Citrus Herb Turkey Gravy Food

PERFECT CITRUS TURKEY AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Take the turkey out of the refrigerator and leave it to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes prior to preparing and cooking. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, add the 1/2 cup softened butter, lemon zest and chopped chives. Halve the lemons and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon half into the butter. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• Prepare the turkey: Remove the inner packet of giblets from the cavity and set aside.
• Run your fingers underneath the skin of the breast to make a little pocket between the skin and the flesh. Using your fingers, scoop up some of the lemon-chive butter and push the butter under the skin, filling up the pockets. Do the same thing on the legs. Once each pocket has been filled, take the rest of the butter and rub it all over the outside of the bird. Sprinkle about a tablespoon and a half of coarse salt on top.
• Insert the halved lemons, orange and grapefruit into the cavity of the turkey. Insert as much of the citrus as you can. Give each piece a little squeeze as you insert them to get the juices distributed. (You may have to leave some out depending on the size of the cavity. Use any extra citrus for garnish later.)
• Remove the giblets from the packet, rinse and pat dry. Place the giblets on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the turkey on top of the giblets. Tuck the wings under the turkey.
• Place the turkey in a preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes. Then, turn down the heat to 350 degrees F and roast for about another 2 hours, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 175 to 180 degrees F. (The general rule is to cook a turkey about 15 minutes per pound.)
• Remove the bird from the pan onto a carving board or platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
• Place the roasting pan over low heat on the stovetop. Add white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the chicken stock. Whisk the cornstarch into it. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the Dijon mustard. Whisk well to combine. Strain the gravy into a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until thick and smooth, about 8 minutes.
• Bring your turkey to room temperature to ensure that the bird will cook evenly.
• Stuffing a turkey with fruit keep the bird moist and acts as a secondary cooking agent. As the juice of the fruit steams inside the cavity, it helps cook the bird from the inside. The juices also help to flavor the pan juices used for making the gravy.
• Stuffing butter between the skin and the flesh, keep the meat moist and flavorful. The butter and salt on the outside help create a tasty, crispy skin.
• I like to use the giblets as a platform for the bird. It stops the bottom of the bird from burning and adds flavor to the pan juices.
• A good rule for roasting times is to plan on roasting a turkey for about 15 minutes per pound.
• A meat thermometer is the best tool for figuring out if your turkey is fully cooked.

TURKEY WITH HERBES DE PROVENCE AND CITRUS

Steps:

• To make the turkey: Position the rack in the lowest third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
• Rinse the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the turkey on a rack set inside a large roasting pan. Place the orange and lemon wedges, onion, and 2 sprigs of each fresh herb in the main turkey cavity. Tie the legs together to hold the shape of the turkey. Stir 2 tablespoons of butter, the herbes de Provence, oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of each the salt and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat just until the butter melts. Rub the butter mixture all over the turkey and between the turkey breast meat and skin. Place the turkey neck and giblets in roasting pan. (Recipe can be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before roasting.)
• Cover the turkey breast with foil. Roast for 20 minutes. Pour 3 cups of broth into the pan and stir to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining sprigs of fresh herbs to the pan. Roast the turkey for 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the foil from the turkey; pour 1 more cup of broth into the pan. Continue roasting the turkey until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F to 175 degrees F or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 1 hour and 30 minutes longer. Transfer the turkey to a platter and tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes while preparing the gravy.
• To make the gravy: Strain the turkey pan juices from the roasting pan through a sieve and into a 4-cup glass measuring cup; discard the solids. Spoon off the fat from atop the pan juices. Add enough chicken broth, about 1 to 2 cups, to the pan juices to measure 4 cups total. Melt the remaining butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the broth. Simmer until the gravy thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the turkey with the gravy.

CITRUS AND HERB TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 with rack in lower third position.
• Season cavity of turkey with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stuff cavity with orange, lemon, onion, garlic, and herbs. Tie legs with twine and transfer turkey to a rack set inside a roasting pan.
• Rub skin with olive oil and season with remaining salt and pepper.
• Pour 2 cups chicken stock into roasting pan and transfer to oven. Roast turkey for 2 1/2 hours or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 165 degrees. After first hour of roasting, baste turkey every 30 minutes, and tent with foil if skin becomes deep golden brown before turkey is cooked.
• Remove turkey from oven and transfer to a carving board. Let stand at least 15 minutes.
• Place roasting pan on stovetop over medium-high heat and bring pan drippings and remaining 1 cup chicken stock to a simmer. Combine milk and flour in a mason jar and shake vigorously to combine. Whisk milk mixture into gravy and simmer, whisking constantly, until gravy thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
• Carve turkey and serve with gravy.

CITRUS-SAGE ROAST TURKEY BREAST WITH GRAVY: SMALL CROWD

Steps:

• Roast turkey breast:
• Heat oven to 425°F with rack in lowest position. Discard any excess fat from inside turkey cavity. Pat dry inside and out.
• Stir together butter, sage, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Grate enough zest from orange to measure 1 teaspoon and add to butter mixture. Halve orange lengthwise and save one half for another use. Cut remaining half into wedges.
• Starting at wider, thicker end of breast, gently slide an index finger between skin and flesh of breast to loosen skin, leaving skin attached to breast at other end (be careful not to tear skin). Push butter mixture evenly under skin on both sides of breast, and massage skin from outside to distribute butter evenly.
• Put turkey on V rack in roasting pan and sprinkle all over with 3/4 teaspoon salt (if using a kosher turkey, see the Cooks' notes) and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Put orange and red onion wedges in area between rack and breast. Add 1 cup water to pan and roast turkey 30 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Rotate breast 180 degrees and baste with pan juices, then roast 30 minutes.
• Rotate breast again 180 degrees, and baste with pan juices. Tent breast loosely with foil and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast (test both sides, close to but not touching bone) registers 165°F, 25 to 40 minutes longer. (Baste with juices once more; if pan becomes completely dry, add 1/2 cup water.) (Total roasting time: about 1 1/2 hours.)
• Transfer turkey to a platter, reserving juices in pan. Let turkey stand, uncovered, 25 minutes. Discard orange and onion wedges.
• Make gravy while turkey stands:
• Pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into 1-quart glass measure (do not clean roasting pan), then skim off and discard fat. (If using a fat separator, pour pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour pan juices from separator into measure, discarding fat.)
• Position roasting pan across 2 burners, then add 1 cup water and deglaze roasting pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Pour through sieve into glass measure containing pan juices. Add enough turkey stock to pan juices to bring total to 2 1/4 cups (if stock is congealed, heat to liquefy).
• Melt butter in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk in flour. Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add stock mixture in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Stir in any turkey juices accumulated on platter and simmer 5 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper.

ROASTED CITRUS & HERB TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Mix butter and Italian seasoning., Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up; pat dry. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from turkey breast; rub half of the butter mixture under the skin. Secure skin to underside of breast with toothpicks. Rub cavity with salt and pepper; fill with onion, orange, lemon and herbs. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together., Melt remaining butter mixture; brush over outside of turkey. Add 2 cups broth to roasting pan., Roast, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°, 3-1/2-4 hours, basting occasionally with pan drippings. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.), Remove turkey from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before carving., Pour pan drippings into a small saucepan; skim fat. Mix flour, remaining broth and, if desired, browning sauce until smooth; whisk into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Serve with turkey.

CITRUS HERB TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Line a roasting pan with 3 pieces of heavy-duty foil (pieces should be long enough to cover turkey). Mince half the rosemary and thyme from each package (about 1/4 cup total). In a small bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter and minced herbs until blended. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from turkey breast; rub butter mixture under the skin. Secure skin to underside of breast with toothpicks. Mix seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper; sprinkle over turkey and inside turkey cavity., Cube remaining butter. In a large bowl, combine butter, apple, orange, onion, orange pepper and remaining herb sprigs; spoon inside cavity. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together. Place turkey in prepared pan, breast side up., Bring edges of foil over turkey to cover. Roast, covered, 1 hour. Carefully open foil and fold it down. Reduce oven setting to 325°. Roast, uncovered, 1-1/2 to 2 hours longer or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°. Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly., Remove turkey from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before carving. Discard fruit mixture from cavity. If desired, skim fat and thicken pan drippings for gravy. Serve with turkey.

CITRUS-RUBBED TURKEY WITH CIDER GRAVY

Steps:

• Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Tuck wing tips underneath body and place on a roasting rack in a heavy-bottomed metal roasting pan. Combine thyme, lemon and orange zests, 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper; beginning with underside, sprinkle on turkey, including in large cavity. Refrigerate, uncovered, 8 hours (or overnight).
• Let turkey sit at room temperature 1 hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove rack and turkey from pan, discard accumulated liquid, and add celery, carrots, onion, and 2 cups water to pan. Return rack and turkey to pan. Wipe any remaining rub from inside with a paper towel and loosely fill large and neck cavities with stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and evenly sprinkle turkey with 2 tablespoons paprika.
• Place pan in oven, reduce temperature to 375 degrees, and roast 25 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring orange and lemon juices, cider, butter, and remaining 2 tablespoons paprika to a simmer over medium.
• Baste turkey with cider mixture; keep remaining warm over low. Continue roasting, basting turkey with cider mixture every 25 minutes (tent turkey with foil if necessary to prevent overbrowning), 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) and center of stuffing reads 165 degrees.
• Transfer turkey to a platter or cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 30 minutes before scooping out stuffing and carving turkey. Strain pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids. Skim fat and return juices to pan. Set pan across two burners, add 1 cup broth, and bring to a simmer over medium, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Whisk together flour and remaining cup broth; add to pan, whisking constantly, until gravy is thickened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm with carved turkey and stuffing.