Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Turkey Recipes

BLACK PEPPER-POMEGRANATE MOLASSES GLAZED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Make the glaze: Whisk the pomegranate molasses, horseradish, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper in a medium bowl. Let it sit at room temperature to allow the flavors to meld.
• Meanwhile, prepare the turkey: Remove the neck and giblets, then rinse the bird inside and out with cold water and pat dry. Rub the entire surface of the bird with the butter and season well (including inside the cavity) with salt and pepper. Truss the turkey with kitchen twine and place it breast-side up on a rack in a large roasting pan. Roast until slightly golden brown, about 45 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue roasting 1 more hour, basting with the chicken stock every 15 minutes. Brush the entire turkey with 1 cup of the pomegranate glaze and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 160 degrees F, about 15 more minutes.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and brush with the remaining glaze. Tent loosely with foil and let sit 15 minutes before carving.

BLACK PEPPER-POMEGRANATE MOLASSES GLAZED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Whisk together pomegranate molasses, horseradish, mustard, salt, and coarsely ground black pepper. Set aside and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before using to allow the flavors to meld.
• Remove the neck, heart and gizzard from inside of the turkey. Rinse the bird inside and out with cold water and pat dry. Rub the entire surface of the bird with the butter and season well (including the cavity) with salt and pepper. Truss the turkey and place breast-up on a rack in a large roasting pan. Roast for about 45 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting, basting with some of the chicken stock every 15 minutes, for about 1 hour, 15 minutes longer. (An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh should register 160 degrees F.)
• During the last 15 minutes of roasting, stop basting with the chicken stock and brush the entire turkey with 1 cup of the pomegranate glaze. Remove the turkey from the oven, brush with the remaining glaze, loosely tent and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.

POMEGRANATE GLAZED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Pat the drumsticks completely dry and place on a baking sheet fitted with a cooling rack. Mix 1/4 cup salt, a few grinds black pepper and the sugar in a small bowl, then rub the mixture all over the drumsticks. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 4 hours and up to overnight. Rinse the legs and pat them completely dry.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix the butter with the cumin, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper and rub the mixture all over the drumsticks, getting underneath the skin if you can. Brush the drumsticks all over with the pomegranate molasses. Add 1 cup water to the bottom of the baking sheet and tent the sheet with foil. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Remove the foil from the pan and brush the turkey legs all over with the pomegranate molasses. Continue baking for 30 minutes, uncovered, then brush one last time. Bake until the skin is crispy and the turkey has reached 165 degrees F (avoiding bone), about 30 minutes more. Brush a final time with the molasses (be sure to use a fresh bowl of molasses and a clean brush to avoid cross-contamination with raw turkey juices) and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice the turkey and serve with the remaining pomegranate molasses on the side.

HARISSA AND POMEGRANATE LACQUERED TURKEY

Steps:

• For the pomegranate-harissa glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat, add pomegranate molasses and harissa. Whisk to combine and warm to just below simmering.
• For the turkey: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Season the turkey breast generously with salt and pepper. In a medium cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add vegetable oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, place the turkey breast skin-side down in the hot pan. Add the butter, thyme sprigs and garlic. Using a tablespoon, baste the turkey with the melted butter. When the skin is nicely browned, turn the breast and cook it skin-side up while continuing to baste. Cook in the pan for another 5 minutes, then brush on the pomegranate-harissa glaze and place in the oven for between 45 minutes and 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F when placed in the thickest part of the breast. Remove turkey breast from oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Slice against the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve.

ROAST TURKEY WITH POMEGRANATE GLAZE

Steps:

• Combine first 5 ingredients and reserved neck, heart, and gizzard in saucepan. Simmer over medium heat. Simmer until giblet broth is reduced to 3 3/4 cups, about 1 hour. Strain; discard solids. Chill 3/4 cup broth for Bread Dressing with Dried Apricots, Pistachios, and Mint .
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Whisk orange juice and next 4 ingredients in small bowl to blend for glaze. Place turkey on rack in heavy large roasting pan. Starting at neck end, carefully slide hand between skin and breast, thighs, and legs to loosen skin. Using pastry brush or hand, apply thin coat of pomegranate glaze over meat under skin. Stuff main cavity with lemon, quartered onion, and mint. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together loosely. Brush turkey with some of remaining glaze.
• Roast turkey 20 minutes. Pour 1 cup giblet broth into pan; brush turkey with glaze. Roast 20 minutes; brush with glaze. Roast 20 minutes. Add 1 cup broth to pan, brush with glaze, and cover turkey loosely with foil. Roast 20 minutes. Brush with glaze and reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Continue to roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, brushing with glaze every 20 minutes, about 1 hour 10 minutes longer, about 2 1/2 hours total.
• Transfer turkey to platter. Tent loosely with foil. Let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature will increase 5 to 10 degrees).
• Meanwhile, tilt roasting pan and spoon fat from surface of juices. Add 1 cup giblet broth to pan. Place pan over 2 burners. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, scraping up browned bits. Add chilled butter and simmer until gravy is smooth, whisking. Season with salt and pepper. Serve turkey with gravy.
• *A thick pomegranate syrup available at Middle Eastern markets, some supermarkets, and by mail from Adriana's Caravan (adrianascaravan.com). Do not use cane sugar molasses.

ROAST TURKEY WITH POMEGRANATE GLAZE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse turkey breast; pat dry. Rub breast with salt and pepper.
• Arrange vegetables in a large, heavy roasting pan, making sure that the vegetables are more or less flat in the bottom of the pan.
• Truss legs together with kitchen twine, if desired. Rub the bird with butter, and place on bed of vegetables in roasting pan.
• Roast turkey for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. loosely cover bird with an aluminum-foil tent, if necessary, and continue roasting, basting every half hour with the juices in the pan
• Meanwhile, slice pomegranates in half crosswise. Using a hand-held wooden lemon reamer or manual juicer, collect the juice in a small bowl. Strain juice through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Combine juice and 1 cup of the stock in a small saucepan. Cook over high heat until mixture is reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. Stir in currant jelly. Set aside.
• When a meat thermometer placed between breast and thigh reads 170 degrees. remove turkey from oven (the total cooking time to this point should be about 3 hours and 15 minutes). Discard aluminum-foil tent, and brush bird evenly and smoothly with pomegranate reduction. Lower temperature to 325 degrees. return bird to oven, and continue roasting for 5 minutes. Brush again with pomegranate reduction, and roast for 5 to 10 minutes more. Do not allow glaze to burn.
• Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and transfer to serving plate. Let turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving.
• Remove vegetables from roasting pan with a slotted spoon, transfer to a food processor, and process until smooth.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings in pan, reserving juices in a fat separator or Pyrex measuring cup; discard fat that rises to the top. Place pan over medium-low heat, and add flour, working it in with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth. Add 3 tablespoons of the puréed cooking vegetables to pan, and stir until smooth. (Remaining purée can be served as an additional side dish or discarded.)
• Add cognac to pan, and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any particles on the bottom. Continue cooking slowly over medium-low heat. Stir constantly while adding degreased pan juices and the remaining 3 cups stock. Raise heat to medium high, and cook until the gravy thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in a gravy boat alongside turkey.

POMEGRANATE TURKEY WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine 2 scallion pieces, the garlic, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup water, the herbs, walnuts, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a blender; puree until smooth. Rub 3 tablespoons of the mixture all over the turkey, loosening the skin and rubbing some underneath. Set the rest aside.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, skin-side down, and cook until the skin is golden and slightly crisp, about 3 minutes. Flip the turkey and arrange the potatoes, carrots, eggplant and the remaining scallions around it. Cook until the turkey and vegetables start browning, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar.
• Transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until the vegetables are tender and a thermometer inserted into the center of the turkey registers 165 degrees F, 20 minutes. Slice the turkey; serve with the vegetables and the remaining scallion-herb sauce. Top with pomegranate seeds.

TURKEY WITH POMEGRANATE GLAZE

Steps:

• For the brine and turkey: In a large stock pot, bring water, 1 1/2 cups kosher salt, sugar, coriander, ginger and bay leaves to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the salt and sugar dissolve. While the brine is simmering, place the ice in a bucket or pot big enough to hold the turkey. Pour the brine over the ice. When the brine has cooled, add the turkey. Place a heavy object like a plate or lid on top of the turkey to keep it submerged in the brine. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
• Position an oven rack on the lowest level of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the brine and pat it dry; discard the brine. Tuck the wings underneath the turkey. Sprinkle the turkey inside and out with salt. Put the celery, lemon, onion and parsley into the cavity of the turkey and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Place breast-side down in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Roast for 30 minutes.
• For the glaze: While the turkey roasts, combine the pomegranate molasses, 3 tablespoons water and Aleppo pepper in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Adjust heat and simmer, uncovered, until thick and syrupy, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the butter and soy sauce and remove from heat.
• After 30 minutes of roasting, turn the turkey breast-side up and lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Roast 3 hours longer, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh but not touching bone registers 160 degrees F. When the thermometer registers 155 degrees F, or during the last 30 minutes of cooking, begin basting with glaze every 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.