Mezcal And Maple Roasted Turkey In Cheesecloth Recipes

PERFECT ROAST TURKEY 101

Steps:

• Rinse turkey with cool water, and dry with paper towels. Let stand for 2 hours at room temperature.
• Place rack on lowest level in oven. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine melted butter and white wine in a bowl. Fold a large piece of cheesecloth into quarters and cut it into a 17-inch, 4-layer square. Immerse cheesecloth in the butter and wine; let soak.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a heavy metal roasting pan. If the turkey comes with a pop-up timer, remove it; an instant-read thermometer is a much more accurate indication of doneness. Fold wing tips under turkey. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Fill large cavity and neck cavity loosely with as much stuffing as they hold comfortably; do not pack tightly. (Cook remaining stuffing in a buttered baking dish for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.) Tie legs together loosely with kitchen string (a bow will be easy to untie later). Fold neck flap under, and secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey with the softened butter, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper.
• Lift cheesecloth out of liquid, and squeeze it slightly, leaving it very damp. Spread it evenly over the breast and about halfway down the sides of the turkey; it can cover some of the leg area. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Using a pastry brush, baste cheesecloth and exposed parts of turkey with butter and wine. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to cook for 2 1/2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes and watching pan juices; if the pan gets too full, spoon out juices, reserving them for gravy.
• After this third hour of cooking, carefully remove and discard cheesecloth. Turn roasting pan so that the breast is facing the back of the oven. Baste turkey with pan juices. If there are not enough juices, continue to use butter and wine. The skin gets fragile as it browns, so baste carefully. Cook 1 more hour, basting after 30 minutes.
• After this fourth hour of cooking, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Do not poke into a bone. The temperature should reach 180 degrees (stuffing should be between 140 degrees and 160 degrees) and the turkey should be golden brown. The breast does not need to be checked for temperature. If legs are not yet fully cooked, baste turkey, return to oven, and cook another 20 to 30 minutes.
• When fully cooked, transfer turkey to a serving platter, and let rest for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Pour all the pan juices into a glass measuring cup. Let stand until grease rises to the surface, about 10 minutes, then skim it off. Meanwhile, place roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup dry red or white wine, or water, to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan until liquid boils and all the crisp bits are unstuck from pan. Add giblet stock to pan. Stir well, and bring back to a boil. Cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the defatted pan juices, and cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes more. You will have about 2 1/2 cups of gravy. Season to taste, strain into a warm gravy boat, and serve with turkey.

MEZCAL-AND-MAPLE-ROASTED TURKEY IN CHEESECLOTH

Steps:

• For the turkey: The day before serving, pat the turkey dry using paper towels. Remove the neck. Place the turkey on a large, clean cloth and rub both the inside and outside generously with salt. Place the turkey and the neck in a container that fits comfortably and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight to allow the skin to dry out.
• Remove the turkey at least 2 hours prior to roasting to take the chill off it. Position the oven rack on the lowest rung and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the oranges, 1 onion, cinnamon stick and thyme in the body cavity of the turkey. Fold the wings and tuck the tips underneath the bird.
• For the butter sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the maple syrup, mezcal and cloves. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until fully incorporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Place the remaining quartered onions in the bottom of a roasting pan to act as a rack. Add the turkey neck, along with the sage. Drizzle the onions and neck with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set the turkey on top of the onions. Soak a double layer of cheesecloth big enough to cover the bird in the butter sauce, then drape it over the breast and legs of the turkey. Pour any remaining butter sauce over the turkey. Add the stock to the bottom of the pan.
• Roast for 45 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and continue roasting until the skin is golden brown and the turkey juices run clear when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh and breast registers 160 degrees F, another 10 to 15 minutes per pound (at least 1 hour and 40 minutes and up to 3 hours).
• Allow the turkey to rest at least 30 minutes before removing the cheesecloth and carving.

TURKEY

Steps:

• The day before roasting, rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water, set on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Sprinkle the turkey inside and out with the salt. Wrap the turkey in plastic wrap and refrigerate, about 24 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 to 2 hours prior to roasting to bring to room temperature.
• Place an oven rack on the lowest rung and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place a few sprigs of the oregano and thyme, a few cloves of the garlic and a quarter of the lemon in the turkey's neck cavity. Wrap the neck skin over and around the cavity to enclose the ingredients. Place half of the remaining oregano, half of the remaining thyme, half of the remaining garlic, 2 lemon quarters, half of the fennel, half of the onion and all the fennel fronds in the turkey's body cavity. Place the turkey, breast-side-up, on a rack set into a large roasting pan. Fold the wings and tuck the tips underneath the turkey.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and then let cool.
• Fill a pot with the stock. Add the remaining oregano, thyme, garlic, 1 quarter lemon, fennel and onions to the pot. Bring the stock mixture to a boil, reduce the heat so that the liquid simmers and continue to cook at a low simmer, about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Soak a double layer of cheesecloth big enough to cover the turkey in the cooled butter and drape over the breast and legs of the turkey. Pour the stock mixture over the bird, pushing the pieces of vegetable and herbs into the bottom of the roasting pan. Add the reserved neck and gizzards to the bottom of the roasting pan.
• Place the turkey in the oven and roast, about 45 minutes. (There will be the distinct possibility of smoke depending on how clean your oven is). Turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F, and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a thigh registers 160 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes (removing the cheesecloth for the final 10 minutes to brown, if needed). Remove the turkey from the oven and allow to rest before carving, about 20 minutes.