Fruity Feather Turkey Recipes

FRUITY FEATHER TURKEY

Steps:

• Unroll fruit flavored snack; remove paper. With kitchen scissors, cut fruit flavored snack into 5x2 1/2-inch rectangle, cutting one side into a scallop shape.
• Gather together side of fruit flavored snack opposite scalloped sides. Separate cookie; place gathered side on 1 cookie half to make tail feathers. Top with remaining cookie half. Press lightly together.
• Shape 2 feet and wattle for the turkey from remaining fruit flavored snack. Insert feet into filling between cookies.
• Use frosting to attach wattle, eyeballs and candy corn for beak on top of cookie.

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.

ROASTED TURKEY BREAST WITH DRIED FRUITS PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Season the turkey breast on both sides with kosher salt and pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours on a metal rack in a baking sheet.
• Bring the turkey breast to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the white wine to a boil. Pour over the dried cranberries and apricots in a large heatsafe bowl. Allow to cool and the fruit to absorb some of the liquid, about 1 hour.
• In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the pan begins to lightly smoke, season the turkey with more kosher salt and pepper. Place the turkey in the pan skin-side down. When it begins to brown, flip the turkey, add the garlic, rosemary and 3 tablespoons of the butter and baste for 1 minute. Transfer to the oven and roast until the internal temperature registers 155 degrees F, 35 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the breast. Set the turkey aside skin-side up to rest for about 1 hour.
• Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the shallots and dried fruit with the wine and cook until the liquid is almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and reduce by half, 10 to 15 minutes. Finish with the vinegar, sage, lemon zest and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
• Slice the turkey, arrange on a large serving dish and pour the sauce over it. Garnish with flaky sea salt.

FRUITY TUTTI TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Stir the vegetable broth, candied ginger, dried cherries, dried pears, dried apples, brown sugar, kosher salt, black peppercorns, allspice berries, 3 cinnamon sticks, and 5 sage leaves together in a large stockpot until the brown sugar and salt dissolve completely; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the brine from heat, add the ice water, and stir to melt ice and chill the brine; refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. Place the still-frozen turkey into the brine and refrigerate for 3 days. On the second day of brining, turn the turkey over in the brine.
• On serving day (the third day of brining), preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the turkey from the brine and place into a roasting pan. Discard the brine.
• Place the onion, red apple, 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 more cinnamon sticks, and 1 sage leaf into a 5-cup microwave-safe measuring cup and fill the cup with enough water to cover. Place into microwave oven and cook on high power until hot, about 5 minutes. Pour the contents of the cup into the cavity of the turkey. Rub the skin of the turkey with the vegetable oil.
• Roast in the preheated oven until the turkey is golden brown and the juices run clear, 4 to 4 1/2 hours. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh should read 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).

FRUITED TURKEY

Steps:

• Thoroughly wash and dry watermelon. With a sharp knife, cut a thin slice from bottom of watermelon so it lies flat. , Using a small sharp knife, lightly score a horizontal cutting line around middle of the melon, leaving 4 in. on each side of stem end unscored for the head. Next, score a vertical line over top of melon, connecting both ends of the horizontal line. Using a long knife, cut through melon along the vertical cutting line. (Stop cutting at the horizontal cutting line.) Then, cut through the melon along the horizontal cutting line. Gently pull off cut section. , For turkey's head, cut a 2 in. half-circle at top. Make a scalloped edge, using the rounded edge of a 1-in. circle cutter. With a sharp knife, cut along the scalloped lines; discard scrapes. For eyes, insert a clove into the center of each of two cantaloupe balls. Using toothpicks, attach eyes; add a chili pepper wattle., With a vegetable peeler, cut peel from oranges. (Save oranges for another use). Thread grapes, orange peel and remaining cantaloupe balls onto skewers; add to turkey for feathers.

FRUIT-GLAZED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Loosely stuff into turkey just before baking. Place remaining stuffing in a greased 1-qt. baking dish; cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Skewer turkey openings; tie drumsticks together. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 1 hour., Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the glaze ingredients; cover and process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1 cup for gravy. Brush turkey with some of the remaining glaze. Add 1/2 in. of hot water to the roasting pan. , Bake 2-1/2 to 3 hours longer or until a thermometer reads 180° for the turkey and 165° for the stuffing, basting two to three times with glaze and occasionally with pan drippings (cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly). Discard any unused basting glaze., Cover and bake additional stuffing, for 30-40 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Cover turkey and let stand for 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving turkey., For gravy, loosen browned bits from the roasting pan. Pour pan drippings and browned bits into a bowl. Skim fat, reserving 1/4 cup. In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine pan drippings and enough water or broth to measure 2 cups. , In a large saucepan, combine the flour, salt and pepper; gradually whisk in the reserved 1/4 cup fat and dripping mixture until blended. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the reserved glaze. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with turkey.,

FRUITY TURKEY TAGINE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook gently for 8 mins or until softened. Add the carrots and parsnips, and cook for 8 mins until starting to soften and brown a little. Stir in the garlic and ras el hanout, and cook for a further 30 secs. Tip in the stock, tomatoes, chickpeas, dried fruit and 150ml water. Season, bring to a simmer and cook for 25-30 mins until the vegetables are tender.
• Add the turkey and simmer for 5 mins to warm through. Stir in the honey, then scatter over the coriander and almonds just before serving with couscous and Greek yogurt.

FRUITED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 F.
• Place the turkey breast, skin side up, in a 13 x 9 baking pan.
• Sprinkle with the thyme and rosemary.
• Roast, uncovered, for about 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, drain off and discard any fats and juices.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.
• Arrange the onion, pepper, carrots, dried fruit, sweet potato and pineapple chunks around the turkey.
• Mix together the reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup and red wine.
• Pour over and around turkey.
• Cover pan loosely with foil.
• Return to the oven and bake 1 hour longer.
• Remove the foil and continue baking 20 to 30 minutes, basting occasionally with the pan juices, until the sauce has thickened and the turkey is cooked through.