Spice Cured Turkey Recipes

BUTTERMILK-BRINED SPICE-RUBBED TURKEY

Steps:

• Brine the turkey: Bring 2 cups water, the salt, brown sugar, 1 halved garlic head and 10 thyme sprigs to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from the heat and add 6 cups cold water; let cool to room temperature. Whisk the buttermilk, hot sauce, mustard and sliced onion in a large bowl, then whisk in the salt-sugar mixture. Place the turkey in a brining bag or extra-large pot. Pour the brine over the turkey, seal or cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Position a rack in the lowest part of the oven; remove the other racks and preheat to 350˚. Set a rack in a large roasting pan. Remove the turkey from the brine, letting the excess drip off as much as possible, and transfer, breast-side up, to the rack. Pat the turkey dry. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Combine the paprika, onion powder, granulated garlic, cayenne and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Stuff the turkey cavity with the remaining 1 halved garlic head and 10 thyme sprigs and the quartered onion; tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Tuck the wings under the body. Season the turkey all over with salt and brush with the melted butter. Coat the turkey with the spice mixture.
• Roast the turkey 1 1/2 hours, then baste with the pan drippings. (Add 1/4 cup water to the roasting pan if it's too dry.) Continue to roast, basting every 30 minutes, until the skin is crisp and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165˚, 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes before carving.

BROWN SUGAR-CURED TURKEY WITH WILD MUSHROOM-SHALLOT GRAVY

Steps:

• TURKEY:.
• Rinse turkey inside and out.
• Pat dry with paper towels.
• Place turkey on platter.
• Mix brown sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, allspice, cloves and mace in small bowl to blend well.
• Rub brown sugar mixture all over outside of turkey.
• Refrigerate turkey uncovered 24 hours.
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 300.
• Arrange onion quarters in large roasting pan.
• Place turkey atop onions.
• Tie turkey legs together.
• Tuck wings under turkey.
• Sprinkle turkey with pepper.
• Cover loosely with foil.
• Roast turkey 2 hours.
• Uncover; roast 30 minutes.
• Add 1 cup broth to roasting pan; baste turkey with broth.
• Roast turkey 1 hour, basting occasionally.
• Add 1 cup broth to roasting pan; continue to roast turkey until dark brown, basting with broth every 20 minutes, about 1 hour.
• Cover turkey loosely with foil; continue to roast until thermometer inserted into innermost part of thigh registers 180, about 1 hour 30 minutes longer.
• Transfer turkey to platter.
• Tent with foil and let stand 30 minutes.
• Serve with Wild Mushroom-Shallot Gravy.
• GRAVY:.
• Preheat oven to 300.
• Combine oil, shallots and garlic in small glass baking dish.
• Cover dish with foil.
• Bake until shallots and garlic are very tender and pale golden, about 1 hour.
• Cool slightly.
• Thinly slice shallots and garlic; reserve oil in dish. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate).
• Transfer 1 tablespoon oil from baking dish to heavy large saucepan.
• Heat oil over medium-high heat.
• Add mushrooms, rosemary, thyme, sage, and roasted shallots and garlic to saucepan; saute until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add Marsala and sherry; boil until syrupy, about 6 minutes.
• Add stock; boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
• Add cream; boil until mixture thickens to sauce consistency, about 5 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.

TANDOORI TURKEY

Steps:

• For tandoori masala:
• Toast spices in a skillet over medium heat, swirling often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Working in batches, finely grind mixture in a spice mill. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• For garam masala:
• Toast spices in a skillet over medium heat, swirling often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Working in batches, finely grind mixture in a spice mill. Sift through a medium-mesh strainer into a small bowl; stir to combine. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• For turkey:
• Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Rub inside and out with salt; transfer to roasting bag. Stuff turkey with cardamom pods and cumin seeds, then onion, celery, and garlic.
• For marinade:
• Purée all ingredients in a blender. Pour marinade into roasting bag. Smear all over turkey. Tie bag and arrange turkey, breast side down, in a large heavy roasting pan. Refrigerate overnight.
• Let turkey stand in bag at room temperature for 1 hour. Turn breast side up. Create steam holes in bag if required by manufacturer's instructions.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Roast turkey for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (puncturing bag with thermometer) registers 160°, about 1 1/2 hours longer. Cut top of bag open, being careful of steam and juices, and pull back over turkey. Roast turkey until breast is deeply browned but not burned and a thermometer inserted into thigh registers 165°F, 15-30 minutes longer.
• Transfer to a platter. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, strain juices into a large saucepan. Spoon fat from surface. Simmer over medium heat until sauce is reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes.
• Carve turkey. Serve with accompanying gravy.

SPICE-CURED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, combine the salt, sugar, carrots, celery, onions, leeks, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, cumin, red pepper flakes, cloves, and allspice. Add the water, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. The brine must cool completely before the turkey is soaked in it: It can be made 1 day ahead or chilled over an ice bath.
• Rinse the turkey under cold water; pat dry. Place in a stockpot, breast side down. Add the brine and enough water to cover. Cover the stockpot, and refrigerate overnight. Remove the turkey from the brine; drain.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Fill the cavities with stuffing, being careful not to pack too tightly. Secure the skin over the neck cavity with toothpicks or skewers, and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Rub the turkey generously with spice butter, and place on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Place in the oven, and roast 30 minutes. Baste, rotate the pan, and reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue basting every 30 to 45 minutes, until the temperature taken in the thickest part of the thigh registers 180°F, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Once the turkey is well browned, cover with foil, in sections, if necessary to prevent overbrowning. Remove the foil for last 30 to 60 minutes, to crisp the skin. Allow the turkey to rest 30 minutes before carving. While the turkey is resting, remove the stuffing.
• To make the gravy, pour the liquid from the roasting pan into a gravy skimmer; set aside. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat; deglaze with 1/2 cup apple cider, using a wooden spoon to scrape up bits stuck to the pan. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine 3 tablespoons reserved fat from the pan and the flour; cook 3 to 4 minutes, until browned. Add the reserved apple-cider mixture along with the stock and any separated juices from the pan. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Serve with the turkey.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a chestnut knife or a small paring knife, make an incision about 1/8 inch deep through the shell and into the flesh of the chestnut almost all the way around the circumference of the nut. Transfer to a chestnut pan or rimmed baking pan. Roast in the oven until the chestnuts are tender, about 35 minutes. Turn the oven off. Leaving the pan with the chestnuts in the oven, remove several at a time. Working quickly, place 1 chestnut in a towel, and, holding both, peel the chestnut while still hot. Remove and discard the shells and inner skin; coarsely chop, and set aside.
• Remove crusts from the bread, and set aside. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. Place in a single layer on two baking sheets, and toast in the oven until dry, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool. Place the reserved crusts in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until coarse crumbs are formed.
• Place the prunes and apple cider in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until all liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and add the chestnuts, red onion, half the celery, and half the apples. Cook until onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes and crumbs, prune mixture, chestnut mixture, remaining celery, apples, eggs, heavy cream, and sage. Stir to combine. The juices from the brine will season the stuffing; stir before serving.
• The stuffing can be baked in turkey until its temperature reaches 165°F. Excess stuffing can be seasoned with salt and pepper and baked in a buttered baking dish, covered, at 350°F for 30 minutes and then uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.
• Combine the butter, salt, pepper, thyme, cumin, garlic powder, pepper flakes, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg in a bowl. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer or by hand until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until ready to use, for up to 4 days.

EXPERTLY SPICED AND GLAZED ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Place turkey, breast side up, on a cutting board and pat dry. Grip a wing and pull it outward so you can see where it attaches to the body. Using a sharp boning or chef's knife, cut though the joint to separate the wing from the breast (if you hit bone, you're in the wrong spot; pull the wing out farther to help you get into the place where the joint meets the socket). Remove wing; repeat on the other side.
• Cut through skin connecting 1 leg to carcass. Pull leg back until the ball joint pops out of its socket; cut through the joint to separate leg. Repeat on the other side.
• Now for the breast: Position the turkey breast side down with the opening facing you. Using kitchen shears, cut along one side of backbone until you get all the way through the neck end, then turn the turkey 180°F and cut through the other side to remove the backbone (save it for making stock).
• Very finely grind black and pink peppercorns in a spice mill or mortar and pestle; transfer to a medium bowl. Add salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and 1 Tbsp. brown sugar and use your fingers to mix together.
• Place turkey pieces, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle salt mixture liberally all over turkey, patting to adhere. You may not need all of it, but it's good to have extra since some will end up on the baking sheet. Chill bird, uncovered, at least 24 hours and up to 2 days.
• Remove turkey from wire rack and rinse baking sheet and rack if needed (turkey will most likely release some liquid). Line baking sheet with 3 layers of foil to make cleanup easy and set rack back inside. Arrange turkey pieces on rack, skin side up, and let sit at room temperature 2-3 hours to help decrease the cooking time.
• Meanwhile, cook herbs, garlic, orange zest, soy sauce, vinegar, and remaining ⅓ cup brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and glaze thickens slightly (it should just barely coat a spoon), 10-12 minutes. Remove glaze from heat.
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425°F. Rub turkey with oil and pour 1 cup water into baking sheet. Roast turkey, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until skin is mostly golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F and continue to roast turkey, brushing with glaze every 20 minutes and adding more water by ½-cupfuls as needed to maintain some liquid in baking sheet, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 150°F, and 170°F when inserted into the thickest part of the thighs, 50-70 minutes longer (total cooking time will be 1-1½ hours). Skin should be deep golden brown and shiny. Transfer turkey to a cutting board; tent loosely with foil. Let rest 30-60 minutes before carving.

BROWN SUGAR-CURED TURKEY WITH WILD MUSHROOM-SHALLOT GRAVY

Steps:

• Rinse turkey inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey on platter. Mix brown sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, allspice, cloves and mace in small bowl to blend well. Rub brown sugar mixture all over outside of turkey. Refrigerate turkey uncovered 24 hours.
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 300°F. Arrange onion quarters in large roasting pan. Place turkey atop onions. Tie turkey legs together. Tuck wings under turkey. Sprinkle turkey with pepper. Cover loosely with foil.
• Roast turkey 2 hours. Uncover; roast 30 minutes. Add 1 cup broth to roasting pan; baste turkey with broth. Roast turkey 1 hour, basting occasionally. Add 1 cup broth to roasting pan; continue to roast turkey until dark brown, basting with broth every 20 minutes, about 1 hour. Cover turkey loosely with foil; continue to roast until thermometer inserted into innermost part of thigh registers 180°F, about 1 hour 30 minutes longer.
• Transfer turkey to platter. Tent with foil and let stand 30 minutes. Serve with Wild Mushroom-Shallot Gravy.

SUGAR-AND-SPICE CURED TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck; rinse turkey with cold water.
• Pat dry.
• Tie legs together with string; tuck wingtips under.
• Combine brown sugar and next 6 ingredients.
• Rub over turkey.
• Cover with plastic wrap; chill 8 hours.
• Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up.
• Arrange onion quarters round turkey.
• Pour 2 cans broth in bottom of pan.
• Bake, loosely covered with foil, at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours.
• Uncover and bake 1 1/2 more hours or until meat thermometer registers 180°F.
• (Cover with foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.) Remove onion; discard, reserving pan drippings.
• Let turkey stand 15 minutes before carving.
• Combine pan drippings and enough additional chicken broth to equal 2 cups in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened.
• Serve with turkey.

SPICE-RUBBED ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse inside and outside of turkey; pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a large roasting pan. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Tuck wings under turkey. Fill cavity loosely with stuffing, and tie legs together with kitchen twine. Squeeze 1 orange over turkey. Season outside of turkey generously with salt, and sprinkle with pepper. Gently rub seasonings into turkey.
• Heat juice of remaining orange, the butter, and wine in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Roast turkey, basting every half hour with melted-butter mixture until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. (Halfway through, rotate pan and cover with foil.)
• Remove stuffing, and transfer to a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. Bake until stuffing reaches 165 degrees, about 30 minutes more. Meanwhile, let turkey stand for 30 minutes. Transfer to a platter; reserve pan juices in roasting pan for Aleppo pepper gravy. Carve turkey. Garnish with persimmons and sage if desired.

JUNIPER BRINE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, stir together the salt, sugar, cloves, juniper berries, peppercorns, and allspice. Add the sage leaves, thyme, and bay leaves along with the hot water. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Boil for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the ice water and stir to cool the mixture. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
• Proceed with brining the turkey .
• Cook’s Note
• The easiest way to crush whole spices is to use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. If you do not have either of these kitchen tools, place the whole spices in a heavy lock-top plastic bag, seal the bag while pressing out all the air, and pound them with the bottom of a small, heavy saucepan until coarsely crushed.

SPICY BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• Combine chicken stock, salt, brown sugar, onion, pepper flakes, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Stir until sugar and salt have dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate brine until thoroughly chilled.
• Combine brine and ice water in a clean, food-grade, 5-gallon bucket. Place turkey in the brine, breast-side down. Cover and refrigerate (or set in a cool area like a basement) for 6 hours, turning turkey once halfway through.
• Set an oven rack to the lowest level and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Place a roasting rack inside a wide, low pan.
• Remove turkey from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine. Place turkey on the roasting rack and pat dry with paper towels. Tuck back the wings and rub butter liberally over the entire bird.
• Roast turkey in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, and cover the breast with a double layer of aluminum foil.
• Return to the oven, reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and cook until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 3 to 3 1/2 hours longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from the oven, keep loosely covered, and allow to rest in a warm area for 15 minutes before slicing.

HOMEMADE TURKEY SEASONING

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months. To use on whole turkey, rub under skin, over skin and in body and neck cavities before roasting.

SPICE-CURED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, combine salt, sugar, carrots, celery, onions, leeks, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, cumin, red-pepper flakes, cloves, and allspice. Add the water, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. The brine needs to cool completely before the turkey is soaked in it: It can be made a day ahead or chilled over an ice bath.
• Rinse turkey under cold water; pat dry. Place in stockpot, breast side down. Add brine and enough water to cover. Cover the stockpot, and refrigerate overnight. Remove turkey from brine; drain.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Fill cavities with stuffing, being careful not to pack too tightly. Secure skin over neck cavity with toothpicks or skewers, and tie legs together with kitchen twine. Rub turkey generously with spice butter, and place on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Place in oven, and roast 30 minutes. Baste, rotate pan, and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue basting every 30 to 45 minutes, until temperature taken in thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees. 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Once turkey is well browned, cover with foil, in sections, if necessary to prevent overbrowning. Remove foil for last 30 to 60 minutes, to crisp skin. Allow turkey to rest 30 minutes before carving. While turkey is resting, remove stuffing.
• To make gravy, pour liquid from the roasting pan into a gravy skimmer; set aside. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat; deglaze with 1/2 cup apple cider, using a wooden spoon to scrape up bits stuck to the pan. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine 3 tablespoons of reserved fat from pan and flour; cook 3 to 4 minutes, until browned. Add reserved apple-cider mixture, stock, and any separated juices from pan. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Serve.