Lemon Pepper Turkey With Bacon Gravy Recipes

LEMON-HERB TURKEY WITH BAY BUTTER AND GRAVY

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine butter and 3 tablespoons salt. Lightly pound bay leaves and two-thirds of rosemary in a mortar-and-pestle (or roll over a few times in a sealed plastic bag with a rolling pin), keeping leaves intact.
• Using your fingers, separate turkey skin from breasts and legs. Rub half of butter mixture under skin. Tuck bay-rosemary mixture and lemon zest evenly under skin. Season both cavities with salt; stuff with all but 3 sprigs thyme and all but 3 sprigs remaining rosemary. Rub outside of turkey all over with remaining butter mixture. Transfer turkey to a roasting pan lined with a rack and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 24 hours and up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature 1 to 2 hours before roasting.
• Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in lower third. Prick whole lemons all over with the tines of a fork. Stuff 2 lemons into larger cavity, along with 1 head garlic; tie legs with kitchen twine. Stuff remaining lemon into neck cavity. Pour 1 cup stock into pan. Add remaining 1 head garlic.
• Roast turkey 1 hour. Continue roasting, basting every 20 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh (near but not touching bone) registers 165°, 1 hour, 30 minutes to 2 hours, 30 minutes more, depending on size. If pan becomes dry during roasting, add more stock, 1/2 cup at a time. Transfer turkey to a carving board or platter; let stand at least 20 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, remove rack from pan. Tilt pan and skim excess fat from drippings (or use a fat separator). Place pan across 2 burners. Carefully remove lemon from neck cavity and squeeze 1 to 2 tablespoons juice into drippings; squeeze cloves of roasted garlic from pan into drippings. Add remaining rosemary and thyme sprigs. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups stock; boil until reduced by half and thickened slightly, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and more squeezes of lemon juice to taste. Strain gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Carve turkey and serve with gravy.

ROAST TURKEY WITH APPLE-BRANDY GRAVY

Steps:

• Combine the salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and the sugar in a small bowl. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and reserve for the gravy (discard the liver). Transfer the turkey to a rimmed baking sheet and pat dry. Season the skin and inside the cavity with the salt mixture. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.
• Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and rinse off the salt mixture; pat dry. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Place the apple, half of the onions, 2 garlic halves, the lemon and about 10 thyme sprigs in the cavity of the turkey; tie the legs together with twine and place breast-side up in a roasting pan. Melt 2 sticks butter with 6 thyme sprigs in a small saucepan over medium heat. Divide the melted butter in half. Brush the turkey with half of the melted butter and tent with foil. Transfer to the oven and roast 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, combine the chicken broth, bay leaves, reserved neck and giblets, and the remaining chopped onion, 2 garlic halves and 4 thyme sprigs in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until reduced to about 4 cups, about 1 hour. Strain into a clean saucepan; set aside for the gravy.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Divide the remaining melted butter in half (remelt if necessary). Uncover the turkey and brush with half of the melted butter. Return to the oven and continue roasting until browned and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Stir the honey into the remaining melted butter and brush all over the turkey; roast 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and brush with any remaining honey butter; let rest 30 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, make the gravy: Pour out the fat from the roasting pan and discard. Set the roasting pan on 2 burners over medium-high heat; add the apple brandy and hard cider. Cook, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
• Mix the flour and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl to make a paste; whisk into the roasting pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until thickened, about 25 minutes. Strain and keep warm over low heat. Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy.

ROAST HERITAGE TURKEY WITH BACON-HERB AND CIDER GRAVY

Steps:

• For bacon, dijon, and herb butter:
• Blend all ingredients in processor until bacon is finely chopped. Transfer to sheet of plastic wrap. Using plastic wrap as aid, roll butter mixture into 2-inch-diameter log; chill until firm. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
• For cider gravy base:
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine turkey neck, 1/4 cup turkey fat, and turkey leg in heavy large ovenproof pot. Place in oven; roast uncovered until turkey parts are deep, dark brown, turning once, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain, reserving fat from pot. Reserve 1/4 cup fat for gravy; return 1 tablespoon fat to pot. Return turkey parts to pot; stir in celery, onions, thyme sprigs, and peppercorns. Return pot to oven; roast uncovered 10 minutes. Add apple cider and vinegar; roast 10 minutes longer. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Add 8 cups stock and sage to pot; cook in oven uncovered 1 1/2 hours. Strain gravy base through fine strainer; discard solids in strainer (there will be about 5 cups gravy base). DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.
• For turkey:
• Cut bacon butter into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Starting at neck end, carefully slide hand between skin and breast meat, then slide hand between skin and thigh meat. Carefully slide butter slices between skin and leg, thigh, and breast meat to cover (there will be a generous amount of butter mixture). Sprinkle 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 teaspoon pepper over turkey, and 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in main cavity of turkey. Place turkey on rimmed baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or foil; chill at least 1 day. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
• Set rack at lowest position in oven; preheat to 350°F. Mix onions, celery, fennel, carrots, apples, oil, and bay leaves in large roasting pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place turkey atop vegetable mixture. Tuck wings under; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Place turkey in oven; roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 170°F, basting with pan drippings every 30 minutes and tenting loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 4 hours total. Transfer turkey to platter (internal temperature of turkey will increase 5 to 10 degrees).
• Pour vegetable mixture and pan drippings into large strainer set over large bowl; press on solids to extract liquid. Discard solids in strainer. Spoon off fat from pan drippings; discard (there will be a large amount of fat in pan drippings). Reserve degreased pan drippings for gravy (about 1 cup). Remove fat from surface of gravy base; reserve 1/4 cup fat. Rewarm cider gravy base.
• Melt reserved 1/4 cup fat in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; stir 3 minutes. Gradually add warm cider gravy base and degreased pan drippings. Simmer until smooth, thickened, and reduced to 51/2 cups, whisking frequently, about 5 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper.
• Serve turkey with gravy.

LEMON-GARLIC TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Line bottom of a greased 6-qt. slow cooker with three-fourths of the lemon slices. Place turkey over lemons, breast side up. Mix parsley, garlic, lemon zest, pepper seasoning and salt; rub over turkey. Top with remaining lemon slices. Cook, covered, on low until turkey is tender, 5-6 hours., Remove turkey from slow cooker; tent with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before carving. If desired, skim fat and thicken pan drippings for sauce; serve with turkey.