( A NOTE ABOUT THIS RECIPE POST WHICH WE WROTE IN 2014! The Butcher has found that he prefers the D’Artagnan All Natural Turkey to the one that we used in this recipe…so R&S Meat Market will exclusively carry the All Natural No Hormone…No Antibiotic Fresh Turkey from D’Artagnan…the Recipe and other ingredients remain the same!)…Happy Cooking!
Even a seasoned cook and entertainer gets butterflies at the thought of roasting an entire Turkey. Every year, thoughts are that you will remember exactly what was done last year to make the bird taste so delicious…and of course, when it comes down to it, you are racing for the cookbook or searching online for last minute instructions.
In searching the web and looking over many recipes, my favorite, due to flavor and simplicity was this one from The Splended Table. I put my own spin on it but the original recipe can be found here http://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/wine-and-herb-basted-roast-turkey-white-wine-pan-gravy
Click through the gallery for step by step photo and instructions:
Detailed directions are listed below the gallery-
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This Turkey is a fresh Bell & Evans 18-20 lb bird. It was roasted in a 375 degree fahrenheit convection oven for 4 hours. If you are using a regular oven it could take about 30-40 minutes longer.
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Use a good quality dry white wine to baste this turkey. This bottle was about $10 and it made a delicious baste and gravy.
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You may want to pick up one or two of these disposable pans to roast your turkey. This makes for easy cleanup. Just make sure that you hold it from the bottom when transferring in and out of the oven. They are not as sturdy as a traditional roaster. I had to remove the silver rack and handle in order for it to fit in my oven.
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This recipe also calls for lots of fresh herbs for roasting and for garnish…so over buy! They will not go to waste. You will also need several shallots and carrots for the bottom of the roasting pan.
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This is what your Bell & Evans Fresh Turkey will look like when you pick it up from the Butcher. Be sure to place your order early to ensure the perfect size for your gathering.
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Turkey’s come in different size ranges. When placing your order, you can figure on one pound per person and five extra pounds for leftovers. This was an 18-20 lb. range and the actual bird weighed in at 19.5 pounds! This size would be perfect for feeding about 14-15 people.
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Printed on the back of the Bell & Evans wrapper will be a time chart and basic instructions. The recipe I used is cooked at a higher temperature. Be sure to prep your turkey the night before and place it in the refrigerator over night. This will make life much easier on Thanksgiving morning!
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When you open the wrapping you will rinse the turkey inside and out, with cool running water.
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There are two cavities on either end of the bird. Reach into the cavities to pull out the insides. Then rinse with cool water. This is what you will find inside the cavity at the leg end of the bird. You can use them to flavor the gravy or just discard.
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At the neck end of the bird you will notice that skin is flapped over. Gently unfold the skin, rinse with cool water and reach into the cavity to pull out the package with extra parts. Discard these as well…or use for gravy if you so choose.
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Chop up Several leaves of fresh Sage, fresh Rosemary, fresh Thyme and a large handful of fresh parsley. Cut two lemons in half.
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The small red circle you will find on the breast of the bird is the pop up timer. Do not rely on this! Use your own meat thermometer. Case and point….the one on this bird did not pop up at all! Rub the cut lemons over the entire skin of the turkey. Use softened butter pressed onto the skin surface and between the wings. Also place pats of butter inside each cavity. Season well with fresh ground salt and pepper.
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Place cut lemons inside the neck cavity and use toothpicks to secure the skin flap.
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Mix all of the chopped herbs together . Place the lemons inside the leg cavity of the bird. Cover the entire bird with fresh herbs and gently press them in.
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Place two skinned shallots cut in halves as well as several peeled whole carrots in the pan around the base of the bird. This will add flavor to your gravy as the bird roasts.
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Baste every 30 minutes for a juicy bird. Use a little bit of white wine and a small amount of chicken stock poured over the bird. You can also use the baster to drizzle pan juices over the bird. Rotate the entire pan every hour, this will produce an evenly roasted turkey. About an hour and half through the roasting time you will want to loosely cover the bird with foil to prevent it from browning too much.
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Remove the Turkey from the oven at 160 degrees fahrenheit. Let it stand on the counter for 20-25 minutes before carving. This will redistribute the juices and bring the temperature to 165 degrees. Perfection!
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This Turkey reached 160 degrees in four hours when roasted in a convection oven at 375 degrees fahrenheit. Even if you are using a regular oven set to 375 degrees start checking the temperature at 4 hours. Every oven is different. An 18-20 lb. turkey roasted in a regular oven will take anywhere from 4-5 hours.
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Perfection!
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Making gravy is actual simple. Use the drippings from the bottom of the pan.
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Using a sieve pour the drippings into a decent size sauté pan. You may need help with this part! You could also use a ladle to pour if no help is on hand.
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I used two and a quarter cups of pan drippings and ended up with exactly two cups of gravy. Bring the gravy to a boil over medium high heat and whisk gently.
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I saw this tip in a food and wine magazine to prevent lumps in the gravy! Place your cornstarch in the sieve and gently shake over the surface to evenly distribute as you are whisking. No lumps!
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This gravy came together perfectly using two and a quarter cups of drippings and one tablespoon of cornstarch.
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So Yummy ! You cannot eat turkey without a delicious gravy!
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I will include a video of the Butcher carving this turkey in my next post. A suggestion to keep your turkey moist would be to make two separate pans of gravy. One would be poured over the turkey slices as you put it on the serving platter. The other could be set on the table. This method will l keep your turkey moist as well as hot, as it is served.
From the Butcher you will need to order:
One Fresh Bell & Evans All Natural Turkey
You will also need:
A large roasting pan
One or two bottles of dry white wine
2 lemons; halved
One large bunch of fresh parsley; chopped
Several stems of fresh sage, rosemary & thyme; chopped
2 shallots; skinned and halved
3 whole carrots; peeled
1-2 sticks of softened butter
Fresh ground salt and pepper
One 32 oz box of chicken stock
Meat thermometer
1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken gravy
Additional tools that will come in handy-
Kitchen twine
Turkey baster
Kitchen timer
Soup ladle with long handle
Sieve
Whisk
Plan to prepare the first several steps of this recipe the night before you roast the turkey. It helps with timing but also produces a delicious, crispy skin.
To prepare the Turkey:
Place a large pan or piece of parchment paper in the bottom of your sink. Remove the turkey from the wrapping and rinse with cool running water. On each end of the bird you will find a cavity. Reach inside each end and remove the innards. You can keep these to flavor your gravy or simply discard. Rinse inside these cavities as well.
Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and place breast side up, in your large roasting pan. Even though the Bell & Evans turkeys are already trussed, it would be helpful to add some kitchen twine around the legs. This will keep them secure during roasting.
Rub the halved lemons over the entire skin of the turkey making sure to get in between the wings. Next smear the softened butter over the skin, pressing it in as you go. Also add several pats of butter inside the cavities. Season the entire bird, inside and out with fresh ground salt and pepper. Place the halved lemons inside each cavity.
Next you will mix the chopped herbs together and press them over the entire skin of the turkey. Add your halved shallots and whole carrots to the bottom of the roasting pan. At this point you can loosely cover the turkey with foil and place in your refrigerator over night.
Roasting The Turkey:
Remove the turkey from your refrigerator one hour before you plan to place it in the oven. This will allow the bird to come to room temperature and assure for accurate and even roasting.
Plan for enough time. You will need 4-5 hours to roast the above sized turkey, as well as resting time of about 20-30 minutes, and carving time which can also take about 20 minutes.
Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
Pour 1/2 cup of white wine and 1/4 cup of chicken stock over the turkey. Place your turkey, uncovered into the oven and set your timer for 30 minutes. Baste the turkey with 1/2 cup of white wine and 1/4 cup of chicken stock every 30 minutes. Plan to rotate the pan every hour to ensure an evenly roasted turkey. About an hour and a half into the roasting time, you may need to cover the bird loosely with foil to prevent too much browning. Keep an eye on the time, and start checking the internal temperature of the bird at 4 hours. To do this, insert the meat thermometer between the breast and the thigh. When the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, remove the bird from the oven. Set the pan on the counter loosely covered with foil for 20-30 minutes. This will let the juices redistribute. In this time the turkey will also reach a temperature of 165 degrees. Now you can prepare your gravy!
For the Gravy:
Remove the Turkey to another pan or serving platter. Ladel or pour 2 1/4 cups of the pan juices through a sieve into a shallow sauté pan. I used 2 1/4 cups of drippings which produced exactly two cups of gravy. Bring the drippings to a boil, whisking gently. Add one tablespoon of cornstarch to the sieve and shake over the top of the boiling drippings. Whisk to produce a beautiful gravy that is lump free! Continue to whisk until the gravy is thickened. You may want to make two pans of this gravy. One for pouring over sliced turkey on the platter, and one for serving at the table.
(The reason I prepare two separate pans of gravy is that I find it difficult to thicken more than two cups of drippings at a time. It produces a really nice gravy when done in smaller quantities. )
In tomorrows post I will include a video of the Butcher carving this Turkey. Using an electric knife is so simple and will produce even slices.
For My Gluten Free Friends:
I used Kitchen Basics chicken stock which is gluten free, and cornstarch to thicken the gravy…so this turkey can be made … Gluten free!
Happy Roasting…and a Super Happy Thanksgiving!
If you’d like to see The Butcher demonstrate, how to carve the turkey… click this link
http://randsmeatmarket.com/2014/11/13/how-to-carve-your-turkey/
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