Bourbon Turkey Recipes

BOURBON TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Add sugar & salt to 1.5 cup of bourbon take HALF of the herbs,1 apple, 1 orange and orange rind, peppercorns,1 garlic head, and 1 onion in saucepan bring to a low boil dissolving the sugar & salt. Remove from heat.
• Take a potato masher and gently press down the ingredients in the saucepan so all the flavors can release into the bourbon. Add 1 cup of ice to cool down.
• Line large bucket or pot with brining bag add the OTHER HALF of the herbs, fruit, peppercorns, orange rind, garlic & onion.
• Place turkey in bag, add 1 cup of bourbon to the inside cavity of turkey, 7 cups of cold water, then add bourbon & ice mixture finish with 8 more cups of bourbon.
• Stir & submerge turkey in bourbon brine make sure no air is in brining bag. Take the flavor injector, and inject the turkey in several different areas with the brining solution.
• Refrigerate & rotate every 12 hours.
• Brine for 48 hours, bring to room temperature for 45 minutes. Pat dry and cook. (SEE BOURBON DRUNKEN UPSIDE-DOWN TURKEY RECIPE).

ORANGE-BOURBON TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck from turkey; discard. Rinse turkey thoroughly with cold water; pat dry. Combine orange juice, water, 1/2 cup bourbon, and molasses in a 2-gallon heavy-duty ziptop plastic bag; add turkey. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 4 to 24 hours turning bag occasionally. Remove turkey from bag, reserving marinade.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Tie ends of legs with cord. Lift wing tip up and over back and tuck under bird. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt into body cavity. Stuff cavity with oranges. Place turkey on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray or on a rack set in a shallow pan. Insert meat thermometer into meaty part of thigh, making sure not to touch bone. Bake at 350 degrees for 3 hours or until thermometer registers 180 degrees. (Cover loosely with foil if it gets too brown.) Remove turkey from oven. Cover loosely with foil; let stand at least 10 minutes before carving. Discard oranges.
• Pour reserved marinade into saucepan; bring to a boil. Skim foam from mixture with a slotted spoon; discard. Reduce heat to medium; cook until reduced to 3 1/2 cups (about 15 minutes). Combine 1/4 cup bourbon and flour in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add to reduced marinade; bring to a boil and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve sauce with turkey. Garnish with orange slices and parsley sprigs if desired.

BOURBON TURKEY

Steps:

• 24 hours in Advance: Soak 1 yard of cheesecloth in bourbon ring out lightly and stuff into turkey cavity.
• Rub Herbs de Provence under the turkey skin.
• With a kitchen needle and thread tack the skin back on the breast securely with a few stitches.
• Wrap the turkey with the remaining cheesecloth and soak the cloth with the remaining bourbon.
• Marinate in fridge for 24 hours, turning the turkey over 4-6 times.
• Next day: Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
• Remove cheesecloth from the outside of the turkey and stuff it into the cavity with the other cheesecloth.
• Rub turkey with olive oil and salt and pepper.
• Bake 275 degrees f for 5 hours basting frequently.

BOURBON INJECTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Place all ingredients other than butter into a saucepan. Whisk, then bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, then simmer for 10 minutes.
• slice butter into small pats, and add the butter after the 10 minutes are up. Whisk until the butter is melted,.
• Using a 30ml flavor injector, inject the turkey in the breast, thighs,drumstick and upper wing ares. No more than 15ml should be injected at any one place.
• Cook bird according to your normal method.

BOURBON TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Pour roasting pan drippings in measuring cup and allow to separate.
• Reserve 3 tablespoons of the fat.
• Discard remaining fat and add drippings to turkey stock.
• Heat reserved fat in roasting pan over medium-high heat.
• Add garlic, shallot, rosemary, and bay leaf.
• Cook and stir until shallot is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Make a paste with butter and flour in a small bowl and reserve.
• Add broth to roasting pan and scrape up any brown bits from bottom of pan.
• Bring to boil.
• Slowly whisk in flour mixture, continuing to boil, until thickened.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Stir in one capful of good bourbon just before serving.

HICKORY-SMOKED BOURBON TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for other uses, if desired. Rinse turkey thoroughly with cold water, and pat dry.
• Add water to a large stockpot, filling half full; stir in maple syrup, bourbon, and pickling spice. Add turkey and, if needed, additional water to cover. Cover and chill turkey 2 days.
• Soak hickory wood chunks in fresh water at least 30 minutes. Prepare charcoal fire in smoker; let fire burn 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove turkey from water, discarding water mixture; pat dry. Cut carrot and celery in half crosswise. Stuff cavity with carrot, celery, and onion. Pierce lemon with a fork; place in neck cavity.
• Combine salt and pepper; rub mixture over turkey. Fold wings under, and tie legs together with string, if desired.
• Drain wood chunks, and place on coals. Place water pan in smoker, and add water to depth of fill line. Place turkey in center of lower food rack; cover with smoker lid.
• Cook 6 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of turkey thigh registers 180°, adding additional water, charcoal, and wood chunks as needed. Remove from smoker, and let stand 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish, if desired.

BOURBON DRUNKEN UPSIDE-DOWN TURKEY

Steps:

• MARINADE PREP.
• In a bowl put Cheese Cloth (you will need about 3-5 packages -- depending on the size of your Turkey) and 3-4 cups of MAKERS MARK, let Cheese Cloth soak up Bourbon.
• Clean inside cavity of Turkey -- then Salt & Pepper inside cavity, and add 1 tablespoon of Herbs De Provence, sprinkle inside cavity.
• Carefully seperate the skin from the Turkey Breast -- take 1 Tablespoon of Herbs De Provence and put under skin of the breast -- be sure to massage the herbs under the skin so they can spread evenly under the skin -- if your having a hard time moving the herbs around -- just take a tablespoon of Makers Mark and put it under the skin it should help the herbs spread.
• Take 2 of the BOURBON SOAKED CHEESE CLOTH and stuff the inside of the Turkey -- don't pack it -- just lightly put it in place.
• *NOTE: If you DON'T HAVE A FLAVOR INJECTOR -- SKIP THIS STEP* -- With a flavor injector, inject the following spots with a full syringe of BOURBON -- FLIP TURKEY UPSIDE DOWN (DO NOT INJECT TURKEY BREAST SIDE UP!) -- INJECT BOURBON IN BOTH LEGS -- and UNDERNEATH THE BREAST (try to get the needle where the bone of the breast is) -- and INJECT BOTH WINGS.
• Wrap outside of Turkey with the remaining BOURBON SOAKED CHEESE CLOTH -- then WRAP the TURKEY & CHEESE CLOTH IN SARAN/PLASTIC WRAP and put in REFIDGERATOR AND MARINADE UPSIDEDOWN -- FLIPPING AND ROTATING THE TURKEY EVERY 6-8 hours -- NOTE: If you would like to inject the same spots every other time you rotate it will enhance the flavors more, but it may require an extra bottle of bourbon.
• 24-36 HOURS MARINADE TIME.
• COOKING PREP.
• Remove plastic wrap & cheese cloth -- also the cheese cloth inside the cavity -- take ALL the cheese cloth and RESOAK IN BOURBON.
• Melt 1/2 cup butter -- INJECT MELTED BUTTER IN SAME EXACT AREAS WHERE THE BOURBON WAS INJECTED -- *hint* -- TURKEY NEEDS TO BE UPSIDEDOWN.
• Rub Olive Oil all over Turkey -- SALT & PEPPER THE ENITRE OUTSIDE TURKEY, AND THEN LIGHTLY SPRINKLE HERBS DE PROVENCE ALL OVER TURKEY AS WELL.
• Gather Garlic Cloves, Onion, Thyme, Marjoram, Rosemary, Oranges, Parsley and Sage -- Cut the Garlic Cloves & Onion in half, leaving the skin on -- drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cut Oranges into fouths.
• WRAP EVERYTHING (Garlic Cloves, Onion, Thyme, Marjoram, Rosemary, Oranges, Parsley and Sage) IN THE BOURBON SOAKED CHEESE CLOTH AND STUFF INTO TURKEY.
• Add entire stick of butter to bottom of roasting pan.
• OKAY NOW COOK THE TURKEY UPSIDEDOWN -- TRUST ME I'VE MADE THE MISTAKE OF COOKING THE TURKEY BREAST SIDE UP AND ITS ALWAYS DRY.-- TENT THE ENTIRE TURKEY IN THE OVEN WITH ALUMINUM FOIL UP UNTIL THE FINAL 2 1/2 HOURS OF COOKING -- 2 1/2 hours before its done take the tent off and FLIP the TURKEY BREAST SIDE UP (the best way to do this is having 2 people maybe more depending on the size and 2 of the same size pans and place one on top of the other and flip) -- NOTE: TO GET A CRISP GOLDEN BREAST TURN UP THE OVEN AN EXTRA 125 DEGREES FOR 25-35 MINUTES.
• KEEP BASTING IN NATURAL JUICES EVERY 30 MINUTES -- BASTE, BASTE, BASTE -- BASTING IS KEY!
• This will be so flavorfull and juicy, your dinner guests will BE AMAZED.