Thanksgiving main page

your answers to turkey talk

Classic roast turkey
Holiday roasted turkey
Perfect roasted turkey
roasted turkey breast with barbecue sauce

SOUPS :
Apple and curry soup
Carrot ginger soup
Celery, chestnut and apple soup
Red pepper bisque

STUFFINGS :
stuffing Q and A

Bulgur stuffing with mushrooms
Chestnut, onion and currant stuffing
Classic stuffing
Corn bread stuffing
Dried tomato and fennel stuffing
Italian stuffing with sausage
Herb potato and bread stuffing
Rye bread stuffing with sausage, apples and bacon
Sausage, cranberry and corn stuffing
Sausage and dried cherry stuffing
Wild rice and chestnut stuffing

DESSERTS :
Apple cranberry crisp
Chiffon mince meat pie
Cranberry walnut tart
Cranberry and pear phyllo tart
Gingerbread and cranberry torte
Pear and almond cream tart
Pumpkin pie pumpkin
Pumpkin pie
Pumpkin-orange pie

HOLIDAY ROASTED TURKEY

serves 12

2 tablespoons kosher salt or fine coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon dried sage leaves
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns
1 tablespoon sweet paprika one
16-18 pound turkey, rinsed in salted cold water
4-5 cups stuffing (see recipes)
6 tablespoons melted butter
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 cups water
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart turkey or chicken stock

In a small bowl, combine the salt, with sage, thyme, peppercorns and paprika. Pat the turkey dry. Set in a large roasting pan and rub it inside and out with the spice mixture.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stuff the turkey body cavity and the skin flap with the chosen stuffing, packing it loosely. Brush the turkey with melted butter and roast for 30 minutes or until the skin is golden brown. Scatter the onions, celery and carrots around the turkey, add the water to the pan and cover the breast loosely with foil.
Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees, and roast the turkey for about 3 hours longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of roasting.
Transfer the turkey to a carving board, cover with foil and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Pour the pan juices into a medium saucepan and skim the fat from the surface.
Set the roasting pan over a top burner, stirring well until vegetables are brown. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and the flour, stirring well until well mixed. Stir in the turkey or chicken stock and whisk until gravy boils and thickens. Simmer gravy for 15 minutes. Strain the gravy into the pan juices in the saucepan. Discard vegetables. Season gravy with salt and pepper. Carve the turkey, arrange on a platter and serve with the stuffing and gravy.