Merritt Family Two Hour Turkey Recipes

TWO-HOUR TURKEY AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Put the onion, garlic, and rosemary, if using, into the empty turkey cavity. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan, breast side up, and brush with the butter or oil. Place in the oven, uncovered, and roast, unattended, for 1 hour. Carefully remove the turkey from the oven (close the door of the oven), watching out for steam. Brush the turkey with butter or its juices. Return to the oven quickly and reduce the heat to 400°F.Roast another 30 minutes, checking the pan juices occasionally. Cover with foil if the breast is too brown. Cook another 30 minutes, adding stock if the pan juices evaporate.
• The turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted in its thigh registers 170°F and the juices run clear. Let rest 10 minutes (the temperature should rise 10 degrees in 10 minutes). Remove the turkey to a board or platter for carving. Carve. Discard the onions and garlic from inside the turkey. The turkey can be made a day ahead and refrigerated before reheating, carved, or it can be carved 10 minutes after resting.
• If you decide to roast and carve the turkey ahead of time or if you want to freeze a portion of the turkey for another occasion, place the carved turkey in a shallow baking dish, cover it with broth, then wrap with foil or place the dish in a plastic bag; refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. When you are ready to serve, defrost, if necessary, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. When you are ready to serve, defrost, if necessary, in the refrigerator, then bake in a 350°F. oven for 30 to 45 or until heated completely through (or heat in the microwave).
• While the turkey is resting, place the pan over medium-high heat. The skin, fat, and juices should be a beautiful dark bronze, not black. Remove all but 1/2 cup of the fat. Keep as much of the juices as possible. Whisk the flour into the fat and cook, stirring, until the flour turns light brown. Whisk in the rest of the broth, and boil until thick and flavorful, stirring occasionally. Strain if lumpy or any part is burned. Add water or canned broth or stock if a thinner gravy is desired. Add as much cream as desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

MERRITT FAMILY TWO HOUR TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove the turkey from refrigerator and allow it to stand at room temperature for about 45 minutes to an hour.
• While turkey is reaching room temperature, place a rack in the lowest position in an oven. Line a large turkey roasting pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, and spray the lined pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey cavity, and set aside. Wash and dry the turkey with paper towels, and rub the turkey with vegetable oil. Sprinkle the turkey, inside and out, with lemon pepper seasoning. Sprinkle the inside of the cavity with salt, and place the quartered onion, parsley sprigs, rosemary, and oranges in the cavity. Sprinkle the area under the neck skin with lemon pepper seasoning, and stuff the area with a few slices of onion. Loosely tie the legs, and fold the wings underneath the turkey.
• Place the prepared turkey into the roasting pan. Surround the turkey with the giblets and neck, remainder of sliced onion, and carrot. Mix the white wine, cognac, chicken broth, and tomato juice in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until liquid is hot but not boiling. Pour half the liquid into the turkey cavity and the other half into the pan. Cover the turkey with more aluminum foil, making a tent so the foil doesn't contact the turkey skin. Crimp the foil firmly over the edges of the pan to completely seal the turkey in the foil tent.
• Roast in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the turkey from the oven, slit the foil tent, and fold the foil back to expose the turkey skin. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and roast the turkey for 1 more hour, until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.