Spice Rubbed Turkey With Cognac Gravy Recipes

ROASTED AND BRAISED TURKEY WITH COGNAC GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Remove the wings from the turkey and set aside on a baking sheet or large plate. Remove the legs and then separate the thighs from the drumsticks; place on the baking sheet. With kitchen scissors, cut along the ribs to remove the backbone from the turkey, leaving behind a full bone-in breast. (Alternatively, ask your butcher to cut the turkey into parts.)
• Sprinkle the wings, thighs and legs with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large braiser or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the wings, legs and thighs until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add to the pan 4 tablespoons of the butter, the celery, leeks and onions, and 2 tablespoons of the chopped herbs. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened, 5 minutes. Add the flour, stirring until completely incorporated. Pour in the cognac and 4 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Return the seared turkey parts to the pan, skin-side up, without submerging them completely in the liquid. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook until the meat is tender and easily pulls away from the bone, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, rub the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over the skin of the turkey breast. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped herbs and some salt and pepper. Place the breast on a rack over a roasting pan and transfer to the oven.
• Roast for 45 minutes. Add the remaining 4 cups chicken broth to the roasting pan and baste the turkey with the pan juices. Continue to roast, basting every 30 minutes and adding more chicken broth to the pan as needed, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, another 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from the oven and transfer the breast to a cutting board. Let rest for 30 minutes, reserving pan juices.
• Remove the wings, legs and thighs from the braising liquid and arrange them on a serving platter. Carve the breast and arrange it on the platter alongside the turkey parts. Add the reserved turkey breast pan juices to the braising liquid in the braiser and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, then strain the gravy and serve.

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.

ROASTED TURKEY WITH BLACK-TRUFFLE BUTTER AND COGNAC GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. In a medium bowl, combine the truffle butter, shallots, salt, and pepper, mixing with a wooden spoon until smooth. Separate the turkey skin from breast by sliding your hand beneath the skin. Do your best to separate some of the skin around the thigh as well. Smear most of the truffle butter mixture under the skin, onto the meat. Smear remaining butter mixture onto the outside of the bird. Use your hands to massage the bird to even out the butter mixture under the skin.
• Place garlic in the cavity and tie the legs together using kitchen twine. In a large roasting pan, scatter the celery and onions. Place a roasting rack on top of the vegetables, and set the turkey on the rack. Pour 1 1/2 cups broth into the pan. Place in the center of the oven and roast until starting to brown, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and continue to roast, basting hourly, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Add 1/4 cup of broth if the pan looks too dry. You don't want the drippings to burn, but you do want them to brown, so add broth accordingly. Tent with foil if turkey is browning too quickly.
• While the turkey is roasting, start the gravy. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the turkey neck, giblets, and heart (if using) and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add peppercorns, bay leaf, parsley stems, thyme, and 6 cups water and bring to a simmer. Cook 2 hours. Strain stock into a smaller saucepan and set aside. You should have about 1 3/4 cups. Shred some of the neck meat and set aside.
• When turkey is done, carefully remove it from the roasting pan, still on the rack, to a sheet pan. Cover loosely with foil and let rest in a warm place. Pour off or blot the excess fat and discard. Set the roasting pan over 2 burners on the stove. Pour in the cognac (from a cup, not the bottle) into the roasting pan, and turn the burners on to medium heat. Carefully ignite the cognac using a long lighter or match. When the flames die down, use a wooden spoon to scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Strain the contents of the roasting pan into the saucepan with the turkey stock. Simmer to reduce slightly. Add the turkey neck meat.
• Knead the butter and flour together using a spoon or your fingers. Bring the stock mixture to a boil, then add the butter mixture by tablespoonfuls to the stock until the desired thickness is reached. Allow the gravy to simmer for a minute before adding additional butter mixture and continue to simmer until reduced to desired consistency. Season to taste and serve in a warm gravy boat alongside the 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.

MISO-RUBBED TURKEY WITH TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Peel and chop 1 onion quarter, then pulse in a food processor until finely chopped. Add miso and purée until smooth. Add 1/2 stick softened butter and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and purée until combined (mixture will appear curdled).
• Put oven rack in lowest position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Rinse turkey inside and out, then pat dry. Working from large cavity end, gently run your fingers between skin and meat of breast to loosen skin, being careful not to tear skin. Push miso butter under skin, including thighs and drumsticks, and massage skin from outside to spread miso evenly. Sprinkle large cavity with salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Fold neck skin under body and secure with metal picks or skewers, then stuff large cavity with remaining 3 onion quarters. Tie drumsticks together with string and tuck wings under body.
• Put turkey on rack in roasting pan and roast 30 minutes.
• Melt remaining 1/2 stick softened butter and brush over turkey, then add water (1 cup) to roasting pan. Tent turkey with foil and roast, basting every 30 minutes and adding more water to pan if necessary, until thermometer inserted into fleshy part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, 2 to 2 1/2 hours more (total roasting time: 2 1/2 to 3 hours). Remove foil for last 30 minutes of roasting if turkey is pale. Transfer turkey to a platter (reserve roasting pan) and let stand, loosely covered, 25 minutes (temperature will rise to 180°F while turkey stands). Remove picks from turkey.
• Pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart glass measure, then skim off and reserve fat. (If there is less than 1/2 cup fat, add enough melted butter to total 1/2 cup.) Pour pan juices and 8 cups turkey stock into a 3-quart saucepan and bring to a simmer. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add remaining cup turkey stock and deglaze roasting pan by boiling over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Pour through sieve into remaining stock and bring to a simmer.
• Cook flour and 1/2 cup reserved fat in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, whisking, 5 minutes. Add hot stock mixture in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then simmer, whisking occasionally, until gravy is thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in any turkey juices accumulated on platter and season gravy with salt and pepper.