Spice Cured Roast Turkey Recipes

SPICED AND SUPER-JUICY ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• For the turkey:
• Place the water into your largest cooking pot or bucket/plastic bin and add all the turkey ingredients, stirring to dissolve the salt, sugar, syrup and honey. (Squeeze the juice of the orange quarters into the brine before you chuck in the pieces.) Untie and remove any string or trussing attached to the turkey, shake it free and add it to the liquid. Add more water if the turkey is not completely submerged. Keep the mixture in a cold place, even outside overnight or for up 1 or 2 days before you cook it, remembering to take it out of its liquid (and wiping it dry with kitchen-towel) a good 40 or 50 minutes before it has to go into the oven. Turkeys - indeed this is the case for all meat - should be at room temperature before being put in the preheated oven. If you're at all concerned - the cold water in the brine will really chill this bird - then just cook the turkey for longer than its actual weight requires.
• For the basting glaze:
• Place the butter and syrup into a saucepan and cook over a low heat, while stirring, until the ingredients have melted and combined. Brush the turkey with the glaze before roasting, and baste periodically throughout the roasting time. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cook the turkey for 30 minutes at this relatively high temperature, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees F and continue cooking, turning the oven back up to 425 degrees F for the final15 minutes or so if you want to give a browning boost to the skin. For a 9 to 11-pound turkey, allow 2 1/2 to 3-hours in total. But remember that ovens vary enormously, so just check by piercing the flesh between leg and body with a small sharp knife: when the juices run clear, the turkey is cooked. Just as it's crucial to let the turkey come to room temperature before it goes in to the oven, so it's important to let it stand out of the oven for a good 20 minutes before you actually carve it.

SPICE-RUBBED ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse inside and outside of turkey; pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a large roasting pan. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Tuck wings under turkey. Fill cavity loosely with stuffing, and tie legs together with kitchen twine. Squeeze 1 orange over turkey. Season outside of turkey generously with salt, and sprinkle with pepper. Gently rub seasonings into turkey.
• Heat juice of remaining orange, the butter, and wine in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Roast turkey, basting every half hour with melted-butter mixture until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. (Halfway through, rotate pan and cover with foil.)
• Remove stuffing, and transfer to a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. Bake until stuffing reaches 165 degrees, about 30 minutes more. Meanwhile, let turkey stand for 30 minutes. Transfer to a platter; reserve pan juices in roasting pan for Aleppo pepper gravy. Carve turkey. Garnish with persimmons and sage if desired.

SPICE-CURED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, combine the salt, sugar, carrots, celery, onions, leeks, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, cumin, red pepper flakes, cloves, and allspice. Add the water, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. The brine must cool completely before the turkey is soaked in it: It can be made 1 day ahead or chilled over an ice bath.
• Rinse the turkey under cold water; pat dry. Place in a stockpot, breast side down. Add the brine and enough water to cover. Cover the stockpot, and refrigerate overnight. Remove the turkey from the brine; drain.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Fill the cavities with stuffing, being careful not to pack too tightly. Secure the skin over the neck cavity with toothpicks or skewers, and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Rub the turkey generously with spice butter, and place on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Place in the oven, and roast 30 minutes. Baste, rotate the pan, and reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue basting every 30 to 45 minutes, until the temperature taken in the thickest part of the thigh registers 180°F, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Once the turkey is well browned, cover with foil, in sections, if necessary to prevent overbrowning. Remove the foil for last 30 to 60 minutes, to crisp the skin. Allow the turkey to rest 30 minutes before carving. While the turkey is resting, remove the stuffing.
• To make the gravy, pour the liquid from the roasting pan into a gravy skimmer; set aside. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat; deglaze with 1/2 cup apple cider, using a wooden spoon to scrape up bits stuck to the pan. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine 3 tablespoons reserved fat from the pan and the flour; cook 3 to 4 minutes, until browned. Add the reserved apple-cider mixture along with the stock and any separated juices from the pan. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Serve with the turkey.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a chestnut knife or a small paring knife, make an incision about 1/8 inch deep through the shell and into the flesh of the chestnut almost all the way around the circumference of the nut. Transfer to a chestnut pan or rimmed baking pan. Roast in the oven until the chestnuts are tender, about 35 minutes. Turn the oven off. Leaving the pan with the chestnuts in the oven, remove several at a time. Working quickly, place 1 chestnut in a towel, and, holding both, peel the chestnut while still hot. Remove and discard the shells and inner skin; coarsely chop, and set aside.
• Remove crusts from the bread, and set aside. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. Place in a single layer on two baking sheets, and toast in the oven until dry, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool. Place the reserved crusts in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until coarse crumbs are formed.
• Place the prunes and apple cider in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until all liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and add the chestnuts, red onion, half the celery, and half the apples. Cook until onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes and crumbs, prune mixture, chestnut mixture, remaining celery, apples, eggs, heavy cream, and sage. Stir to combine. The juices from the brine will season the stuffing; stir before serving.
• The stuffing can be baked in turkey until its temperature reaches 165°F. Excess stuffing can be seasoned with salt and pepper and baked in a buttered baking dish, covered, at 350°F for 30 minutes and then uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.
• Combine the butter, salt, pepper, thyme, cumin, garlic powder, pepper flakes, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg in a bowl. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer or by hand until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until ready to use, for up to 4 days.

TANDOORI TURKEY

Steps:

• For tandoori masala:
• Toast spices in a skillet over medium heat, swirling often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Working in batches, finely grind mixture in a spice mill. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• For garam masala:
• Toast spices in a skillet over medium heat, swirling often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Working in batches, finely grind mixture in a spice mill. Sift through a medium-mesh strainer into a small bowl; stir to combine. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• For turkey:
• Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Rub inside and out with salt; transfer to roasting bag. Stuff turkey with cardamom pods and cumin seeds, then onion, celery, and garlic.
• For marinade:
• Purée all ingredients in a blender. Pour marinade into roasting bag. Smear all over turkey. Tie bag and arrange turkey, breast side down, in a large heavy roasting pan. Refrigerate overnight.
• Let turkey stand in bag at room temperature for 1 hour. Turn breast side up. Create steam holes in bag if required by manufacturer's instructions.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Roast turkey for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (puncturing bag with thermometer) registers 160°, about 1 1/2 hours longer. Cut top of bag open, being careful of steam and juices, and pull back over turkey. Roast turkey until breast is deeply browned but not burned and a thermometer inserted into thigh registers 165°F, 15-30 minutes longer.
• Transfer to a platter. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, strain juices into a large saucepan. Spoon fat from surface. Simmer over medium heat until sauce is reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes.
• Carve turkey. Serve with accompanying gravy.

SPICY ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Mix the spices into the mayonnaise until thoroughly blended.
• Tuck back the wings and slather the spicy paste all over the turkey, massaging it into the bird.
• (Rub inside the bird, outside the bird and make sure to spread it under the breast skin).
• Roast on lowest rack of the oven at 500°F for 30 minutes.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and cover the breast with a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil folded into a triangle (leaving the legs and dark meat uncovered), insert a thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return it to oven.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
• Roast until the turkey temperature reaches 161°F (14 to 16 pound bird only needs a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting).
• Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest, loosely covered for at least 15 minutes before carving.

EXPERTLY SPICED AND GLAZED ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Place turkey, breast side up, on a cutting board and pat dry. Grip a wing and pull it outward so you can see where it attaches to the body. Using a sharp boning or chef's knife, cut though the joint to separate the wing from the breast (if you hit bone, you're in the wrong spot; pull the wing out farther to help you get into the place where the joint meets the socket). Remove wing; repeat on the other side.
• Cut through skin connecting 1 leg to carcass. Pull leg back until the ball joint pops out of its socket; cut through the joint to separate leg. Repeat on the other side.
• Now for the breast: Position the turkey breast side down with the opening facing you. Using kitchen shears, cut along one side of backbone until you get all the way through the neck end, then turn the turkey 180°F and cut through the other side to remove the backbone (save it for making stock).
• Very finely grind black and pink peppercorns in a spice mill or mortar and pestle; transfer to a medium bowl. Add salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and 1 Tbsp. brown sugar and use your fingers to mix together.
• Place turkey pieces, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle salt mixture liberally all over turkey, patting to adhere. You may not need all of it, but it's good to have extra since some will end up on the baking sheet. Chill bird, uncovered, at least 24 hours and up to 2 days.
• Remove turkey from wire rack and rinse baking sheet and rack if needed (turkey will most likely release some liquid). Line baking sheet with 3 layers of foil to make cleanup easy and set rack back inside. Arrange turkey pieces on rack, skin side up, and let sit at room temperature 2-3 hours to help decrease the cooking time.
• Meanwhile, cook herbs, garlic, orange zest, soy sauce, vinegar, and remaining ⅓ cup brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and glaze thickens slightly (it should just barely coat a spoon), 10-12 minutes. Remove glaze from heat.
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425°F. Rub turkey with oil and pour 1 cup water into baking sheet. Roast turkey, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until skin is mostly golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F and continue to roast turkey, brushing with glaze every 20 minutes and adding more water by ½-cupfuls as needed to maintain some liquid in baking sheet, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 150°F, and 170°F when inserted into the thickest part of the thighs, 50-70 minutes longer (total cooking time will be 1-1½ hours). Skin should be deep golden brown and shiny. Transfer turkey to a cutting board; tent loosely with foil. Let rest 30-60 minutes before carving.

SPICED ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Make turkey:
• Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lowest position.
• Toast spices with sea salt in a dry small heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and coriander is a shade darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to grinder and pulse until finely ground. Reserve 1 teaspoon spice mixture, then stir together remaining spice mixture with grated ginger, garlic, and butter to form a paste.
• Rinse turkey inside and out, then pat dry. Fold neck skin under body. Starting at large cavity end of turkey, gently slide your fingers between skin and flesh of breast and legs to loosen skin, being careful not to tear skin. Using a spoon, slide spice paste under skin of turkey breast and legs, pushing butter out of spoon with a finger on outside of skin (do not put spice paste under turkey skin in advance). Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and tuck wings under body.
• Pat giblets and neck pieces dry and cut into 1-inch pieces. Heat vegetable oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté giblets and neck pieces, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add scallions, carrots, celery, and sliced ginger and sauté, stirring, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
• Add rice wine and boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute. Stir in 4 cups broth, soy sauce, and reserved teaspoon spice mixture and bring to a boil. Pour mixture into roasting pan, then set rack in roasting pan, arranging neck pieces and vegetables around rack as necessary (liquid should be just below bottom of rack).
• Roast turkey on rack, rotating pan 180 degrees halfway through roasting, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of thighs (test both, close to but not touching bone) registers 170°F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into roasting pan, then transfer turkey to a platter, reserving juices in roasting pan. Let turkey stand, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 175°F).
• Make gravy while turkey stands:
• Strain pan juices through a large fine-mesh sieve into 1-quart measure, pressing hard on and then discarding solids, and let stand until fat rises to top. Skim off and discard fat. (If using a fat separator, pour pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour pan juices from separator into measuring cup, discarding fat.) You should have 4 cups stock. If there is less, add more broth. If there's more, boil to reduce. Transfer all but 1/2 cup stock to a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Whisk together cornstarch and 1/2 cup reserved stock in a small bowl until smooth, then whisk into boiling stock and boil, whisking occasionally, 2 minutes. Serve turkey with gravy.

SEASONED ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan; pat dry. Brush with butter mixture., Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°, 2-3/4 to 3-1/4 hours. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.) Cover and let stand 20 minutes before carving.

SUGAR-AND-SPICE CURED TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck; rinse turkey with cold water.
• Pat dry.
• Tie legs together with string; tuck wingtips under.
• Combine brown sugar and next 6 ingredients.
• Rub over turkey.
• Cover with plastic wrap; chill 8 hours.
• Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up.
• Arrange onion quarters round turkey.
• Pour 2 cans broth in bottom of pan.
• Bake, loosely covered with foil, at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours.
• Uncover and bake 1 1/2 more hours or until meat thermometer registers 180°F.
• (Cover with foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.) Remove onion; discard, reserving pan drippings.
• Let turkey stand 15 minutes before carving.
• Combine pan drippings and enough additional chicken broth to equal 2 cups in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened.
• Serve with turkey.