Best Roasted Turkey Two Ways Recipes

JAMIE'S EASY TURKEY - 2 WAYS

Steps:

• GET-AHEAD
• 1. You can do all this prep on Christmas Eve, ready for the big day. Check the main cavity for the bag of giblets, and if they're in there, remove them and tip into a large roasting tray. The flavour they will add to your gravy will be incredible - trust me.
• 2. Peel and quarter the onions, and roughly chop the rest of the veg (there's no need to peel them), adding everything to the tray as you go. Halve and add the clementines, then throw in the woody herbs and bay leaves.
• 3. Fill the neck cavity with half of the stuffing (don't stuff it in too tightly), then pull the skin back over, and tuck it under the bird, then place the turkey on top of the vegetable trivet.
• 4. Lay your deboned turkey legs skin-side down on a board. Now, you're aiming to create a flat rectangular surface area for stuffing, but don't worry, it doesn't need to be perfect - just try to make it roughly the same thickness all over. Start by slicing away from you into the thickest part of the meat, then fold over and open it out flat, like a book.
• 5. Lay 16 x 30cm pieces of string on your chopping board in two sets of eight, making sure there is a 2cm gap in between each piece. Place the turkey legs skin-side down on top of the string, ensuring there are 8 pieces under each leg. Pack the remaining stuffing into the middle of each leg, filling in any pockets left by the bones, then wrap the meat back over and tie it tightly with the string using a double-knot. Transfer to a small roasting tray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over each of the legs and crown, and rub it into the meat, then cover both trays with tin foil and store in the fridge overnight.
• ON THE DAY
• 6. Take your turkey trays out of the fridge 1 hour before they are due to go in the oven.
• 7. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 and season the crown and legs with sea salt and black pepper.
• 8. As a guide, you want to cook a stuffed higher-welfare bird for 25 to 30 minutes per kilo, and a standard bird for 35 to 40 minutes per kilo. If you have a 3kg crown and 2 stuffed turkey legs, like I have here, roast them for 1 hour 30 minutes, basting several times with the lovely juices in the tray.
• 9. To check the meat is cooked, the simplest way is to stick a knife into the thickest part of the thigh or breast - if the juices run clear, it's done. If you're worried, you could also use a meat thermometer. You need to reach an internal temperature of 65ºC for a top-quality bird, such as Paul Kelly's turkeys, or 70ºC for a supermarket higher-welfare or standard bird.
• 10. Use heavy-duty tongs to lift up your bird so all the juices run from the cavity into the tray, then transfer the turkey to a platter, and brush the legs with the maple syrup or honey. Cover with a double layer of tin foil and a clean tea towel, then leave to rest for up to 2 hours while you crack on with everything else. To see how you finish off your gravy, check out my Chestnut gravy recipe.
• CARVE
• 11. To carve the legs, cut off the string and slice, at an angle, through the juicy leg meat. For the crown, cut along the backbone with the length of your knife all the way down it until you hit the carcass. You can then lift the whole breast off the bone. Remove to a board and slice.
• These nutritional values are based on 120g of cooked turkey, per person.

A SIMPLY PERFECT ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.
• Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
• Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 4 hours.
• Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

ROASTED TURKEY TWO WAYS

Steps:

• With a sharp knife, separate legs from the rest of turkey and cut off backbone. Reserve breast for roasting.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Debone turkey legs. Remove silver skin and all tendons. With skin side down, cover with plastic wrap and pound out evenly. Season inside with salt and pepper.
• Add 8 ounces of mushroom stuffing evenly across middle section. Roll into a tight cylinder. Tie with butcher's string and close ends with skewers. Season outside with salt and pepper. Heat a roasting pan and add olive oil. Sear meat until golden brown.
• Remove legs from roasting pan. Add carrots, celery, onion and rosemary and cook until brown. Deglaze with chicken stock. Bring to a boil and add turkey legs. Slowly braise the legs in the oven for about 2 hours until internal temperature is 130 degrees F.
• Remove foil and finish roasting to get color on the meat, until internal temperature is 140 degrees F.
• Remove legs and set aside on a platter. Cover with foil until ready to slice.
• Add 2 cups of pomegranate juice to the braising liquid. Simmer for 10 minutes then puree the sauce through a food mill. Carrots, onions and celery will thicken the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let sit for about 30 minutes and with a small ladle, remove excess fat. Remove string and skewers. Slice into half-inch portions and serve with sauce.
• Render foie gras or chicken liver in saute pan. Remove and pour rendered fat over bread. Dice and reserve. (If you use chicken liver instead or foie gras, add 4 tablespoons of butter).
• Rinse dried porcini and soak in warm water. Drain and chop mushrooms, reserving liquid.
• Heat olive oil in saute pan over medium heat and add onions, celery and pancetta. Cook until vegetables become translucent. Combine dried mushrooms and fresh mushrooms and add reserved mushroom liquid and stock. Cook over medium heat and reduce until almost dry. Set aside.
• Place foie gras or chicken liver and dried bread crumbs in a large bowl. Add herbs, beaten eggs and mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
• Fill legs of turkey according to recipe (or place stuffing in a buttered gratin dish and bake in preheated 350 degree F. oven for 30 minutes).
• Mix butter, rosemary, salt and pepper, to taste until nice and smooth. With your hands, carefully separate turkey skin from the breast meat. Spread rosemary butter evenly between skin and meat. Season turkey breast with salt and pepper and rub with olive oil.
• Place in roasting pan with a rack. If your oven is large enough, you can roast the turkey breast in the same oven while you braise the stuffed legs, which I prefer, because the steam from the braising liquid keeps the stuffing moist.
• Roast until internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Baste every 15 minutes with the pan drippings.
• When breast is done, cover with foil and let rest in a warm place until you are ready to carve.
• Yield: 12 servings

CAJUN BRINED TURKEY-TWO WAYS

Steps:

• Two days before cooking: Combine the Spanish paprika, New Mexican chile powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, chile de arbol and cayenne in a small bowl. Remove 1/4 cup for another use, such as the Eggplant Casserole with Red Pepper Pesto and Cajun Breadcrumbs. Dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons cold water in a large (at least 16-quart) stockpot or a clean bucket. Whisk in half of the remaining spice rub, the garlic, bay leaves and onion. Add the turkey, cover and refrigerate or set in a very cold place (that stays somewhere between 32 to 40 degrees F) for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. Rinse well under cold water and pat dry to remove the salt. Let air-dry in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
• In The Big Green Egg: Light a large chimney filled with charcoal briquettes (about 5 quarts) and allow to burn until all the charcoal is covered with a layer of fine gray ash. Empty the coals into the grill. Top with some of the soaked wood chips if using. Put in the ceramic plate, then the grill rack. Put the cover on and let the grate heat up. Brush the turkey with oil and rub the entire turkey (including the cavity) with the remaining spice rub. Tie the legs together. Adjust the grill vents to get and maintain an internal temperature of 350 degrees F. Roast the turkey for 2 hours to 2 hours and 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 165 degrees F. Remove from the grill, tent with foil and let rest for 30 minutes before carving.
• In the Caja China: Prepare the charcoal briquettes according to the instructions that come with the box. Put the roasting pan with its rack (comes with the box) inside, and put the turkey breast-side down on the rack. Put on the top and fill with charcoal. After 30 minutes, flip the turkey breast-side up and continue cooking for about 1 more hour, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 165 degrees F. Add charcoal as necessary according to the box instructions. Remove from the box, tent with foil and let rest for 30 minutes before carving.