Maple Roast Turkey Recipes

MAPLE ROAST TURKEY AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Boil apple cider and maple syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and mix in 1/2 of the thyme and marjoram and all of the lemon zest. Add the butter, and whisk until melted. Add salt and ground pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until cold (syrup can be made up to 2 days ahead).
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place oven rack in the lowest third of oven.
• Wash and dry turkey, and place in a large roasting pan. Slide hand under skin of the breast to loosen. Rub 1/2 cup of the maple butter mix under the breast skin. If planning on stuffing turkey, do so now. Rub 1/4 cup of the maple butter mixture over the outside of the turkey. With kitchen string, tie legs of turkey together loosely.
• Arrange the chopped onion, chopped celery, and chopped carrot around the turkey in the roasting pan. If desired, the neck and giblets may be added to the vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining thyme and marjoram over the vegetables, and pour the chicken stock into the pan.
• Roast turkey 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and cover turkey loosely with foil. Continue to roast, about 3 to 4 hours unstuffed or 4 to 5 hours stuffed, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C) and stuffing reaches 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). Transfer turkey to a platter, and cover with foil. Reserve pan mixture for gravy. Allow turkey to sit about 25 minutes before removing stuffing and carving.
• To Make Gravy: Strain pan juices into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from juices. Add enough chicken stock to make 3 cups. Transfer liquid to a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, mix reserved maple butter mixture with flour to form a paste, and whisk into the broth. Stir in thyme, bay leaf, and apple brandy. Boil until reduced and slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

MAPLE WATER ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Heat maple water in a saucepan, add butter and leave to melt. Add remaining marinade ingredients and let cool.
• Preheat oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Place turkey in a roasting pan and stuff interior with vegetables and aromatics. Season with salt and pepper.
• Fill a meat syringe with marinade. Pierce the turkey meat in several places and inject marinade.
• Roast in oven for 4 hours. From time to time, collect a little cooking juices from pan, let cool and re-inject into turkey. Once cooked, transfer turkey onto a cutting board.
• Place roasting pan with juices onto hob and bring to a boil. Pour in maple water, scraping the pan bottom well to collect juices.
• Sprinkle with instantized flour, mix in well and reduce for 1 minute.
• Carve turkey and serve with the sauce.

MAPLE ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Combine apple cider and maple syrup in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking until reduced to 1/2 cup, then remove pan from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 tablespoon marjoram, and lemon zest. Stir in butter until melted, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until cold.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place rack in lower third of oven.
• Place turkey on a rack set in a roasting pan. Reserve 1/4 cup maple butter for gravy, and rub the remaining maple butter under the skin of the breast and over the outside of turkey. Arrange onion, celery, carrots turkey neck and giblets around the turkey. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon thyme and 1 tablespoon marjoram over vegetables. Pour 2 cups broth into pan.
• Roast turkey for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cover entire turkey loosely with foil. Continue roasting for about 2 1/2 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Transfer turkey to platter, and let stand 30 minutes.
• Strain the pan juices into a large measuring cup, and then remove any excess fat. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 3 cups. Transfer liquid to a saucepan, and bring to boil. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup maple butter and 1/3 cup flour until smooth. Whisk flour and butter mixture into broth mixture. Stir in remaining thyme and the bay leaf. Boil until reduced to sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in apple brandy, if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

MAPLE ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Combine apple cider and maple syrup in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking until reduced to 1/2 cup, then remove pan from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 tablespoon marjoram, 1 tablespoon sage, and lemon zest. Stir in butter until melted, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until cold.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place rack in lower third of oven.
• Place turkey on a rack set in a roasting pan. Reserve 1/4 cup maple butter for gravy, and rub the remaining maple butter under the skin of the breast and over the outside of turkey. Arrange onion, celery, carrots, reserved left over lemon, turkey neck and giblets around the turkey. Sprinkle 2 1/2 tablespoon thyme, 2 1/2 tablespoons sage, 2 1/2 tablespoon marjoram, and lemon juice over vegetables. Pour 2 cups broth into pan.
• Roast turkey for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cover entire turkey loosely with foil. Continue roasting for about 2 1/2 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Transfer turkey to platter, and let stand 30 minutes.
• Strain the pan juices into a large measuring cup, and then remove any excess fat. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 3 cups. Transfer liquid to a saucepan, and bring to boil. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup maple butter and 1/3 cup flour until smooth. Whisk flour and butter mixture into broth mixture. Stir in remaining thyme. marjoram, and sage. Boil until reduced to sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Note: I use a turkey baking bag and make this in my counter top roaster oven so that I have my oven free for all the other items.

MEZCAL-AND-MAPLE-ROASTED TURKEY IN CHEESECLOTH

Steps:

• For the turkey: The day before serving, pat the turkey dry using paper towels. Remove the neck. Place the turkey on a large, clean cloth and rub both the inside and outside generously with salt. Place the turkey and the neck in a container that fits comfortably and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight to allow the skin to dry out.
• Remove the turkey at least 2 hours prior to roasting to take the chill off it. Position the oven rack on the lowest rung and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the oranges, 1 onion, cinnamon stick and thyme in the body cavity of the turkey. Fold the wings and tuck the tips underneath the bird.
• For the butter sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the maple syrup, mezcal and cloves. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until fully incorporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Place the remaining quartered onions in the bottom of a roasting pan to act as a rack. Add the turkey neck, along with the sage. Drizzle the onions and neck with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set the turkey on top of the onions. Soak a double layer of cheesecloth big enough to cover the bird in the butter sauce, then drape it over the breast and legs of the turkey. Pour any remaining butter sauce over the turkey. Add the stock to the bottom of the pan.
• Roast for 45 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and continue roasting until the skin is golden brown and the turkey juices run clear when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh and breast registers 160 degrees F, another 10 to 15 minutes per pound (at least 1 hour and 40 minutes and up to 3 hours).
• Allow the turkey to rest at least 30 minutes before removing the cheesecloth and carving.

MAPLE BRINED ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• 1. In a very large (14- to 16-quart) stockpot, combine the salt, sugar, peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, chile flakes, 1 1/2 cups syrup, and 1 cup soy sauce. Heat over medium heat, stirring continuously, just until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat and stir in 5 quarts water. Let the mixture stand until room temperature.
• 2. Submerge the turkey in the liquid, press a piece of plastic wrap over the turkey and weight the bird down with a heavy dish of small pot so that the turkey stays in the liquid. Refrigerate for 1 to 3 days.
• 3. Remove the turkey from the brine, pat dry with paper towels, and discard the brine. Place the turkey on a rack set in a large roasting pan. Let stand for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• 4. Tuck the wing tips behind the back and tie together the ends of the drumsticks with kitchen twine. Scatter the onions around the turkey. Season all lightly with salt and pepper.
• 5. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Add the remaining 2 cups water to the pan. Continue roasting for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. Baste the turkey two or three times during the roasting.
• 6. Transfer the turkey and onions to a serving platter and let rest while making the sauce. Strain the pan juices into a fat separator. Pour just the jus back into the roasting pan; discard the fat. Set over medium heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons syrup and 2 tablespoon soy sauce. Simmer, stirring and scraping the pan, until reduced by one-third, about 5 minutes. Serve the jus with the turkey and onions.

ROAST TURKEY WITH MAPLE CORN SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Cut off and discard the wing tips of the turkey. Cut off and leave intact the main wing bone and the second wing joint. Set aside. Cut the neck crosswise into four pieces of equal length. Set aside.
• Stuff the cavity of the turkey with the onion pieces, garlic, carrot and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the outside of the turkey with salt and pepper and rub the turkey all over with two tablespoons of the oil.
• Rub the bottom of a large roasting pan with the remaining oil.
• Place the turkey on one side in the roasting pan. Scatter the neck pieces and the cut-off wing portions around it. Place in the oven and roast about 40 minutes. Turn the turkey onto its opposite side. Place in the oven and roast another 45 minutes, basting often.
• Remove the turkey and set aside briefly. Pour off one tablespoon of the fat from the pan and set it aside. Pour off and discard the remaining fat.
• Return the turkey to the pan breast-side up and pour two cups of the broth around it. Bring to the boil on top of the stove and return the turkey to the oven. Bake about 30 minutes, turning the pan laterally so that it cooks evenly. Continue baking, basting occasionally, about one hour and 15 minutes. Remove the turkey from the pan and cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
• Scoop out the vegetables from the cavity of the turkey and add them to the liquid in the roasting pan. Add the remaining one cup of broth and bring to the boil. Cook until the liquid is reduced to about one and two-thirds cups. Strain this sauce, discarding the solids. Set it aside.
• Heat the reserved tablespoon of fat (or, if desired, you might substitute corn, peanut or vegetable oil) in a skillet. Add the quarter-cup of finely chopped onion and the corn and cook until the onions are wilted. Add the bourbon, vinegar and maple syrup and stir, cooking about two minutes or until the liquid in the skillet is reduced by half.
• Add the reserved turkey sauce to the corn mixture and bring to the boil. Cook about one minute and add the cream, salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring and skimming the surface often to remove any foam or scum. Blend the flour with the water and add this to the sauce, stirring.
• Carve the turkey and serve the sauce on the side.

MAPLE APPLE ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Turkey must be thoroughly thawed with neck and giblets removed.
• Wash cavities well with cold water. Pat dry.
• In a saucepan combine of the apple juice, maple syrup, and apple brandy and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue cooking until reduced to ½ cup, them remove pan from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 tablespoon marjoram, and lemon zest. Stir in ¾ cup of butter until melted, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
• Place turkey in a large roasting pan and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place rack in lower third position of oven.
• Gently loosen the turkey skin on the breast by sliding your hands between the skin and the bird. Insert ½ cup of butter between the skin and the breast of turkey.
• In a bowl toss together chopped celery, chopped apple, carrot, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Fill up the turkey cavity and use the left overs to arrange around and on the bottom of the roasting pan with chicken broth.
• Place the giblets and neck in the bottom of roasting pan.
• Pour apple juice maple mix inside the turkey cavity and outside the turkey. Leave 2 cups of broth in pan.
• Roast turkey for 30 minutes in preheated oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F Cover entire turkey loosely with foil. Continue roasting for about 3 hours or until turkey thermometer reads 175-180°F in thighs. Baste often.
• Transfer turkey to platter, and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Stir turkey juices into a large measuring cop, them remove any access fat. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure approximately 3 cups. Transfer liquid to a saucepan, and bring to boil. Add 1/4 cup of flour until smooth. Whisk flout and butter mixture into broth mixture. Stir remaining thyme and bay leaf. Boil until reduced to sauce consistency for about 10 minutes Season with salt and pepper to taste.

ROAST TURKEY WITH MAPLE HERB BUTTER AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Make turkey:
• Boil apple cider and maple syrup in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until reduces to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in half of chopped thyme, half of marjoram and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel. Add butter and whisk until melted. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen shin. Rub 1/2 cup maple butter over breast under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Rub 1/4 cup maple butter over outside of turkey. Reserve remaining maple butter for gravy. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Arrange onion, celery, carrot and reserved turkey nick and giblets around turkey in pan. Sprinkle vegetables with remaining 1 tablespoon thyme and remaining 1 tablespoon marjoram. Pour 2 cups broth into pan.
• Roast turkey 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Cover entire turkey loosely with heavy-duty foil and roast until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F or until juices rum clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 2 hours 25 minutes for unstuffed turkey (2 hours 55 minutes for stuffed turkey). Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey with aluminum foil and let stand 30 minutes; reserve mixture in pan for gravy.
• Make gravy:
• Stain pan juices into large measuring cup, pressing on solids with back of spoon. Spoon fat from pan juices. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 3 cups. Transfer liquid to heavy medium saucepan and bring to boil. Mix 3 tablespoons reserved maple butter and flour in small bowl to form smooth paste. Whisk paste into broth mixture. Add chopped fresh thyme and bay leaf. Boil until reduces to sauce consistency, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in apple brandy, if desired. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper.
• Brush turkey with any remaining maple butter and serve with gravy.

ROAST TURKEY WITH MAPLE-BUTTER GLAZE

Steps:

• Bring turkey to room temperature before roasting.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Wash and dry turkey. Stuff with lemon, apple, onion and celery. Truss, and season with salt.
• Melt butter in maple syrup over medium heat, and pour over turkey. Place on a rack in a pan. Roast 10 to 12 minutes for each pound. Baste every 20 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer inserted into thigh without touching bone. (Pop-up thermometers that come with turkeys are unreliable.) Thigh should register 175 to 180 degrees at thickest part, breast meat 170 degrees. Before carving, let rest out of the oven for at least 20 minutes.

ROASTED TURKEY WITH MAPLE CRANBERRY GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place turkey on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together. In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, cranberry sauce and walnuts. Pour over turkey., Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170° to 175°, basting occasionally with pan drippings, 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes before carving.

MAPLE GINGER ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• 1. Simmer the turkey giblets and neck in water until tender, about 1 hour. Mince the giblets. Remove the meat from the neck. Combine both and reserve for the gravy. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• 2. Rinse the turkey and pat dry. Squeeze the orange inside the body cavity. Sprinkle with paprika, salt, and pepper. Stuff the cavity loosely with Cornbread Chorizo Stuffing and tie the legs together. Rub the turkey with butter; sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper all over.
• 3. Place the turkey, breast-side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Add 2 cups of the broth and cover turkey with foil. Roast for 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil and roast turkey for 2 1/2 hours longer, basting every 30 minutes.
• 4. Raise the oven temperature to 350°F; cook for an additional 45 minutes. Brush the Maple Ginger Glaze on the turkey; cook about 30 minutes longer. A thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 180°F; in the thickest part of the breast, 160°F; and in the deepest part of the stuffing, 165°F. Juices should run clear when the thigh is pricked with a knife.
• 5. Remove turkey to a platter; let rest 20 minutes, covered loosely with foil, before carving. Remove the stuffing and cover with foil to keep warm.
• 6. Prepare the gravy: Heat the pan juices in the roasting pan, scraping up all of the brown bits on the bottom. Pour the juices through a gravy separator to remove the fat. Pour the defatted juices into a measuring cup, along with any remaining glaze. Stir well; reserve.
• 7. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and continue whisking for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it browns slightly. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in 2 cups of the reserved pan juices and continue whisking until smooth. Bring the gravy to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and add the thyme, salt, pepper, parsley, and reserved giblet mixture. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring, until thickened. For a thinner gravy, add the remaining cup of chicken broth.

MAPLE-SYRUP-GLAZED ROAST TURKEY WITH RIESLING GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees with rack in lowest third of oven. Wash turkey inside and out with cold running water, and pat dry with paper towels. Tuck wing tips under body. Generously season neck, body cavities, and underside with salt and pepper.
• Loosely fill the neck cavity with the stuffing. Using wooden skewers or toothpicks, secure the flap. Holding the turkey upright, loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Pull the legs together, and tie them with kitchen twine. Heap on additional stuffing so that it is bulging out of the cavity. Generously sprinkle salt and pepper over the bird, and set it on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Cut a double layer of cheesecloth to fit over the entire turkey. Melt 4 tablespoons butter. Place cheesecloth in the butter, completely soaking cloth. Drape cheesecloth over the bird.
• Place turkey in the oven, and roast 30 minutes. Baste with butter that has accumulated in the pan. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and loosely cover bird with a large piece of aluminum foil; roast 30 minutes more. Baste again. Continue roasting, basting once an hour, until a meat thermometer registers 180 degrees in the leg and 170 degrees in the breast, about 3 hours.
• During the last half hour of roasting, place grated ginger in a small, double layer of cheesecloth; squeeze juice into a small saucepan. Add maple syrup and 1 tablespoon butter. Heat the mixture until the butter has melted and is bubbling. Remove the maple-syrup glaze from heat.
• Remove foil tent and cheesecloth from bird, and discard. Brush glaze over bird several times during last half hour. Remove turkey from the oven, and transfer to a carving board. Let rest 30 minutes before carving.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with flour, and mix together until smooth; set aside. Pour pan drippings into a fat separator or glass measuring cup, and let stand 10 minutes. If using a fat separator, carefully return juices to pan; discard fat. If using a measuring cup, use a spoon to skim fat from top, and return juices to pan.
• Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium-high heat. Pour wine into the pan, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up any brown bits on bottom. Cook liquid until reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Add turkey stock, and cook until reduced again by half, about 7 minutes.
• Pass the gravy through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, and pour into a small saucepan. Whisk in the reserved butter-flour mixture until the butter has melted. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let gravy simmer until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Add red and green grapes to the gravy; serve gravy with turkey.

ROAST TURKEY WITH MAPLE-MUSTARD GLAZE AND PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Turkey: In a saucepan, combine turkey neck and giblets with half each of onion, carrots, and celery; bay leaf; and 6 cups water. Season with salt and pepper; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour. Strain through a mesh sieve into a bowl (you should have at least 4 cups stock). If desired, pull meat from neck and chop giblets into bite-size pieces; reserve for gravy.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine 2 tablespoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Season both cavities of turkey with half of salt-pepper mixture. Stuff large cavity with half of orange, half of garlic, and thyme sprigs. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Stuff neck cavity with remaining orange half. Rub butter evenly all over skin, then season with remaining salt-pepper mixture. Place remaining onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a roasting pan in a single layer. Top with a roasting rack. Transfer turkey to rack. Pour 1 cup stock into pan.
• Roast turkey 1 hour, adding water or more stock to pan, 1/4 cup at a time, if bottom becomes dry and begins to blacken. Meanwhile, boil maple syrup in a saucepan until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mustard and thyme leaves.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; continue roasting turkey until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (near but not touching bone) registers 150 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes. Brush with maple-syrup mixture (if it has begun to solidify, rewarm over low heat first) and continue roasting, basting every 15 minutes with more maple-syrup mixture, until thermometer registers 165 degrees, 35 to 45 minutes more, depending on bird size. (Reserve any extra syrup mixture for gravy.) Transfer turkey to a carving board or platter; let stand at least 20 minutes.
• Gravy: Meanwhile, remove rack, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic from roasting pan; discard vegetables. Place pan across two burners; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add wine; boil until mostly evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 2 1/2 cups stock to pan; return to a boil. Whisk remaining 1/2 cup stock into flour. Slowly add flour mixture to pan, whisking constantly; continue boiling until thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in any remaining maple-syrup mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Strain gravy through a mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in reserved neck meat and giblets, if desired. Carve turkey; serve with gravy.