Roast Turkey With Grand Marnier Apricot Stuffing Recipes

ROAST TURKEY WITH GRAND MARNIER APRICOT STUFFING

Steps:

• Make the stuffing - directions below.
• Preheat oven to 450°F
• Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry.
• Squeeze the juice of the oranges all over the turkey and in the neck and body cavities.
• Spoon the stuffing loosely into the cavities.
• Set aside any extra stuffing.
• Sew up the cavities or close with small trussing skewers.
• Place the turkey on a roasting rack in a roasting pan.
• Sprinkle all over with thyme and salt and pepper to taste.
• Spread the butter all over the turkey.
• Turn breast side up in the pan and cover the pan with aluminum foil.
• Place turkey in the oven and reduce heat to 425.
• Roast for 3 hours.
• Remove the foil and roast, basting occasionally until the juices run clear when the meaty part of the thigh is pierced with a sharp skewer, about 2 more hours.
• Bake the leftover stuffing in a baking dish at 325 for 30 minutes.
• Let turkey stand, covered with foil for 15 minutes before carving.
• STUFFING:.
• Place the apricots and 1 cup of Grand Marnier in a small saucepan.
• Heat to boiling.
• Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Simmer the turkey liver and heart in water to cover in a small saucepan for 5 minutes; set aside and cool.
• Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the celery and onion and saute for 10 minutes.
• Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Cook the pork sausage in the same skillet, crumbling with a fork, until it is no longer pink.
• Remove and add to the celery mixture.
• Add the stuffing mix, apricots with liquid, and almonds.
• Finely dice the turkey liver and heart and add to the stuffing mixture, stir to combine.
• Heat the remaining 1/2 cup butter and the stock in a small saucepan just until the butter melts.
• Pour over the stuffing mixture and add the remaining 1/2 cup Grand Marnier.
• Stir well to moisten the stuffing.
• Season with thyme, salt and pepper to taste.
• Enough for a 21-24 pound turkey.

PERFECT ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.
• Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
• Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.
• Slice the turkey and serve.

A SIMPLY PERFECT ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.
• Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
• Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 4 hours.
• Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

SILVER PALATE GRAND MARNIER APRICOT STUFFING

Steps:

• Place the apricots and 1 cup of the Grand Marnier in a small saucepan. Heat to boiling. Remove from heat and set aside. (If you simply must, simmer the giblets in a small saucepan covered with water for 5 minutes. When cool, remove and finely dice, discarding the liquid.).
• Melt ½ cup of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and saute for 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
• In the same skillet, cook the sausage, crumbling it with a fork, until it's no longer pink. Remove from heat and add to the celery & onion mixture.
• Add the stuffing mix, apricots with the liquid, the almonds (and the optional giblets.) Stir to combine.
• Heat the remaining 1/2 cup butter and chicken stock just until the butter melts. Pour over the stuffing mixture and add the remaining 1/2 cup of Grand Marnier. Stir well to moisten the stuffing, adding the thyme, salt and pepper to taste.
• Bake stuffing in a large buttered casserole at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
• If you insist, you'll have enough to stuff a 21-24 pound bird with a small extra casserole on the side.
• Note: I usually make just ½ recipe. The Grand Marnier is expensive. If not in your budget, you might substitute another orange flavored liqueur (even Southern Comfort works.).