Make Ahead Roasted Turkey Food

MAKE AHEAD ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place turkey on a rack inside a roasting pan, breast side up. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning and pepper. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together.
• Roast, uncovered, 30 minutes. In a 4-cup measuring cup, mix broth, herbs, lemon zest and juice, and garlic; pour over turkey. Roast, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
• While turkey is roasting, baste occasionally with broth mixture. Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.
• Remove turkey from pan; let stand at least 20 minutes before carving. Skim fat from cooking juices.
• Carve the turkey and place in shallow freezer containers. Pour cooking juices over turkey then let cool slightly, about one hour. Cover and freeze up to 3 months.
• Partially thaw the turkey in refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer turkey and cooking juices to a baking dish.
• Pour 1 1/2 cups broth over top. Bake, covered, until a thermometer inserted in the turkey reads 165 degrees, 50-60 minutes. Remove turkey to a platter, reserving cooking juices, and keep warm.
• In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, stir in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in the cooking juices; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve gravy alongside turkey.

ACCIDENTAL MAKE-AHEAD TURKEY

Steps:

• Two or three days before you plan to roast the turkey, combine 3 tablespoons salt, the rosemary, and lemon zest. Wash the turkey inside and out, drain it well, and pat it dry 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 to catch any drips and wrap the whole dish tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one or two days. The day before you plan to roast the turkey, remove the plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge. The skin will dry out and turn a little translucent.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Be sure your oven is very clean!
• Place the onion, lemon, and thyme 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 with salt and pepper.
• Roast the turkey for 45 minutes, placing it in the oven legs first. Lower the temperature to 325 degrees F and roast it for about another hour, until 165 degrees F for the breast and 180 degrees in the thigh on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven, cover the turkey tightly with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Carve the turkey and arrange it on a platter. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and allow the turkey to sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
• To reheat, pour a 1/4-inch layer of the gravy into a large (12 × 16-inch) ovenproof serving platter (make sure it's ovenproof!). Arrange the turkey 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.
• 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.
• "Make it Ahead" by Ina Garten © Clarkson Potter 2014. Provided courtesy of Ina Garten. All rights reserved.

MAKE-AHEAD THANKSGIVING TURKEY

Steps:

• The day before serving, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put the thyme and rosemary on the bottom of a baking sheet. Put the turkey pieces on top, dot with the cubed butter, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast, basting from time to time and checking for doneness every 15 minutes after 1 hour of cooking, until the meat reaches 165 degrees F, about 1 1/2 hours. Let rest, covered in foil, for 45 minutes.
• Carve the breasts and thighs into slices (keep the legs whole), then arrange on a fresh baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate.
• On the day of serving: let the turkey come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Drizzle the chicken broth over the turkey, cover again with foil and roast until it registers 165 degrees F, about 1 hour.

MAKE-AHEAD TURKEY AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning and pepper. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together., Roast, uncovered, 30 minutes. In a 4-cup measuring cup, mix broth, herbs, lemon peel and juice, and garlic; pour over turkey. Roast, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°, 3 to 3-1/2 hours, basting occasionally with broth mixture. Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly., Remove turkey from pan; let stand at least 20 minutes before carving. Skim fat from cooking juices., To freeze: Carve turkey and place in shallow freezer containers. Pour cooking juices over turkey; cool slightly, about 1 hour. Cover and freeze up to 3 months., To serve: Partially thaw turkey in refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 350°. Transfer turkey and cooking juices to a large baking dish. Pour 1-1/2 cups broth over top. Bake, covered, until a thermometer inserted in turkey reads 165°, 50-60 minutes., To prepare gravy: Remove turkey to a platter, reserving broth mixture; keep warm. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in broth mixture; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve with turkey.

MAKE AHEAD TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Arrange wings in a single layer in a large roasting pan.
• Scatter onions over top.
• Roast 1 1/4 hours until wings are browned.
• Put wings and onions in a 5-6 quart pot.
• Add water to roasting pan and stir to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom.
• Add the brown bits to the pot.
• Add 6 cups broth (refrigerate the remaining 2 cups) add carrot and thyme.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove wings to cutting board.
• Save wing meat for another use if you wish, or discard.
• Strain broth into a 3 quart saucepan, pressing vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible.
• Discard vegetables.
• Skim fat off broth and discard.
• If time permits, refrigerate broth overnight to make fat skimming easier.
• Whisk flour into remaining 2 cups broth until well blended.
• Bring broth in pot to a gentle boil.
• Whisk in broth flavored mixture and boil 3-4 minutes to thicken gravy and cook flour.
• Stir in butter and pepper.
• Serve now or freeze up to 6 months.

MAKE-AHEAD ROASTED TURKEY GRAVY - TYLER FLORENCE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the wing, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and herbs, and cook for 5 minutes.
• Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and place over medium heat.
• Remove the wing and set aside.
• Add the flour and let cook for about 1 minute.
• Add the stock and simmer until it has reduced by about 1/4, about 15 minutes.
• Strain the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.