Cristina Ferrares Turkey Recipes

CRISTINA FERRARE'S TURKEY

Steps:

• To make marinade:
• Combine ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
• Refrigerate till needed.
• Clean out cavity of the turkey and rinse well, inside and out. Pat dry and place turkey in a large roasting pan.
• It is very important that you pat it dry in order to get that nice golden turkey skin.
• Tie turkey legs together and cover tips with foil. Keeping them wrapped and tied stops the legs drying out while cooking.
• Tie turkey wings together and cover tips with foil. Keeping them wrapped and tied stops the wings drying out while cooking.
• Stuff cavity of turkey with lemon rinds and one bunch of poultry herbs. Place the second bunch of herbs in the roasting pan.
• Place turkey breast-side up in roasting pan. Insert thermometer in the thickest part of the breast.
• Pour the marinade over the turkey.
• Allow to marinade over night.
• Cover with foil and roast for 2 hours @ 350 C.
• After 2 hours, add hot water (or broth) to the bottom of the pan. Stir to make gravy for basting.
• Baste turkey and cover with foil.
• Roast turkey another 30 minutes and repeat basting process.
• Continue basting every 15 minutes until the thermometer reaches 180-185°, approximately 3 to 4 hours.
• The constant basting is what gives the skin that lovely golden color.
• Remove turkey from oven and place on cutting board. Cover turkey well with foil to keep warm. Let it rest 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

CRISTINA FERRARE'S LEMON DIJON TURKEY

Steps:

• To Make The Marinade:
• Combine ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate till needed.
• Clean out cavity of the turkey and rinse well, inside and out. Pat dry and place turkey in a large roasting pan. It is very important that you pat it dry in order to get that nice golden turkey skin.
• Tie turkey legs and wings together and cover tips with foil. Keeping them wrapped and tied stops the legs drying out while cooking.
• Stuff cavity of turkey with lemon rinds and one bunch of poultry herbs. Place the second bunch of herbs in the roasting pan.
• Place turkey breast-side up in roasting pan. Insert thermometer in the thickest part of the breast. Pour the marinade over the turkey. Ideally allow to marinade over night.
• Cover with foil and roast for 2 hours @ 350 degrees.
• After 2 hours, add hot water (or broth) to the bottom of the pan. Stir to make gravy for basting. Baste turkey and cover with foil.
• Roast turkey another 30 minutes and repeat basting process. Continue basting every 15 minutes until the thermometer reaches 180-185°, approximately 3 to 4 hours. The constant basting is what gives the skin that lovely golden color.
• Remove turkey from oven and place on cutting board. Cover turkey well with foil to keep warm. Let it rest 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

CRISTINA FERRARE'S CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Add spinach and water to a stockpot. Gently boil until the spinach has thawed. Strain the spinach, squeezing out water with a spatula. Place spinach on a dishtowel and squeeze out any remaining water. Put spinach back in stockpot.
• In a saucepan, melt butter. Once it has melted, add flour. Mix together, forming a roux. Slowly add warm milk and stir until thick and creamy. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and mustard and mix well. Pour the cream sauce over the spinach and mix. Pour mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle a dash of pepper then cover tightly. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Keep covered until you are ready to serve.