Turkey Roulade With Apple Cider Gravy Food

TURKEY ROULADE WITH APPLE CIDER GRAVY

Steps:

• Place turkey between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until about 3/4 inch thick. Set aside.
• Toast pecans in a small dry skillet on medium/high heat for 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375.
• Place cranberries in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cook for 1 minute, and remove from heat and drain.
• Put 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy skillet and cook until golden. Add garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add bread, cranberries, pecans, 2 tablespoons fresh or 2 teaspoons of dried sage, and 1/2-3/4 cups of broth. (You want the mixture to be moistened but not too wet, since the turkey will release moisture when cooked.). Cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of the turkey breast. Spread stuffing over one side of the turkey, leaving 1-2 inches along the outside with out stuffing. Roll up and secure with kitchen twine. Try to keep the stuffing inside (This part is a little messy, but makes the turkey pretty if it's kept together!).
• Heat remaining oil in the heavy skillet over medium heat. Sear stuffed breast until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes per side. Put in a roasting pan, sprinkle with sliced onion and 1 1/2 cup chicken broth, and roast in the onion, covered, about one hour or more. Remove to cutting board and let rest in an aluminum foil tent while making the gravy.
• Add cider, 1/2 cup chicken broth, vinegar and remaining sage to the raosting pan, bring to a boil, and cook. stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by 1/3. Slowly add cornstarch mixture. Stirring constantly, cooking for 3 minutes. Should be a little thicker than a jus. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove cooking twine from turkey, cut into slices. Serve with gravy on the side.
• Note: I usually double the stuffing recipe to have some on the side. I have eaten this with and without the gravy. Looks complicated but quite simple and really good. I go by the servings on the recipe -- my family usually eats more than 1 serving. Times are estimates.

BRINED HERB-CRUSTED TURKEY WITH APPLE CIDER GRAVY

Steps:

• To brine the turkey: Combine all of the ingredients for the brine in a large container. Add the turkey and let it brine in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
• To prepare the turkey for cooking: Remove the turkey from the brine the night before roasting and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. Combine the rosemary, sage, and butter for the herb crust in a small bowl. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Work the butter under the skin of the turkey and massage it into the breasts and the legs. Massage the butter on the outside of the skin as well. Tie the legs together over the breast so they will protect it during cooking and help keep it moist and juicy.
• Gravy preparation: Put the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, apples, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and thyme in a roasting pan and season with salt. Arrange the turkey on top of the veggies and refrigerate overnight UNCOVERED! Yes, that's right, uncovered. This will help the skin dry out and become really brown and crispy. Make sure that there is no raw food near the turkey in the refrigerator. After refrigerating overnight, the turkey is ready to go in the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Put 2 cups chicken stock and 1 cup apple cider in the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until the skin gets really nice and brown, about 40 minutes. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees F for the remainder of the cooking time. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes or so and add more stock to the roasting pan, if needed. Cook about 17 minutes per pound. Once it gets to the proper color, tent the turkey with aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark.
• Remove the turkey from the oven when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey registers 160 degrees F. Make sure that the thermometer is not touching a bone when doing the reading. When the turkey has reached the proper temperature, remove it from the roasting pan to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
• Strain all the veggies over a bowl to separate them from the stock/mixture. Discard the veggies. Skim off the fat and add it to the roasting pan. This is the fat for the roux. Put the roasting pan over 2 burners and over a low heat and whisk in the flour. Cook until the mixture looks like wet sand, about 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the remaining 1 cup apple cider, remaining chicken stock and the stock/cider mixture. Cook until the mixture has thickened and reached a gravy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Pour into a serving pitcher or bowl.
• Carve the turkey, transfer to a serving platter and serve with the gravy.
• Give thanks for such a great turkey!!!

ROAST TURKEY WITH APPLE-BRANDY GRAVY

Steps:

• Combine the salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and the sugar in a small bowl. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and reserve for the gravy (discard the liver). Transfer the turkey to a rimmed baking sheet and pat dry. Season the skin and inside the cavity with the salt mixture. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.
• Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and rinse off the salt mixture; pat dry. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Place the apple, half of the onions, 2 garlic halves, the lemon and about 10 thyme sprigs in the cavity of the turkey; tie the legs together with twine and place breast-side up in a roasting pan. Melt 2 sticks butter with 6 thyme sprigs in a small saucepan over medium heat. Divide the melted butter in half. Brush the turkey with half of the melted butter and tent with foil. Transfer to the oven and roast 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, combine the chicken broth, bay leaves, reserved neck and giblets, and the remaining chopped onion, 2 garlic halves and 4 thyme sprigs in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until reduced to about 4 cups, about 1 hour. Strain into a clean saucepan; set aside for the gravy.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Divide the remaining melted butter in half (remelt if necessary). Uncover the turkey and brush with half of the melted butter. Return to the oven and continue roasting until browned and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Stir the honey into the remaining melted butter and brush all over the turkey; roast 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and brush with any remaining honey butter; let rest 30 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, make the gravy: Pour out the fat from the roasting pan and discard. Set the roasting pan on 2 burners over medium-high heat; add the apple brandy and hard cider. Cook, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
• Mix the flour and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl to make a paste; whisk into the roasting pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until thickened, about 25 minutes. Strain and keep warm over low heat. Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy.

TURKEY ROULADE WITH CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• Make stuffing:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Toast bread cubes on a baking sheet until dry and just beginning to brown around edges, 12 to 15 minutes
• Simmer cranberries in water (1/2 cup) in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, uncovered, stirring once or twice, until cranberries are tender and all of water is absorbed, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Cook celery, onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Wipe skillet clean.
• Pat livers dry and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in cleaned skillet over high heat until foam subsides, then sauté livers until edges are browned but livers are still pink inside, about 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a cutting board, reserving pan juices, and cool completely, then cut into 1/4-inch dice.
• Whisk together egg and milk in a large bowl, then stir in toasted bread cubes, cranberries, onion mixture, livers, reserved pan juices, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Let stand at room temperature until bread has absorbed all of liquid and stuffing is completely cool, about 10 minutes.
• Prepare turkey:
• Leave oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Arrange turkey, skin side up, on a work surface with narrower, pointed end nearest you. Determine which long side of the breast is thickest, then, starting from that side and holding knife parallel to work surface, cut breast horizontally almost in half, stopping 1 inch from other side. Open breast like a book and put between 2 sheets of plastic wrap.
• Pound turkey to 1-inch thickness with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin. Discard top sheet of plastic wrap and pat turkey dry. Arrange with a short side nearest you and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Spread stuffing evenly over turkey, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Fold short end nearest you over stuffing to enclose, gently pressing on stuffing, then roll up breast tightly.
• Arrange rolled turkey breast seam side down, then tie crosswise at 1-inch intervals with string. Brush turkey with melted butter (1 tablespoon), then sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Roast turkey, seam side down, in a 13- by 9- by 2-inch roasting pan, uncovered, until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Add Sherry, soy sauce, cloves, bay leaf, 1 cup cider, and remaining teaspoon sage to roasting pan. Cover roasting pan with heavy-duty foil and continue roasting until thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into center of roulade registers 170°F, 35 to 45 minutes more. Transfer turkey to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 minutes before slicing. (Internal temperature will rise to 180°F.)
• Make sauce while turkey stands:
• Pour juices from roasting pan through a fine-mesh sieve into a small heavy saucepan. Skim off fat and bring to a boil.
• Whisk together cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup cider, then whisk into boiling sauce and boil, whisking, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Slice turkey and serve with sauce.

SLOW-ROASTED TURKEY WITH APPLE GRAVY

Steps:

• Brine the turkey: Tear the bay leaves to release their natural oils. Place in a large bowl with the buttermilk, sugar, salt, black pepper and cayenne, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Place the turkey in a brining bag or clean unscented garbage bag, pour in the buttermilk mixture and tightly tie the bag closed. Place in a pot or bowl that holds it snugly, making sure the legs are fully immersed in the brine, and refrigerate for at least 48 hours and up to 72 hours.
• Make the turkey: Position a rack at the bottom of the oven and heat oven (not convection) to 450 degrees. Tear the bay leaves to release their natural oils. Spread the apples, fennel, onions, 12 bay leaves and half of the thyme, ginger, garlic and orange across the bottom of a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and the whole peppercorns.
• Drain the turkey and wipe dry. (Discard the brine.) Place the turkey in the pan breast side up, and rub its cavity with salt and ground pepper. Stuff the cavity with the lemon and the remaining bay leaves, thyme, ginger, garlic and orange. Tuck the wings underneath and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Sprinkle the turkey with salt and ground pepper, and drizzle everything with oil. Drizzle more oil all over the turkey and rub to generously and evenly coat the skin. Transfer to the oven and roast until browned in spots all over but not burned, 20 to 40 minutes. (Ovens vary widely in how quickly they brown such a large bird, so start checking at 20 minutes and keep going until it's spotted all over.)
• Pour 2 cups water into the pan, cover the turkey with foil and loosely crimp around the edges of the pan. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and slide the pan back into the oven. Slow-roast until the turkey is almost cooked through (a meat thermometer will register 150 degrees in the thickest part of the breast and 160 degrees in the thigh), about 4 hours.
• Uncover, baste all over with the pan juices and roast uncovered until the skin is more evenly browned and the meat registers 155 degrees in the breast and 165 degrees in the thigh, 30 to 45 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise as the turkey rests. Let cool slightly in the pan, then transfer the turkey to a serving platter.
• Make the gravy: Smash the fruits and vegetables in the roasting pan. Set a colander with small holes or a medium-mesh strainer over a bowl or pot, and pour in everything from the pan, working in batches if needed. Press hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible along with fruit and vegetable pulp. Discard the solids in the colander; scrape any strained pulp into the bowl. Skim and discard fat from the strained juices.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. While whisking, add the defatted pan juices a little at a time, whisking until smooth, then stir in the brandy. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Keep warm over low.
• When ready to serve, season the gravy to taste with salt and pepper. Carve the turkey and serve with the hot gravy.