Citrus Thyme Turkey Recipes

CITRUS AND HERB TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 with rack in lower third position.
• Season cavity of turkey with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stuff cavity with orange, lemon, onion, garlic, and herbs. Tie legs with twine and transfer turkey to a rack set inside a roasting pan.
• Rub skin with olive oil and season with remaining salt and pepper.
• Pour 2 cups chicken stock into roasting pan and transfer to oven. Roast turkey for 2 1/2 hours or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 165 degrees. After first hour of roasting, baste turkey every 30 minutes, and tent with foil if skin becomes deep golden brown before turkey is cooked.
• Remove turkey from oven and transfer to a carving board. Let stand at least 15 minutes.
• Place roasting pan on stovetop over medium-high heat and bring pan drippings and remaining 1 cup chicken stock to a simmer. Combine milk and flour in a mason jar and shake vigorously to combine. Whisk milk mixture into gravy and simmer, whisking constantly, until gravy thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
• Carve turkey and serve with gravy.

CITRUS & THYME TURKEY

Steps:

• Chop the leafy tops of the thyme but not the hard, woody branch ends (save these for the cavity). Finely grate the orange and lemon zest into a small bowl and mix with the chopped thyme, olive oil and seasoning. Mash the mix into the oil with the back of a metal spoon (or use a pestle and mortar) to release its flavour. Set aside to infuse.
• Preheat the oven to fan 170C/conventional 190C/gas 5. Wash the turkey inside and out and dry well with kitchen paper. To make carving easier, you can now cut out the wishbone, but it's not essential.
• Put the reserved third of the stuffing in the neck end of the turkey and push it towards the breast. Don't overfill, as the stuffing will expand during cooking. Secure the neck end flap with a small metal skewer. Weigh the stuffed turkey and calculate the cooking time - allow 18 minutes per 450g/1lb.
• Season the turkey generously with salt and pepper inside and out. Halve the orange and lemon and put in the cavity (squeezing the fruit as it goes in) with the thyme branches and two of the bay leaves. Tie the turkey legs together to give the bird a good shape.
• Throw the chopped carrots and onion and remaining bay leaves into a large roasting tin. Sit the turkey on top of the vegetables, smear the butter over the skin and cover with a loose tent of foil. Roast the turkey for the calculated time, basting with the pan juices every hour.
• Meanwhile, tip the red onions and squash into a shallow roasting tray and toss in half of the thyme oil, making sure you get it right into the cuts in the onions. Set the tray aside.
• Half an hour before the end of the turkey's cooking time, whip off the foil and leave the bird to brown. After 15 minutes, drizzle the turkey with the remaining thyme oil.
• To test if the turkey is cooked, insert a skewer into the thickest part of a thigh - the juices should run clear. If they are still pink, cook for a further 20-30 minutes and test again. Remove the turkey from the oven and turn the oven up to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Transfer theturkey to a serving platter, cover tightly with foil and leave to rest while you finish off the vegetables and trimmings.
• Put the red onions and squash in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes. At the same time, roast the bacon-wrapped sausages (see Lightly spiced Christmas stuffing, right) for 30 minutes. Now make the gravy. Discard any fat from the roasting tin. Stir the wine and redcurrant jelly into the carrots and onion in the tin. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 8-10 minutes to reduce by half. Scrape the sticky bits off the bottom of the tin with a wooden spoon as the gravy boils. Pour in the stock and simmer for 10 minutes until you have a dark, tasty gravy, adding salt and pepper to taste. Strain the gravy into a pan (discard the vegetables), bring back to the boil and serve in a warm jug.

PERFECT CITRUS TURKEY AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Take the turkey out of the refrigerator and leave it to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes prior to preparing and cooking. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, add the 1/2 cup softened butter, lemon zest and chopped chives. Halve the lemons and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon half into the butter. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• Prepare the turkey: Remove the inner packet of giblets from the cavity and set aside.
• Run your fingers underneath the skin of the breast to make a little pocket between the skin and the flesh. Using your fingers, scoop up some of the lemon-chive butter and push the butter under the skin, filling up the pockets. Do the same thing on the legs. Once each pocket has been filled, take the rest of the butter and rub it all over the outside of the bird. Sprinkle about a tablespoon and a half of coarse salt on top.
• Insert the halved lemons, orange and grapefruit into the cavity of the turkey. Insert as much of the citrus as you can. Give each piece a little squeeze as you insert them to get the juices distributed. (You may have to leave some out depending on the size of the cavity. Use any extra citrus for garnish later.)
• Remove the giblets from the packet, rinse and pat dry. Place the giblets on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the turkey on top of the giblets. Tuck the wings under the turkey.
• Place the turkey in a preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes. Then, turn down the heat to 350 degrees F and roast for about another 2 hours, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 175 to 180 degrees F. (The general rule is to cook a turkey about 15 minutes per pound.)
• Remove the bird from the pan onto a carving board or platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
• Place the roasting pan over low heat on the stovetop. Add white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the chicken stock. Whisk the cornstarch into it. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the Dijon mustard. Whisk well to combine. Strain the gravy into a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until thick and smooth, about 8 minutes.
• Bring your turkey to room temperature to ensure that the bird will cook evenly.
• Stuffing a turkey with fruit keep the bird moist and acts as a secondary cooking agent. As the juice of the fruit steams inside the cavity, it helps cook the bird from the inside. The juices also help to flavor the pan juices used for making the gravy.
• Stuffing butter between the skin and the flesh, keep the meat moist and flavorful. The butter and salt on the outside help create a tasty, crispy skin.
• I like to use the giblets as a platform for the bird. It stops the bottom of the bird from burning and adds flavor to the pan juices.
• A good rule for roasting times is to plan on roasting a turkey for about 15 minutes per pound.
• A meat thermometer is the best tool for figuring out if your turkey is fully cooked.

HERB ROASTED TURKEY WITH CITRUS GLAZE

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck from turkey, reserve for gravy.
• Rinse turkey with cold running water and drain well.
• Blot dry with paper towels.
• Peel lemons and limes.
• Squeeze juice from lemons and limes to make least 2 tablespoons juice of each.
• Cut the remaining fruit in half and place in the turkey cavity.
• Sprinkle salt in the cavity.
• In a small bowl, mix the wine, brown sugar and citrus juices; reserve for glaze.
• Gently loosen skin from the turkey breast without totally detaching skin and carefully place 1 tablespoon each of marjoram and sage under the skin.
• Replace skin.
• Fold neck skin and fasten to the back with 1 or two skewers.
• Fold the wings under the back of the turkey.
• Return legs to tucked position.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (about 2 1/2" deep) roasting pan.
• Rub turkey with salt, pepper and oil.
• Insert an oven safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful the pointed end of the thermometer does not touch the bone.
• Roast turkey in a pre-heated, 325° F.
• oven for about 3 3/4 hours.
• During the last hour of cooking time, baste with the pan drippings.
• During the last 30 minutes of cooking time, baste with the citrus glaze.
• Loosely cover with aluminum foil to prevent over browning.
• Continue to roast until thermometer registers 180 degrees F in the thigh, or 170 degrees F.
• in the breast.
• Remove turkey from the oven and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

ROASTED CITRUS & HERB TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Mix butter and Italian seasoning., Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up; pat dry. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from turkey breast; rub half of the butter mixture under the skin. Secure skin to underside of breast with toothpicks. Rub cavity with salt and pepper; fill with onion, orange, lemon and herbs. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together., Melt remaining butter mixture; brush over outside of turkey. Add 2 cups broth to roasting pan., Roast, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°, 3-1/2-4 hours, basting occasionally with pan drippings. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.), Remove turkey from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before carving., Pour pan drippings into a small saucepan; skim fat. Mix flour, remaining broth and, if desired, browning sauce until smooth; whisk into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Serve with turkey.

CITRUS TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Rub salt onto your turkey, and place remaining salt, lemons, oranges, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and pepper into a large pot. Place the turkey in the pot, and fill with water. Refrigerate overnight. Discard brine after removing turkey.

CITRUS HERB TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Line a roasting pan with 3 pieces of heavy-duty foil (pieces should be long enough to cover turkey). Mince half the rosemary and thyme from each package (about 1/4 cup total). In a small bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter and minced herbs until blended. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from turkey breast; rub butter mixture under the skin. Secure skin to underside of breast with toothpicks. Mix seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper; sprinkle over turkey and inside turkey cavity., Cube remaining butter. In a large bowl, combine butter, apple, orange, onion, orange pepper and remaining herb sprigs; spoon inside cavity. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together. Place turkey in prepared pan, breast side up., Bring edges of foil over turkey to cover. Roast, covered, 1 hour. Carefully open foil and fold it down. Reduce oven setting to 325°. Roast, uncovered, 1-1/2 to 2 hours longer or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°. Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly., Remove turkey from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before carving. Discard fruit mixture from cavity. If desired, skim fat and thicken pan drippings for gravy. Serve with turkey.

ROSEMARY AND CITRUS TURKEY FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• Remove giblets from inside the turkey; reserve for stock or gravy. Pat meat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, stir together salt, pepper, allspice, garlic and citrus zests. Pat mixture all over turkey and turkey parts (including inside the whole turkey cavity). Stuff one bunch of rosemary in cavity of whole turkey. Strew remaining rosemary and the thyme all over turkey and turkey parts. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.
• Remove whole turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before you plan to cook it so it can come to room temperature. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange oven racks so the pan with the whole turkey will fit on top rack, and the two pans with parts will fit underneath.
• Place whole turkey (with herb branches clinging to it) on a rack in a roasting pan. Take parts out of the fridge and place the breasts in a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan. Place the legs and wings in a separate 9-by-13 roasting pan.
• Distribute onions, carrots, celery and apples into all three pans, scattering them on the bottom of the large roasting pan under the whole turkey, and tucking them in among turkey pieces. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons wine over each pan of turkey parts and pour 1/2 cup wine in the bottom of the whole turkey pan.
• Transfer whole turkey to the oven and roast for 1 hour (let the parts come to room temperature while the turkey starts roasting).
• Add parts to the oven underneath the rack with the whole turkey on it, and roast for an additional 30 minutes.
• Squeeze the juice from the 2 zested oranges. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees and sprinkle about a third of the orange juice into the bottom of each of the three pans.
• Drizzle the butter or oil all over the whole turkey and the pieces. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meat registers 165 degrees, about 20 to 30 minutes more for the whole turkey, and 15 to 45 minutes longer for the parts. (Note: The turkey breasts may cook faster than the dark meat, so keep your eye on them.) If the breast of the whole turkey starts to look too brown before the bird is cooked through, cover it loosely with foil.
• When the whole turkey is cooked through, remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 20 minutes while the parts finish cooking.
• When all the turkey parts are cooked through, adjust oven temperature to broil. Broil turkey parts until skin turns golden brown and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Let parts rest for 5 minutes before carving and serving. If you want to use the drippings for gravy or stock, strain or use a slotted spoon to remove vegetables first.

ROASTED CITRUS TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Thaw the frozen turkey.
• Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
• In a medium bowl, combine the parsley, thyme and rosemary.
• Grate the oranges and lemon peel and set the oranges and lemon aside.
• Add the peels to the herb mixture and toss until combined.
• Rub the herb mixture over the skin of the turkey.
• Place the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan.
• Cut the oranges and lemon in half and squeeze their juices over the turkey.
• Also sprinkle the turkey with the pepper and paprika.
• Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast.
• Loosely cover the turkey with foil during roasting to avoid over browning.
• Roast turkey uncovered, at 325 degrees for 2 1/2 hours or until the thermometer registers 170 degrees to 175 degrees.
• Baste turkey often with the pan juices.
• Remove and discard the skin before serving.