want under the skin and place the skin back in place.
- Stuff the neck and body cavities of turkey loosely with apple wedges and some more sage leaves, making sure to reserve a few for garnish.
- Close both cavities with skewers.
- Truss the turkey and brush with cider mixture.
- Roast according to weight.
- Serve the turkey garnished with reserved sage leaves and additional apple slices.
Tips:
- Choose the right turkey: Select a fresh or thawed turkey that is 12-15 pounds for a 10-12 person gathering.
- Brine the turkey: Soaking the turkey in a brine solution for 12-24 hours before roasting helps keep it moist and flavorful.
- Roast the turkey breast-side up: This allows the juices to flow down and keep the breast meat moist.
- Use a roasting pan with a rack: This allows the air to circulate around the turkey and helps it cook evenly.
- Baste the turkey regularly: Use a mixture of melted butter, olive oil, and herbs to baste the turkey every 30 minutes or so.
- Roast the turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F: Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature in the thickest part of the breast and thigh.
- Let the turkey rest before carving: Allow the turkey to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. This helps the juices redistribute throughout the meat.
Conclusion:
This roast turkey recipe with apples, onions, fried sage leaves, and apple cider gravy is a classic holiday dish that is sure to impress your guests. With its combination of savory and sweet flavors, this turkey is sure to be a hit. The addition of fried sage leaves adds a unique and flavorful touch, while the apple cider gravy is the perfect complement to the turkey. Follow the tips above to ensure that your turkey is cooked perfectly and that your guests enjoy a delicious and memorable meal.
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