Awesome High Heat Holiday Turkey Food

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.

THANKSGIVING TURKEY WITH HOLIDAY RUB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Mix all of the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl.
• Put the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Generously season the turkey cavity with salt and pepper, to taste. Brush the turkey with olive oil, and rub it with the seasoning mixture. Tie the legs together loosely to hold their shape, and tuck the wing tips under.
• Roast the turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 165 to 170 degrees F, about 3 hours.
• Transfer the turkey to a platter. Tent it very loosely with foil, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes (the internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees). Reserve the juices in the pan.
• Gravy: Scrape the juices and browned bits from the roasting pan into a large glass measuring cup. Spoon off the fat, reserving 2 tablespoons. If necessary, add enough stock to the juices to measure 1 2/3 cups.
• Heat the reserved 2 tablespoons fat in a heavy, large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, and shallots, and saute for 2 minutes. Add the flour and whisk until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the degreased pan juices, and the 2 cups stock. Bring to a boil, whisking until smooth. Reduce the heat and simmer until the gravy is reduced to the desired consistency, about 4 minutes. Whisk in the lemon juice, and the sour cream. Season the gravy with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the gravy into a serving bowl. Carve the turkey and arrange it on a serving platter. Serve the turkey with the gravy.

DECONSTRUCTED HOLIDAY TURKEY WITH SAGE GRAVY

Steps:

• Brine turkey:
• Rinse turkey parts and place in doubled 2 1/2-gallon resealable plastic bags (or large stockpot). Add salt, honey, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, sage, peppercorns, allspice, and celery leaves. Add enough cold water to cover turkey - about 3 quarts. Press out air, close bags, and place in large bowl or other container to protect against leaks. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Roast turkey:
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.
• Remove turkey parts from brine, pat dry with paper towels, and place, skin side up, on racks set in 2 medium roasting pans (be sure to leave space between parts for air circulation). Pour 1 cup water into each pan. Drizzle turkey parts with melted butter and scatter with sage leaves. Place 1 pan on each oven rack and roast until beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.
• Lower heat to 400°F, switch positions of pans, and rotate each pan 180°. Continue roasting until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast, avoiding bone, registers 165°, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Transfer turkey parts to platter and tent with foil.
• Make gravy:
• Pour pan juices into 4-cup glass measuring cup, let stand until fat rises to top, 2 to 3 minutes, then skim off and reserve fat.
• Set 1 roasting pan across 2 burners, add 2 cups chicken broth, and bring to simmer over moderately high heat, scraping up any browned bits. Add simmering broth to pan juices in measuring cup, then add additional chicken broth, if needed, to equal 4 cups liquid.
• In medium saucepan over moderately low heat, melt butter, then whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth, approximately 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in broth mixture and any collected juices from platter holding turkey, then raise heat to moderately high and boil mixture, uncovered, until thickened, about 8 minutes.
• Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste. Carve turkey pieces and garnish with sage; serve with gravy.

HIGH-HEAT ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Move oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 450°F. Fold wings across back of turkey so tips are touching. Rub both cavities lightly with salt and pepper. Tuck legs under band of skin at tail, or tie together with heavy string, then tie to tail.
• On rack in shallow roasting pan, place turkey breast side up. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh and does not touch bone. (Do not add water or cover turkey.) If possible, place turkey in oven with legs to the back of the oven so they are in the hottest part of oven.
• Roast uncovered 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes, watching carefully. After roasting about 1 hour 30 minutes, wearing oven mitts that cover hands and wrists, place tent of foil loosely over turkey when it begins to turn golden.
• Turkey is done when thermometer reads 165°F and drumsticks move easily when lifted or twisted. If meat thermometer is not used, begin testing for doneness after about 2 hours 15 minutes. When turkey is done, place on warm platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Let stand about 15 minutes for easiest carving.

THE SIMPLEST ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove any feathers and quills with pliers (kosher turkeys tend to require this more than others).
• Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Mix salt and pepper in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly in turkey cavities and all over skin. Fold neck skin under body and, if desired, secure with metal skewer, then tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks together with kitchen string.
• Put turkey on rack in a large flameproof roasting pan. Roast, rotating pan 180 degrees halfway through roasting, until thermometer inserted into fleshy part of each thigh (close to but not touching bone) registers 170°F, 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into roasting pan. Transfer turkey to a platter (do not clean roasting pan) and let stand 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 180°F). Cut off and discard string from turkey.
• For a stuffed turkey:
• Twelve cups of stuffing will fill both cavities and leave you extra to bake separately. Just before roasting, spoon room-temperature stuffing loosely (stuffing expands as it cooks) into the neck (smaller) cavity. Fold the neck skin underneath the body and secure with a small metal skewer. Then loosely fill the body (larger) cavity, and tie drumsticks together. If you don't want any stuffing to spill out, cover the opening with a slice of fresh bread, tucking it inside the cavity before tying the drumsticks. Follow roasting directions above. (Timing for a stuffed bird may be slightly longer, but start checking the temperature at 1 3/4 hours.) Immediately transfer stuffing from body cavity to a shallow baking dish (separate from one for stuffing baked outside the turkey). Take temperature of stuffing in neck cavity and if less than 165°F, add it to the baking dish. Bake (covered for a moist stuffing or uncovered for a crisp top) until it reaches a minimum of 165°F. This can take 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the temperature of the oven, which you may have lowered to reheat side dishes.
• For a roast turkey breast:
• The same method used above can be applied to a whole turkey breast (instead of the entire bird). For a 6- to 8-pound breast (with skin and bone), reduce amount of salt to 1 1/2 teaspoons and pepper to 3/4 teaspoon. Use a V-rack instead of a flat rack. Roast, rotating pan 180 degrees halfway through roasting, until thermometer inserted in thickest part of each breast half (close to but not touching bone) registers 170°F, about 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Let stand 30 minutes (temperature in breast will rise to between 175°F and 180°F). (For a grilled turkey option, see Grilled Whole Turkey.)

AWESOME HIGH HEAT HOLIDAY TURKEY

Steps:

• Dry a 16 to 18 lb. turkey inside and out with paper towels.
• Oil the turkey inside and out with any kind of vegetable oil (olive, canola, etc.) using your hands.
• Cut away any excess skin around the opening of the cavity and wedge a fork inside the cavity to open it further. Leave the fork in to keep cavity open.
• Rub spices, herbs, or just pepper all over the bird with your oily fingers.
• Place the turkey, breast side down on a rack in a large metal roasting pan.
• Cover the top of the turkey, including legs and wings with greased foil.
• Pour ¾-inch of chicken or turkey broth in the bottom of the pan. As the turkey cooks, check the liquid every 45 minutes and add more in case it evaporates.
• Cook the turkey at 500° to 525° for 2 hours.
• Remove foil, stuff the turkey with cooked stuffing and return it to the rack breast side up.
• Cook the turkey 30 to 45 minutes longer until an instant-read thermometer stuck deep in the thigh reads 175°.
• Let the turkey rest at least 20 minutes, this allows the meat to reabsorb its juices.

HIDDEN VALLEY ® HOLIDAY TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a small bowl, mix the butter together with one of the packets of seasoning mix until well blended.
• With clean hands, carefully separate the breast skin from the breast by moving your hand underneath the skin. Spread the butter mixture evenly under the skin. Sprinkle the remaining packet of seasoning mix all over the turkey.
• Roast the turkey covered for 3 hours, then uncover and cook for another 30 minutes or until juices run clear and an internal temperature of 165°F is reached.

OVERNIGHT HIGH-HEAT TURKEY

Steps:

• About an hour before you go to bed, preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Wash turkey thoroughly and empty the neck and carcass cavities.
• Do NOT stuff the bird (that's not negotiable).
• Rub outside of turkey with olive oil.
• Place bird in roaster and pour water over.
• Cover with a tight-fitting lid and bake at 500 for one hour.
• DO NOT TAKE LID OFF AT ANY TIME!
• After one hour, turn down oven to its lowest setting (without actually turning it off).
• Leave bird in oven, lid on and go to bed.
• Wake up to a bird that is tender, juicy, brown and ready.

SALVADORIAN HOLIDAY TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven 350.
• Mix in a bowl.- Dijon mustard - Worcestershire - Capers Drained - salt and pepper (not whole) -1/2 jar of mayo - stick of butter at room temp so it mixes.
• Dry the turkey so the mix will stick to it, using your hands not a cooking brush cover the Turkey inside and out with the mix.
• Place the turkey breast side down and bake for an Hour.
• Boil the Roma Tomatoes, salt and pepper (not the whole pepper).
• Heat a pan and toast the sesame seeds, bay leaves, whole black peppers, garlic and the chilies.
• Place the following items in a blender; Roma Tomatoes,Bay leaves, Sesame seeds, Morron chilies, Garlic Cloves, 1 cup of water, whole black peppers and set aside.
• Dice the following items; onion, carrots, potatoes.
• Then drain the olives and chickpeas.
• After the turkey has baked for the first hour flip it over on it's back and pour the blended mix over it.
• Arrange the olives and chickpeas around the turkey and cover with aluminum foil.
• Baste the turkey periodically.
• After the second hour place potatoes, carrots and onion around the turkey.
• Remove foil and bake for another ½ hour to an hour.