Maple Whiskey Turkey Recipes

MAPLE-WHISKEY TURKEY AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Make the brine: Combine 2 quarts water, the whiskey, maple syrup, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, orange and apple peels and rosemary sprigs in a large pot. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve the salt, then turn off the heat and cover. Allow to cool completely, then place in the fridge to chill.
• Brine the turkey: Remove the turkey from its packaging and remove the bags inside that hold the neck and giblets. Rinse the neck and giblets and put them in a plastic bag in the fridge; you'll need them for the gravy. Rinse the turkey thoroughly with cold water. Place the turkey in a large brining bag or pot. Pour in the maple-whiskey brine and refrigerate 16 to 18 hours so the brine can work its magic.
• Roast the turkey: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. After the turkey has brined, remove it from the brining bag and rinse it thoroughly again, inside and out. Pat dry.
• Truss the turkey or tuck the legs and wings, whichever you like. Place breast-side up on a rack in a large shallow roasting pan. Cover the pan with heavy-duty foil so that it's well sealed. Roast 7 to 8 minutes per pound (about 1 hour 50 minutes for a 15-pound turkey and about 2 1/2 hours for a 20-pound turkey).
• Remove the turkey from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Remove the foil. (Put stuffing in the bird if you wish at this point.) Brush the butter all over the skin of the turkey, getting in the crevices. Insert a probe thermometer into the thigh, near the hip joint. Place the turkey, uncovered, back in the oven. Continue roasting, basting or brushing with the juices in the pan every 30 minutes, until the thermometer registers 165 degrees F and the juices are no longer pink. This will take about another 10 minutes per pound (about 2 1/2 hours for a 15-pound turkey and 3 to 3 1/2 hours for a 20-pound turkey). Remove the turkey from the oven and cover lightly with foil until you are ready to carve. Pour the pan drippings into a fat separator and set aside for gravy.
• Maple-Whiskey Gravy
• Place the giblets and neck in a small saucepan of water over medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium low and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the giblets are cooked. Remove the giblets, set aside and keep the water in the saucepan.
• In the turkey roasting pan (which should not have been cleaned!), add the turkey fat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk into the fat to form a paste. If the paste is too thick or clumpy, add a little more fat. If it's too greasy, sprinkle in more flour. Whisk and cook the roux over medium-low heat until it is deep golden brown.
• Pour in the chicken broth, whiskey and maple syrup, whisking the whole time. Allow the gravy to cook and thicken for several minutes, whisking occasionally. If it gets too thick or if it's too salty, thin it with a little giblet water. If the gravy is too thin, keep cooking it until it thickens up.
• Taste, then add salt and plenty of pepper. Chop the giblets and add them in, if you like. Remove as much of the neck meat as you can and add it to the gravy. Serve immediately!

MAPLE TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Place 2 quarts of water in a large pot over medium heat, and stir in brown sugar, soy sauce, maple syrup, sea salt, garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, peppercorns, and whiskey. Stir to dissolve brown sugar and salt; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining 2 quarts of water. Allow brine to cool completely before using.

MAPLE-WHISKEY TURKEY

Steps:

• Special equipment: a large brining bag, optional and a probe thermometer
• For the turkey: Remove the turkey from its packaging and remove the bags inside that hold the neck and giblets. Rinse the neck and giblets and put them in a plastic bag in the fridge; you'll need them for the Maple-Whiskey Gravy. Rinse the turkey thoroughly with cold water. Place the turkey in a large brining bag or pot. Pour in the maple-whiskey brine, cover with cold water and place in the fridge for 16 to 24 hours so the brine can work its magic.
• When ready for roasting, preheat the oven to 275 ° F.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse it thoroughly again inside and out. Soak the turkey in cold water for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse again and pat dry. Tuck the wings underneath the turkey, then tie the legs together with kitchen string. Place the turkey breast-side up on a rack in a large, shallow roasting pan. Cover the pan with heavy-duty foil so that it's well sealed. Roast for about 10 minutes per pound (about 2 1/2 hours for a 15-pound turkey and about 3 hours 20 minutes for a 20-pound turkey).
• Remove the turkey from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 375 °F. Remove the foil and set aside. (Put stuffing in the bird if you wish at this point.) Rub the butter all over the skin of the turkey, getting in the crevices. Insert a probe thermometer into the thigh, near the hip joint. Place the turkey, uncovered, back in the oven. Continue roasting, basting or brushing with the juices in the pan every 30 minutes, until the thermometer registers 165 °F and the juices are no longer pink. This could take another 2 to 2 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the bird.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and cover lightly with foil until you are ready to carve it. Pour the pan drippings into a fat separator and set aside for the Whiskey-Maple Gravy.

MAPLE-GLAZED TURKEY BREAST RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). 2. Combine whisky, maple syrup, orange rind and butter in a bowl to make glaze. Reserve. 3. With a sharp knife and your hand flat on the top of the breast cut through the thickest part of the turkey breast horizontally, stopping about 1-inch (2.5 cm) from the edge. You should then be able to open it up like a book. Repeat with remaining 3 turkey breasts. Brush glaze all over exposed turkey breast and season with salt and pepper. 4. Divide Sausage Stuffing (recipe follows) between 2 turkey breasts, fold meat over to enclose stuffing and sew or skewer the edges together. Tie in 3 places to secure. Set aside. Divide Fruit Stuffing (recipe follows) between remaining 2 turkey breasts and repeat. Brush turkey breasts with whiskey glaze and season all over with salt and pepper. 5. Place turkey breasts on a bed of onions, carrots and celery in several roasting pans or baking sheets and roast for 10 minutes or until skin is beginning to colour. Turn oven to 350°F (180°C) and roast another 45 to 50 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes while making sauce. 6. Discard vegetables and add stock and soy sauce to pans. (Divide quantity if you are using 2 pans.) Place pan over high heat and bring to boil, scraping up any little brown bits on the base of the pan. Boil for 2 minutes, add redcurrant jelly and boil another 5 to 10 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. If you are not using homemade stock then thicken with 1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp (15 mL) water. 7. Carve breasts into slices and serve with some gravy. Sausage Stuffing 1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and fennel and sauté for 2 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add garlic, then crumble in sausage meat and sauté for 1 minute or until meat loses its pinkness. Stir in spinach, sage and rosemary and cook for 1 minute or until wilted. Stir in bread crumbs and apple. Let cool slightly, then stir in egg and moisten with apple cider. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes enough stuffing for 2 turkey breasts Fruit Stuffing You can use any dried fruits for this depending on your preference and play with the amounts of each if preferred. 1. Heat cranberry juice in a pot over high heat. Bring to boil and add fruit. Simmer for 1 minute, remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes or until juice has been absorbed. Stir in the pistachios. 2. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery and sauté for 3 minutes until softened. Add fruit mixture, tarragon and marjoram and stir to combine. Remove from heat. 3. Stir in bread crumbs, add enough chicken stock to moisten, and season with salt and pepper. Makes enough stuffing for 2 turkey breasts

MAPLE-GLAZED ROAST TURKEY WITH MIXED-HERB GRAVY

Steps:

• For gravy:
• Toast flour in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until pale golden (about the color of peanuts), stirring constantly, about 7 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Add butter and whisk until butter melts and mixture is smooth (mixture will become very dark). Gradually whisk in broth. Bring to boil over medium heat, whisking frequently. Reduce heat; simmer until gravy is reduced to 21/2 cups, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
• For turkey:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Rinse turkey inside and out; discard any pieces of fat in neck and main cavity. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Fill neck cavity loosely with bread dressing. Fold skin over and secure with skewer. Fill main cavity loosely with bread dressing. Place turkey on rack in large roasting pan. Tie turkey legs together to hold shape. Tuck wings under turkey. Brush turkey with 11/2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle turkey with salt and pepper. Pour 1/2 cup broth into roasting pan.
• Roast turkey 3 hours, basting with pan juices and adding 1/2 cup broth to pan every 30 minutes. Mix maple syrup, ginger and 1 tablespoon melted butter in small bowl; brush mixture over turkey. Continue to roast turkey until thermometer inserted into innermost part of thigh registers 180°F, about 15 minutes longer.
• Transfer turkey to platter. Tent with foil and let turkey stand 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, scrape pan juices and any browned bits from roasting pan into 2-cup measuring cup. Spoon off and discard fat from surface of juices. Add juices to gravy. Add herbs and bring to simmer. Season gravy with salt and pepper.
• Serve turkey with dressing and gravy.

TAMARIND MAPLE WHISKEY SOUR

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup of ice, whiskey, tamarind concentrate, and lemon juice in a shaker. Cover and shake until the shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds.
• Fill a rocks glasses with remaining ice and strain cocktail over. Serve immediately.