Quick Thanksgiving Turkey With Lemon Garlic Butter Food

ROAST TURKEY WITH LEMON & GARLIC

Steps:

• Up to two days ahead, make the salt mix by grinding the salt with the thyme leaves and pepper in a spice grinder or using a pestle and mortar. Sit the turkey in a roasting tin and gently push your fingers under the skin, starting from the neck, until you can push your whole hand in down the length of the breast. Take care not to tear the skin.
• Season the bird all over with the salt mix, inside and out and under the skin. Leave the turkey in the tin, breast-side up, and put in the fridge for up to two days - the longer you salt it, the more succulent the turkey will be. For the crispest skin, leave the turkey uncovered so it dries out, but loosely cover it if you prefer.
• Tip the butter, vegetable stock powder and lemon zest into a small bowl and mix until completely combined. Cover and chill. Can be made a few days ahead or frozen, wrapped in cling film, for one month.
• Remove the turkey from the fridge an hour or so before you want to cook it. Remove the butter from the fridge to soften. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Work out your cooking time based on 40 mins per kg for the first 4kg, plus 45 mins for every kg after that.
• Use your hands to spread the butter under the skin so that it covers the entire breast area and work it into the crevice between the thigh and the main body, then smooth the skin over with your hands. Put the onion, lemon halves, and garlic in the cavity.
• Cover the tin loosely with foil and roast for the calculated cooking time. Around 30 mins before the end of cooking, increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, remove the foil, baste the turkey and return to the oven. When the turkey is beautifully brown and cooked through, remove from the oven and leave to rest on a warm platter covered with foil for up to 1 hr. Save the juices from the tin to make gravy.

QUICK THANKSGIVING TURKEY WITH LEMON-GARLIC BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Cook butter, garlic, lemon zest, and rosemary in a small pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted. Reduce heat to low and let simmer to infuse flavors, about 5 minutes.
• Brush turkey generously with butter mixture on all sides and under skin, getting some garlic and lemon zest under skin-that'll make it taste so much better. Season turkey with 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. salt and 1 Tbsp. pepper on all sides and arrange skin side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour 1/2 cup wine around turkey pieces.
• Cover with foil and roast turkey 20 minutes. Uncover, brush tops of each piece with butter mixture, and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each piece registers 165°F, 40-50 minutes. Some pieces might be done before others, so test each one. Let turkey rest 20 minutes before slicing.
• Meanwhile, strain pan drippings through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof measuring cup or bowl. Skim fat off surface (or use a fat separator if you have one). You should have about 1/2 cup drippings. Whisk in cornstarch until smooth.
• Bring remaining 1/2 cup wine to a boil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add broth and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in turkey drippings and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer turkey to a platter. Serve with pan sauce alongside.

LEMON-GARLIC TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Line bottom of a greased 6-qt. slow cooker with three-fourths of the lemon slices. Place turkey over lemons, breast side up. Mix parsley, garlic, lemon zest, pepper seasoning and salt; rub over turkey. Top with remaining lemon slices. Cook, covered, on low until turkey is tender, 5-6 hours., Remove turkey from slow cooker; tent with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before carving. If desired, skim fat and thicken pan drippings for sauce; serve with turkey.

EASY ROASTED THANKSGIVING TURKEY RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large stock pot large enough to fit the turkey, stir together 2 gallons (7.5 L) of water and 2 1/2 cups (128 g) kosher salt. Submerge the turkey in the brine. Refrigerate for 10 to 12 hours.
• When the turkey is done brining, drain the water and pat dry. Place the turkey onto a roasting pan with a roasting rack.
• In a small bowl, mash together the softened butter, sage, rosemary, thyme, minced garlic, lemon zest, sea salt and black pepper.
• Use your hands under the skin of the turkey to separate the skin from the meat underneath. (Be careful not to tear the skin.)
• Spread half of the butter all over the turkey underneath the skin. Spread the other half over the skin all over.
• Position the oven rack on a low position, so that there is enough room for the turkey. The top of the turkey should end up just slightly higher than the middle when placed in the oven later. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees F).
• Place the turkey in the oven and roast. Check the roasted turkey time chart in the blog post for the amount of time to roast without foil and the remaining time with foil. For a 12 lb turkey, that's 45 minutes uncovered followed by about 2 1/4 hours covered. To cover, tent the top of the turkey with foil, shiny side out, making sure no turkey is peeking out, and return to the oven.
• Check that the roasted turkey is done with a meat thermometer - it should read 165 degrees for the safest option. For the most juicy turkey, aim for 150-155 degrees, and then cover in foil immediately after removing from the oven. Let the turkey rest, covered in foil, for about 20 minutes to come up to 165 to 170 degrees before serving.

GARLIC HERB ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper and dried herbs together then cover the turkey all over with it and scatter the remaining seasoning in the cavity of the turkey.
• Place the turkey in a large dish (I just used a large roasting dish). Place in the fridge and allow to dry-brine for up to 24 hours.
• On the day of roasting, take the turkey out of the fridge at least an hour before roasting and allow to come up to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F.
• Gently loosen the breast skin then add softened butter and sage leaves under the skin.
• If the butter is soft enough, you can just spread it over the breast by pressing it gently.
• Place lemon slices, fresh sage, thyme and rosemary in the cavity then tie the legs together. Drizzle the turkey with olive oil and place in a large roasting dish.
• Pour stock around the turkey and add halved garlic bulbs and more sage, thyme and rosemary. Place the turkey in a preheated oven and roast until the turkey is golden brown and cooked through.
• If the meat reaches 74ºC/165ºF in the breast, thigh and drumstick, your turkey should be perfectly cooked. Allow to rest then carve.
• Place the turkey on a large platter and add fresh herbs, the roasted garlic and lemon halves to decorate. Orange halves and pomegranate are also beautiful around a turkey. Serve with all the sides and gravy.

TURKEY INJECTION RECIPE

Steps:

• Melt the butter, add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, and let cool.

GARLIC BUTTER GREEN BEANS RECIPE

Steps:

• Place 6 cups of water and 2 tablespoons salt in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil.
• Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and water. Line a sheet pan with a few sheets of paper towel. Set them aside.
• Carefully add the green beans into the boiling water. Cook until crisp and tender, 5 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon or a spider strainer, transfer the green beans into the ice water. Let them cool to room temperature completely for about 5 minutes. Drain and then transfer on to the sheet pan lined with paper towels. Dry as much as you can.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet (10 or 12 inch) over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds.
• Add in the green beans and gently stir to make sure they are coated with the butter and garlic mixture. Sautee, turning often, for 2-3 minutes or until green beans are softened but still tender.
• If preferred, toss in the lemon zest at the last minute. Transfer the beans on a plate and serve.

LEMON-HERB TURKEY WITH LEMON-GARLIC GRAVY

Steps:

• For lemon-herb butter:
• Make 4 long 1/2-inch-deep cuts in lemon. Place in microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high 2 minutes. Place garlic head in medium microwave-safe bowl; add enough water to cover garlic. Cover bowl and microwave on high until soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer garlic to work surface; cool and peel.
• Pour any lemon juice from bowl into small cup. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into same cup; reserve juice for gravy. Scrape all fruit and pith from inside peel halves; discard insides. Chop peel. Blend peel and garlic in mini processor until finely chopped. Add butter and all remaining ingredients; process to blend. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to bowl. Cover lemon juice and lemon-herb butter separately; chill. Bring butter to room temperature before using. WELL PRESERVED: The microwave method for the lemon is a neat trick. It's a two-minute way to make fresh-tasting Moroccan-style "preserved" lemons (which usually take from one week to one month to cure). TEST-KITCHEN TIP: Fennel fronds, those delicate, feathery, dark-green leaves rising from the fresh fennel bulb, are jampacked with fennel flavor. At the market, look for fennel bulbs that still have the fronds attached (you'll find that some bulbs have been too closely trimmed).
• For turkey:
• Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 325°F. Transfer 2 tablespoons lemon-herb butter to small bowl; reserve for gravy. Sprinkle main turkey cavity with salt and pepper and spread with 2 tablespoons lemon butter. Starting at neck end of turkey, carefully slide hand between skin and meat of breast, thighs, and upper drumsticks to loosen skin. Spread lemon butter over thigh and drumstick on both sides. Arrange a few lemon slices under skin. Spread remaining butter over breast meat; place lemon slices atop butter under skin. Fill main cavity with any remaining lemon slices, parsley and sage sprigs, and fennel fronds. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Tuck wing tips under.
• Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Rub outside of turkey all over with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour stock into pan. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F to 170°F, about 3 hours. Tilt turkey so juices from main cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent very loosely with foil; let rest at least 30 minutes (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees). Reserve pan.
• For gravy:
• Scrape juices and browned bits from reserved roasting pan into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat, reserving 2 tablespoons. Add enough stock to juices to measure 1 2/3 cups.
• Heat reserved 2 tablespoons fat in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot; sauté 2 minutes. Add flour; whisk until golden, about 4 minutes. Add degreased pan juices and 2 cups stock. Bring to boil, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat and simmer until gravy is reduced to desired consistency, about 4 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons reserved lemon butter, 2 tablespoons reserved lemon juice, lemon peel, and sugar, then herbs. Whisk in crème fraîche, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• *Available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.