Bourbon Gravy For Turkey Recipes

BOURBON AND BROWN SUGAR GLAZED TURKEY

Steps:

• Dry brine:
• Mix salt, pepper, granulated sugar, and paprika in a small bowl. Arrange turkey on a cutting board breast side up. Remove legs (keeping thigh and drumstick intact) by slicing through the skin that joins breast and leg, then bend leg down to expose joint and cut completely through the joint. Try to leave as much skin on breast as possible. Place legs on a large rimmed baking sheet. Set aside neck and giblets in cavity for making gravy. Arrange turkey on baking sheet with legs and generously sprinkle legs and turkey all over with dry brine, patting to adhere. Chill, uncovered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
• Confit legs:
• Wipe off turkey legs (do not rinse) and place in the smallest heavy pot that will accommodate legs in a single layer (it's okay if they overlap slightly). Add garlic and rosemary. Pour in oil just to barely cover legs. Heat over medium until a few bubbles begin to appear. Cover, reduce heat, and very gently simmer until meat is tender (the meat on the drumstick will have pulled away from the bone), 3-3 1/2 hours. Let turkey thighs cool in oil until just warm, about 2 hours. Chill at least 2 hours but preferably longer. Meat will firm up the colder it gets, making it less likely to fall apart when glazing.
• Breast and assembly:
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Place turkey on a wire rack set inside a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, rotating baking sheet once, until golden brown all over, 35-40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring brown sugar, bourbon, soy sauce, butter, and paprika to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half and thick enough to coat a spoon but not syrupy, 6-8 minutes. Reduce heat to very low and keep glaze warm until ready to use.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and roast turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 100°F-110°F. Then roast, basting every 10 minutes or so, making sure to lightly coat the entire breast each time (but save some glaze for the legs) and rotating baking sheet occasionally, until thermometer registers 150°F, 60-75 minutes total after reducing oven temperature to 325°F. Transfer breast to a cutting board and let rest at least 30 minutes before carving.
• Increase oven temperature back to 425°F. Remove turkey legs from oil, wiping off excess, and place on a clean rimmed baking sheet; discard or chill cooking oil (skim off juices and use them in gravy; use oil for cassoulet or another confit).
• Carefully move a rack to upper third of oven and roast legs until skin is golden brown and fat is rendered, 15-20 minutes. Then roast, basting every 3 minutes or so with remaining glaze, until legs are well coated, 10-12 minutes. Arrange on a platter with sliced breast for serving.
• Do Ahead
• Legs can be cooked 1 day ahead. Keep chilled in oil.

BOURBON GRAVY

Steps:

• Discard neck; coarsely chop giblets, and return to roasting pan. Place pan on stove across 2 burners (if using a disposable roasting pan, scrape contents into a medium saucepan). Bring drippings to a boil over medium-high; cook, scraping up browned bits, until liquid is brown and syrupy, 8 to 10 minutes (if bottom of pan is about to scorch, lower heat).
• Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until very syrupy, 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Gradually add broth, then 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until gravy reaches desired thickness, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in bourbon; cook 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat; stir in cream. (If gravy is too thick, add water as necessary.) Pour gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan; discard solids. Season with salt and pepper, and keep warm; whisk before serving.

BOURBON TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Pour roasting pan drippings in measuring cup and allow to separate.
• Reserve 3 tablespoons of the fat.
• Discard remaining fat and add drippings to turkey stock.
• Heat reserved fat in roasting pan over medium-high heat.
• Add garlic, shallot, rosemary, and bay leaf.
• Cook and stir until shallot is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Make a paste with butter and flour in a small bowl and reserve.
• Add broth to roasting pan and scrape up any brown bits from bottom of pan.
• Bring to boil.
• Slowly whisk in flour mixture, continuing to boil, until thickened.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Stir in one capful of good bourbon just before serving.

ROAST TURKEY WITH BOURBON GRAVY

Steps:

• Make turkey:
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Spoon Corn Bread Succotash Stuffing loosely into neck cavity and main cavity of turkey. Tie legs together. Using small metal skewers, pin neck skin to enclose stuffing. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in large pan. Add reserved turkey fat and 2 cups Turkey Stock to pan. Cover turkey loosely with foil. Roast 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes with pan drippings.
• Remove foil. Add 3 cups water to pan. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thigh registers 180°F, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 2 1/2 hours longer. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent with foil. Let stand while making gravy.
• Make gravy:
• Strain juices from roasting pan into 8-cup glass measuring cup. Spoon fat off top of juices, returning 1/2 cup fat to roasting pan. Add enough remaining Turkey Stock to pan juices to measure 6 cups of broth mixture.
• Heat fat in roasting pan atop 2 burners over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Stir until mixture is golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in broth mixture, then bourbon. Simmer until gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve gravy with turkey.

PERFECT ROAST TURKEY WITH BEST-EVER GRAVY

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lowest position of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• Reserve the turkey neck and giblets to use in gravy or stock. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat the turkey skin dry. Turn the turkey on its breast. Loosely fill the neck cavity with stuffing. Using a thin wooden or metal skewer, pin the neck skin to the back. Fold the turkey's wings akimbo behind the back or tie to the body with kitchen string. Loosely fill the large body cavity with stuffing. Place any remaining stuffing in a lightly buttered casserole, cover and refrigerate to bake as a side dish. Place the drumsticks in the hock lock or tie together with kitchen string.
• Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Rub all over with the softened butter. Season with salt and pepper. Tightly cover the breast area with aluminum foil. Pour 2 cups of the turkey stock into the bottom of the pan.
• Roast the turkey, basting all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan (lift up the foil to reach the breast area), until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh (but not touching the bone) reads 180 degrees and the stuffing is at least 160 degrees, about 4 1/2 hours. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 1/2 cups at a time. Remove the foil during the last hour to allow the skin to brown.
• Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter and let it stand for at least 20 minutes before carving. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Drizzle 1/2 cup turkey stock over the stuffing in the casserole, cover, and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a heatproof glass bowl or large measuring cup. Let stand for 5 minutes, then skim off and reserve the clear yellow fat that has risen to the top. Measure 3/4 cup fat, adding melted butter if needed. Add enough turkey stock to the skimmed drippings to make 8 cups total.
• Place the roasting pan on two stove burners over low heat and add the turkey fat. Whisk in the flour, scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the turkey stock and the optional bourbon. Cook, whisking often, until the gravy has thickened and no trace of raw flour remains, about 5 minutes. Transfer the gravy to a warmed gravy boat. Carve the turkey and serve the gravy and the stuffing alongside

BOURBON GRAVY

Steps:

• For the stock: In a medium saucepot, add enough water (approximately 5 cups) to cover the turkey neck, giblets, carrot, celery, and onion. Bring the water to a boil; reduce heat and simmer on low, skimming the top occasionally for any foam. Cook the stock for at least one hour and up to two hours. Discard the turkey pieces and vegetables and strain the stock through a cheesecloth-lined strainer into another bowl. Strain again, if desired.
• For the gravy: In a wide pot or skillet (just deep enough to accommodate the stock), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the bourbon and cook until nearly evaporated. Add the turkey stock and cornstarch and whisk vigorously until smooth.
• Increase the heat to high and bring the gravy to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until it has reduced down and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the sage and cook for one more minute. Adjust seasoning, if necessary. Turn off heat and keep warm until ready to serve.

APPLE-BOURBON TURKEY AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Stir together apple juice, bourbon, and brown sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey, and rinse the turkey with cold water. Drain the cavity and pat dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Dip the cheesecloth into the apple juice mixture. Wring dry. Cover the turkey with the cheesecloth. Pour the apple juice mixture over the cheesecloth, coating completely. Cover and chill for 12 to 24 hours, basting occasionally with the marrinade.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove the turkey from the pan, discarding cheesecloth and reserving 3 cups of the marinade. Sprinkle the cavity with your desired amount of salt; rub into the cavity. Sprinkle your desired amount of salt and pepper on the skin. Rub it into the skin. Tie the legs together with string; tuck the wingtips underneath.
• Arrange the celery, carrots, apples, and onion in a single layer on a roasting pan. Place the turkey, breast side up on the celery mixture. Pour the reserved marinade over the turkey in the pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 3 hours and 15 minutes to 4 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the thigh reads 165 degrees, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices and shielding with aluminum foil after 2 hours 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Remove from the oven, and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Transfer the turkey to a serving platter. Reserve 2 1/2 cups pan drippings. Pour the drippings through a fine wire mesh stainer into a large measuring cup, discarding solids.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth. Gradually add the drippings, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring the mixture occasionally, 5 minutes or until the gravy thickens. Add up to 1/2 cup chicken broth to achieve the desired consistency. Sir in salt and pepper to taste. Serve the turkey with the warm gravy.

ROB'S TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Place giblets and neck in a saucepan and cover with water. Add 2 bouillon cubes and place on the stove over medium-low heat. Cook for 1 hour, then check water level; if it has dipped below the turkey parts at all, add fresh water to cover and another cube of bouillon. Repeat this as necessary, for a total cooking time of 3 to 4 hours.
• Strain the remaining liquid and discard any solids. You should have between 2 to 3 cups of real, fresh turkey broth.
• Combine broth and gravy mix in a small saucepan using a ratio of 1 cup broth to 1 package gravy mix; stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until gravy comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minutes. Serve hot.