Apricot Turkey Food

APRICOT-GLAZED TURKEY WITH ROASTED ONION AND SHALLOT GRAVY

Steps:

• For Glaze:
• Combine all ingredients in heavy small saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened and reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 15 minutes.
• For Herb Butter:
• Blend all ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.
• For Onion Mixture:
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and shallots and sauté until very soft and light brown, about 20 minutes. (Glaze, herb butter and onion mixture can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill. Bring herb butter to room temperature before continuing.)
• For Turkey:
• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 400° F. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Season turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen skin. Spread half of herb butter over breast under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Place remaining herb butter in small saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted. Brush butter over outside of turkey. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Roast turkey 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325° F. Roast turkey 1 hour 30 minutes, basting occasionally with pan drippings. Tent turkey with heavy-duty foil; roast 45 minutes longer. Add onion mixture, 1 can broth, thyme and sage to pan. Roast 15 minutes. Bring glaze to simmer. Brush 1/2 cup glaze over turkey. Continue to roast turkey uncovered until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180° F. or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, brushing occasionally with glaze and adding more broth to pan if liquid evaporates, about 40 minutes longer for unstuffed turkey (about 1 hour 10 minutes longer for stuffed turkey). Place turkey on platter, tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes. Reserve mixture in pan for gravy.
• For Gravy:
• Pour contents of roasting pan into strainer set over large bowl. Spoon fat from pan juices in bowl. Transfer onion mixture in strainer to blender. Add 1 cup pan juices to blender and puree until smooth, adding more pan juices and chicken broth if necessary to thin sauce to desired consistency. Transfer sauce to heavy large saucepan and bring to boil. Cook until color deepens, skimming off any foam, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve turkey with gravy.

APRICOT AND TEQUILA GLAZED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the chiles and 2 cups of chicken broth in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then turn off the heat. Let the chiles stand for 5 to 10 minutes to soften.
• Mix 3/4 cup of chicken broth, melted butter, and tequila in a small metal bowl. Season with salt. Using a kitchen flavor injector, inject the mixture into the thighs, breasts, and legs of the turkey. If the mixture solidifies, place the bowl over a gas burner or in a warm oven until the butter melts.
• Place the turkey on a rack set in a large roasting pan. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey body. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Place the giblets in the pan.
• Transfer the chiles with their liquid to a blender. Add the apricot preserves, oregano, and garlic and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Transfer the chile puree to a medium saucepan. Rub about 1 cup of the chile puree all over the turkey (reserve the rest for the sauce at the end), working some of it between the breast and the skin. Season the turkey generously with salt and pepper.
• Add 1 cup broth to the roasting pan and roast for 45 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue roasting the turkey until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 2 hours longer, basting every 20 minutes with drippings. Cover the turkey loosely with foil if it begins to brown.
• Transfer the turkey to a platter, reserving the pan juices, and allow to rest while preparing the sauce.
• Strain the pan juices into a large, heavy saucepan and discard any solids. Spoon the fat from the top of the liquid and discard. Add the remaining chile puree to the saucepan and stir until well combined. Boil over high heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Garnish the turkey with dried apricots, dried chiles, and fresh cilantro. Serve with the chile puree alongside.

TURKISH STUFFED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Soak the apricots in 2 cups of cold water for 8 hours or overnight.
• After the apricots have finished soaking, remove them from their soaking liquid. You should have about 1 cup of liquid left. Add more water if needed to reach 1 cup.
• Combine the soaking liquid with the lemon juice and sugar in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Gently add the apricots to the liquid, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apricots are very tender, but not mushy, 10 to 20 minutes. I found the apricots cooked unevenly, so it's best to check the apricots as you go and remove them individually to a plate when they are tender. Allow the apricots to cool to room temperature.
• Once all the apricots are removed from the liquid, increase the heat to a full boil, and continue to cook until the sauce is reduced slightly and starting to become syrupy. It should easily coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Use a paring knife to gently open each apricot about halfway. Carefully spoon the filling into each, then dip the exposed filling in the chopped pistachios.
• Arrange the stuffed apricots on a serving platter, drizzle with the syrup, and scatter any remaining pistachios over top.

APRICOT TURKEY SANDWICH

Steps:

• In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain.
• Spread 2 slices of toasted bread with 1 tbsp of apricot jam each. Top each slice with 3 oz sliced turkey, 1 piece lettuce, 2 slices bacon, 1 slice tomato, 1 slice onion, and 1 slice of cheese.
• Spread 2 more slices of toasted bread with the dijon mustard. Place on top. Slice in half and enjoy!

TURKEY AND APRICOT MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, cook celery, carrot, onion, and garlic with chile powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add to bread-crumb mixture with turkey, dried apricots, parsley, 1 tablespoon preserves, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, eggs, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and mix with your hands until just combined. Form into a 9- by 5-inch oval loaf (mixture will spread slightly) in a 13- by 9-inch shallow baking dish.
• Stir together water, remaining 2 tablespoons preserves, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce and brush over surface of meatloaf. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 165°F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

APRICOT-GLAZED TURKEY WITH ONION AND SHALLOT GRAVY

Steps:

• For Glaze: Combine all ingredients in small saucepan and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened and reduce to 1 1/4 cups, about 15 minutes.
• For Herb Butter: Blend all ingredients in small bowl.
• Set aside.
• For Onion Mixture: Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.
• Add onions and shallots and sauté until very soft and light brown, about 20 minutes.
• Cover separately and chill.
• For Turkey: Place rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 400° F.
• Pat turkey dry with paper towels.
• Season turkey cavity with salt and pepper.
• Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan.
• Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen skin.
• Spread half of herb butter over breast under skin.
• If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity.
• Place remaining herb butter in small saucepan.
• Stir over low heat until melted.
• Brush butter over outside of turkey.
• Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey.
• Roast turkey 30 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325° F.
• Roast turkey 1 hour 30 minutes, basting occasionally with pan drippings.
• Tent turkey with heavy-duty foil; roast 45 minutes longer.
• Add onion mixture, 1 can broth, thyme and sage to pan.
• Roast 15 minutes.
• Bring glaze to simmer.
• Brush 1/2 cup glaze over turkey.
• Continue to roast turkey uncovered until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180° F.
• or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, brushing occasionally with glaze and adding more broth to pan if liquid evaporates, about 40 minutes longer for unstuffed turkey (about 1 hour 10 minutes longer for stuffed turkey).
• Place turkey on platter, tent with foil.
• Let stand 30 minutes.
• Reserve mixture in pan for gravy.
• For Gravy: Pour contents of roasting pan into strainer set over large bowl.
• Spoon fat from pan juices in bowl.
• Transfer onion mixture in strainer to blender.
• Add 1 cup pan juices to blender and puree until smooth, adding more pan juices and chicken broth if necessary to thin sauce to desired consistency.
• Transfer sauce to heavy large saucepan and bring to boil.
• Cook until color deepens, skimming off any foam, about 5 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve turkey with gravy.