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| General Category : Main Course |
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| Food Group : Vegetables, Nuts, Poultry-Turkey |
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| Preparation Method : Roast |
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| Other Criteria : Christmas |
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| This is my favourite turkey recipe, which I originally published in Canadian Living Magazine, but it is well worth repeating here. The turkey and gravy are flavoured with a little bourbon whisky, a surprising but excellent flavour enhancer for poultry. If you like, you can replace the pecans with walnuts or 3 cups (750 mL) roasted or boiled chestnuts. |
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Ingredients
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1 turkey (about 15 lb/6.75 kg) |
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2-1/2 cups (625 mL) pecan halves (8 oz/250 g) |
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1/3 cup (75 mL) butter |
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2 stalks celery, chopped |
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1 large onion, chopped |
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2 cloves garlic, minced |
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1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced |
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1/2 cup (125 mL) bourbon, Tennessee whisky or rye whisky |
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4 tsp (20 mL) chopped fresh sage (or 1-1/2 tsp/7 mL dried) |
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2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh thyme (or 3/4 tsp/4 mL dried) |
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1 tsp (5 mL) salt |
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3/4 tsp (4 mL) pepper |
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Corn Bread |
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1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped celery leaves or parsley |
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1 egg, lightly beaten |
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1/3 cup (75 mL) all-purpose flour |
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3 cups (750 mL) Turkey Giblet Stock (recipe follows) or chicken stock |
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Preparation
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Remove neck and giblets from cavity of turkey; set aside for Turkey Giblet Stock. Finely chop liver; set aside for stuffing. Pull out any loose fat from cavity.
On baking sheet, toast pecans in 425°F (220°C) oven, about 4 minutes; let cool.
Melt 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the butter in skillet over medium-high heat; sauté celery, onion, garlic and jalapeño pepper until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the bourbon, reserved chopped liver, sage, thyme and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each of the salt and pepper; fry for 2 minutes. Transfer to large bowl; let cool. Crumble Corn Bread into bowl. Add pecans and celery leaves; mix well. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.) Mix in egg.
Pat turkey dry inside and out. Holding breast side down, sprinkle body cavity with 2 tbsp (30 mL) and neck cavity with 2 tsp (10 mL) of the remaining bourbon. Stuff both cavities loosely with some of the stuffing; skewer cavities shut. Tie legs together and tuck wings under back. Place, breast side up, on greased rack in roasting pan. Place remaining stuffing in greased 11- x 7-inch (2 L) glass baking dish; cover with foil and refrigerate.
Melt remaining butter and stir in 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the remaining bourbon; brush over turkey. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp (2 mL) of the remaining salt and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) of the remaining pepper.
Roast in 325°F (160°C) convection or 350°F (180°C) conventional oven for 1 hour. Continue to roast, basting often, until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh registers 180°F (82°C), about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, add covered dish of stuffing to oven; bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer.
Lift turkey onto warmed platter; let stand for at least 15 minutes or for up to 30 minutes.
Skim off all but 2 tbsp (30 mL) fat from pan drippings; place pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle flour over drippings; cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Gradually whisk in stock and remaining bourbon, salt and pepper; bring to simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Finely chop gizzard and heart from stock; add to gravy if desired. Stir in giblets; heat through. Pour into warmed gravy boat.
Makes 12 servings.
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More Information
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Turkey Giblet Stock:
Chop neck into 5 or 6 pieces; clean gizzard of any fat or membranes and cut in half. Cut heart in half; rinse out any blood. Place in saucepan with 6 cups (1.5 L) water; bring to boil. Skim off foam. Add 1 quartered onion, 1 chopped stalk celery with leaves, 1 chopped carrot, 1 clove garlic, 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp/1 mL dried thyme), 4 cloves and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) peppercorns. Cover and simmer for 3 hours. Discard solids. If desired, reserve gizzard and heart for gravy. Makes about 5 cups (1.25 L).
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Nutritional information
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Per serving: about 878 cal, 93 g pro, 41 g total fat (12 g sat. fat), 30 g carb, 3 g fibre, 336 mg chol, 681 mg sodium. % RDI: 14% calcium, 53% iron, 42% vit A, 8% vit C, 46% folate.
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Source
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Homemakers Magazine: Dec./Jan. 2006
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