Braised Truffled Turkey Recipes

CRISPY TRUFFLED TURKEY

Steps:

• For the turkey: In a small bowl, mix the kosher salt, truffle salt, chopped thyme and pepper flakes. Lay the turkey flat on a rimmed baking sheet, skin-side down, and then pat it dry with paper towels. Generously sprinkle the inside of the turkey with half of the seasoning mixture, being sure the hit the thick parts a bit heavier than the thin parts. Flip the turkey and sprinkle the skin side with the remaining seasoning. Cover the turkey with a piece of loose parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Rest the turkey at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting.
• On a clean, rimmed baking sheet, scatter the thyme sprigs, celery, carrots, rosemary and onions. Pat the turkey dry one more time and place on the bed of vegetables skin-side up. Tuck the wings under the shoulders. Mix together the truffle butter and oil in a small bowl. Pour the butter mixture over the bird and brush evenly on the skin. Roast until an instant-read thermometer reads 155 degrees F in both the thigh and the thickest part of the breast, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• Place the turkey on a cutting board to rest for 20 minutes before carving. Strain any juices from the bottom of the baking sheet and skim off any fat that may rise to the surface. Carve the turkey.
• For the gravy: In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, heat the chicken broth, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and 1/4 cup water until smooth and no lumps remain. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the simmering broth. Continue to whisk until smooth and thick, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the reserved turkey drippings, the kosher salt and truffle salt. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf and serve the gravy with the carved turkey.

BASIC BRAISED TURKEY

Steps:

• Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the turkey and brown the leg (and, if you're using them, wing) portions on the skin side well, 10 minutes or more; turn and cook for another 2 minutes on the skinless side. Remove to a plate and brown the breasts in the same skillet, again mostly on the skin side; remove and keep them separate.
• Heat the oven to 300, and cook the bacon or pancetta (if using) in the remaining fat in the skillet until nearly crisp; remove with a slotted spoon. Cook the onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery and herbs, in batches if necessary, until beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer with the bacon or pancetta to a large roasting pan, then nestle the dark meat in there, leaving room for the breasts. Add stock or water to come about one-third to halfway up the sides of the thighs.
• Roast uncovered for about 90 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure liquid levels remain sufficiently high and stirring vegetables if they threaten to brown too much. When thigh meat is tender, place the breasts in the pan, and cook until tender, 30 to 45 minutes more, or until done. (They should register 155 on an instant-read thermometer.)
• Slice breast and thigh meat and serve on a platter with the vegetables garnished, if you like, with parsley.

BRAISED TRUFFLED TURKEY

Steps:

• The night before you plan to cook the turkey clean the bird, slice some truffles, and slip them under the skin. Slip several truffles into the cavity as well, wrap the bird loosely in foil, and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
• Next day, prepare the stuffing. Sauté the pork, veal and shallots in 8 tablespoons butter and blend well with salt to taste and 1/2 cup cognac. Do not cook completely - merely mix over heat and add the crumbs and parsley. Add seasonings to taste. Combine with the truffles in the turkey and stuff lightly. Sew up the vent and truss the turkey.
• Brown the turkey well in butter or butter and oil mixed and place the bird on a bed of the julienne carrots, leeks and celery in a large braising pan. Add the butter or butter and oil and 1 1/2 cups white wine and turn heat to high. Cover pan, reduce heat, and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, basting the bird occasionally with equal parts of melted butter and white wine. When the bird is tender, remove to a hot platter and strain off the pan juices. Reduce the juices to 2 cups and thicken with beurre manié. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground white pepper and add remaining 1/4 cup cognac.
• Serve with potatoes Anna and braised celery. Drink a fine Château-bottled Médoc - a Château Latour or Palmer.

STOCK-BRAISED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Place salt and brown sugar in a small bowl and work together with your fingers to incorporate. Place turkey legs on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle dry brine all over both sides of legs. Chill, uncovered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 250°F. Rinse turkey legs and pat dry. Sprinkle on all sides with flour. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook 2 turkey legs, skin side down, until skin is browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer legs to a large roasting pan. Repeat with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil and 2 turkey legs.
• Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and orange, cut side down, and rosemary and chile to skillet and cook, undisturbed, until garlic is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add wine, scraping to release any browned bits stuck to the bottom of pan. Cook until wine is almost completely evaporated, about 2 minutes. Scrape into roasting pan with turkey legs. Pour in stock and cover tightly with 2 layers of foil.
• Transfer pan to oven and braise turkey until leg joints wiggle freely and meat is fork-tender, 2 1/2-3 hours.
• Place turkey legs, skin side up, on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Transfer garlic, orange, rosemary, and chile to a platter. Start with 2 cups braising liquid to make sauce. If you have more than that, set roasting pan over medium-high heat and bring liquid to a boil. Cook until reduced to 2 cups. Reduce heat so liquid is simmering and whisk in butter a piece at a time, incorporating each piece completely before adding more.
• Heat broiler. Broil turkey legs until skin is browned and crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to platter and serve with pan sauce poured over or alongside.
• Do Ahead
• Turkey legs can be braised 3 days ahead. Let cool in braising liquid; cover and chill. Reheat, covered, until heated through before broiling.

BRAISED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Rinse turkey legs and pat dry; season all over with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat and add olive oil. Add turkey legs, skin side down, working in batches, if necessary. Cook, turning, until turkey legs are browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer legs to a plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon of rendered fat from Dutch oven.
• Deglaze with white wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot and slightly reduced, 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium-high and add carrots, celery, and leeks to Dutch oven and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, sage, bay leaves, and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add turkey legs, skin side down; cover and transfer to oven. Cook for 40 minutes. Uncover, turn turkey legs, and continue cooking uncovered until legs are tender, 45 to 50 minutes more.
• Transfer turkey legs to a serving platter. Skim fat from top of braising liquid and discard; season braising liquid with salt and pepper, and spoon over turkey legs. Serve garnished with chopped parsley and thyme.

BRAISED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add sausage, pancetta and as many thighs as will fit comfortably, skin side down; sprinkle thighs with salt and pepper. Brown all well, removing pancetta first (it will brown first), then sausage; set aside. Turn thighs when they are well browned and cook a minute or so on skinless side. Remove them, too, and repeat with remaining thighs if necessary. Add breast to pan and brown it well, skin side down, then flip and cook for just a minute or so and remove. Set pan aside.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Soak porcinis in hot water to cover. In pan used for turkey, cook carrots, celery, onions, sage and shiitakes in leftover fat. When all vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, add drained porcini, reserving liquid. Return pancetta and sausage to pan. Cook another minute and turn off heat.
• In a large roasting pan, put thighs in corners, browned side up; there should be room for breasts all in one layer. Fill space between thighs with vegetables; leave breasts out for now. Add mushroom soaking liquid, leaving any sand and grit behind. Add stock or water as needed to come about halfway up sides of thighs.
• Put in oven and roast, uncovered, for 2 hours, checking occasionally to make sure liquid level remains sufficiently high and stirring vegetables if they threaten to brown too much. When thigh meat is tender, lay breasts on vegetables and cook until they are done, about a half hour longer.
• To serve, put vegetables on a platter; slice breasts and lay them on top; shred thigh meat and pile that on the rest.

ROASTED TURKEY WITH BLACK-TRUFFLE BUTTER AND COGNAC GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. In a medium bowl, combine the truffle butter, shallots, salt, and pepper, mixing with a wooden spoon until smooth. Separate the turkey skin from breast by sliding your hand beneath the skin. Do your best to separate some of the skin around the thigh as well. Smear most of the truffle butter mixture under the skin, onto the meat. Smear remaining butter mixture onto the outside of the bird. Use your hands to massage the bird to even out the butter mixture under the skin.
• Place garlic in the cavity and tie the legs together using kitchen twine. In a large roasting pan, scatter the celery and onions. Place a roasting rack on top of the vegetables, and set the turkey on the rack. Pour 1 1/2 cups broth into the pan. Place in the center of the oven and roast until starting to brown, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and continue to roast, basting hourly, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Add 1/4 cup of broth if the pan looks too dry. You don't want the drippings to burn, but you do want them to brown, so add broth accordingly. Tent with foil if turkey is browning too quickly.
• While the turkey is roasting, start the gravy. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the turkey neck, giblets, and heart (if using) and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add peppercorns, bay leaf, parsley stems, thyme, and 6 cups water and bring to a simmer. Cook 2 hours. Strain stock into a smaller saucepan and set aside. You should have about 1 3/4 cups. Shred some of the neck meat and set aside.
• When turkey is done, carefully remove it from the roasting pan, still on the rack, to a sheet pan. Cover loosely with foil and let rest in a warm place. Pour off or blot the excess fat and discard. Set the roasting pan over 2 burners on the stove. Pour in the cognac (from a cup, not the bottle) into the roasting pan, and turn the burners on to medium heat. Carefully ignite the cognac using a long lighter or match. When the flames die down, use a wooden spoon to scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Strain the contents of the roasting pan into the saucepan with the turkey stock. Simmer to reduce slightly. Add the turkey neck meat.
• Knead the butter and flour together using a spoon or your fingers. Bring the stock mixture to a boil, then add the butter mixture by tablespoonfuls to the stock until the desired thickness is reached. Allow the gravy to simmer for a minute before adding additional butter mixture and continue to simmer until reduced to desired consistency. Season to taste and serve in a warm gravy boat alongside the turkey.