Cider Roast Turkey Recipes

LAUREN'S APPLE CIDER ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
• Mix water, apple cider, kosher salt, and sugar in a large pot or 5-gallon food-grade bucket, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Submerge the turkey in the brine, cover the container, and place in refrigerator, 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Remove turkey from brine and discard used brine. Place turkey with breast side up into a roasting pan; pat turkey and cavity dry with paper towels. Loosen turkey skin over the breast and thighs with your fingers.
• Mix olive oil, thyme, and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. Rub the seasoned oil over the turkey and underneath the loosened skin. Cover turkey loosely with aluminum foil.
• Roast in the preheated oven until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, reads 165 to 175 degrees F (75 to 80 degrees C), 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Remove foil tent about 45 minutes before end of roasting time to let the skin brown. Let turkey rest 30 to 45 minutes before carving.

CIDER ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Wash and dry the turkey, removing any feathers. Pull out the giblets and the neck, then set aside. Lift up the skin that covers the neck opening, then stuff the stuffing up and under the skin, securing it tightly underneath with a skewer or two cocktail sticks. Weigh the stuffed turkey, then calculate the cooking time, allowing 40 mins per kg (20 mins per lb).
• Put the leeks and carrots along the bottom of a roasting tin in a single layer - this will make a trivet for the turkey to sit on and add flavour to the gravy. Add the neck to the tin. Sit the turkey on top and coat the breast all over with butter. Pour in the cider, cover with foil, then roast according to your timings. Keep checking the tin - if the vegetables look like they're burning, add a splash of water or cider. At 30 mins before the end of cooking, remove the foil and season generously.
• To test that the turkey is ready, pierce the thigh through its thickest part; the juices should run clear. Take the turkey out and leave to rest, covered with a clean tea towel. Can leave to rest for up to 1 hr. Now make the gravy. Drain the fat and juices from the tin into a jug, discarding the veg and the neck. Place the tin over a flame, then pour in the cider, scraping up the flavour-filled crusty bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce the cider by half, then strain into a saucepan (this will save you hob space later).

SIMPLE ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove any giblets from the cavity and reserve for stock or gravy. Pat turkey and turkey neck dry with paper towel; rub turkey all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt per pound of turkey, the pepper and the lemon zest, including the neck. Transfer to a 2-gallon (or larger) resealable plastic bag. Tuck herbs and 6 garlic cloves inside bag. Seal and refrigerate on a small rimmed baking sheet (or wrapped in another bag) for at least 1 day and up to 3 days, turning the bird over every day (or after 12 hours if brining for only 1 day).
• Remove turkey from bag and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey, uncovered, back on the baking sheet. Return to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours to dry out the skin (this helps crisp it).
• When you are ready to cook the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for one hour.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. In the bottom of a large roasting pan, add the cider and enough wine to fill the pan to a 1/4-inch depth. Add half the onions, the remaining 6 garlic cloves and the bay leaves. Stuff the remaining onion quarters and the lemon quarters into the turkey cavity. Brush the turkey skin generously with oil or melted butter.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack set inside the roasting pan. Transfer pan to the oven and roast 30 minutes. Cover breast with aluminum foil. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh reaches a temperature of 165 degrees, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Transfer turkey to a cutting board to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

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.

CIDER-BASTED TURKEY WITH ROASTED APPLE GRAVY

Steps:

• For turkey:
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Combine first 5 ingredients in small saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; bring liquid to boil. Set liquid aside.
• Mix 2 quartered apples, onion, thyme, sage leaves and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in large bowl.
• Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Sprinkle main cavity with salt and pepper. Spoon apple mixture into main cavity. Tuck wing tips under turkey; tie legs together loosely. Place turkey in large roasting pan. Rub turkey breast and legs with butter. Pour half of basting liquid over turkey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast turkey 30 minutes. Pour remaining basting liquid over turkey. Roast 2 hours, basting frequently with pan juices and adding 1 cup (or more) water to pan if juices have evaporated. Add all apple slices to pan juices around turkey. Cover turkey loosely with foil to keep from browning too quickly. Continue to roast until apples are tender, turkey is deep brown and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, basting frequently with pan juices, about 1 hour 30 minutes longer.
• Transfer turkey to platter. Tent loosely with foil; let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature of turkey will increase 5 to 10 degrees).
• For gravy:
• Using slotted spoon, transfer apples from pan juices to bowl. Pour pan juices into 4-cup measuring cup. Spoon off fat and discard. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 4 cups. Transfer broth mixture to large saucepan; simmer 5 minutes. Add reserved apples; simmer 2 minutes. Mix apple cider and cornstarch in small bowl. Whisk into gravy. Boil until gravy thickens, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Discard mixture from turkey cavity. Serve turkey with gravy.