Upside Down Apple Cider Turkey Recipes

LAUREN'S APPLE CIDER ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
• Mix water, apple cider, kosher salt, and sugar in a large pot or 5-gallon food-grade bucket, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Submerge the turkey in the brine, cover the container, and place in refrigerator, 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Remove turkey from brine and discard used brine. Place turkey with breast side up into a roasting pan; pat turkey and cavity dry with paper towels. Loosen turkey skin over the breast and thighs with your fingers.
• Mix olive oil, thyme, and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. Rub the seasoned oil over the turkey and underneath the loosened skin. Cover turkey loosely with aluminum foil.
• Roast in the preheated oven until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, reads 165 to 175 degrees F (75 to 80 degrees C), 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Remove foil tent about 45 minutes before end of roasting time to let the skin brown. Let turkey rest 30 to 45 minutes before carving.

CIDER-BASTED TURKEY WITH ROASTED APPLE GRAVY

Steps:

• For turkey:
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Combine first 5 ingredients in small saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; bring liquid to boil. Set liquid aside.
• Mix 2 quartered apples, onion, thyme, sage leaves and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in large bowl.
• Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Sprinkle main cavity with salt and pepper. Spoon apple mixture into main cavity. Tuck wing tips under turkey; tie legs together loosely. Place turkey in large roasting pan. Rub turkey breast and legs with butter. Pour half of basting liquid over turkey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast turkey 30 minutes. Pour remaining basting liquid over turkey. Roast 2 hours, basting frequently with pan juices and adding 1 cup (or more) water to pan if juices have evaporated. Add all apple slices to pan juices around turkey. Cover turkey loosely with foil to keep from browning too quickly. Continue to roast until apples are tender, turkey is deep brown and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, basting frequently with pan juices, about 1 hour 30 minutes longer.
• Transfer turkey to platter. Tent loosely with foil; let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature of turkey will increase 5 to 10 degrees).
• For gravy:
• Using slotted spoon, transfer apples from pan juices to bowl. Pour pan juices into 4-cup measuring cup. Spoon off fat and discard. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 4 cups. Transfer broth mixture to large saucepan; simmer 5 minutes. Add reserved apples; simmer 2 minutes. Mix apple cider and cornstarch in small bowl. Whisk into gravy. Boil until gravy thickens, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Discard mixture from turkey cavity. Serve turkey with gravy.

CIDER-BRINED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Reserve 1 cup of the apple cider; cover and refrigerate. In 6-quart container or stockpot, mix remaining cider, the brown sugar, salt, 3 thyme sprigs, the sage, peppercorns, allspice and bay leaves; stir until salt is dissolved. Add turkey breast. Cover; refrigerate at least 12 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 325°F. Remove turkey from brine; discard brine. Rinse turkey thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in large shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of breast and does not touch bone. Roast uncovered 1 hour.
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat reserved 1 cup apple cider to boiling; cook 10 minutes or until reduced by half. Reduce heat to medium. Add syrup and butter; cook until butter is melted and mixture is hot.
• Brush turkey with about 1/3 cup of the cider mixture. Roast uncovered about 1 hour longer or until thermometer reads 165°F, brushing generously with pan juices and remaining cider mixture every 15 minutes. Cover turkey loosely with foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Place turkey on warm platter; cover with foil. Let stand 15 minutes for easier carving.

UPSIDE DOWN TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Rinse turkey and remove giblets. Place turkey upside (breast) down in a roasting pan. Insert 1/4 cup butter inside the turkey. Place remaining butter in several pieces around the turkey. Pour water into the pan.
• Cook covered in the preheated oven 3 to 3 1/2 hours until the internal temperature of the thigh has reached 180 degrees F (80 degrees C).

UPSIDE-DOWN TURKEY

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup salt and 1 tablespoon pepper. Rub mixture all over turkey, including inside body cavity. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least overnight and up to 24 hours, to allow seasoning to penetrate meat.
• Remove plastic from turkey; rinse inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees with a rack in lower third. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine. Trim bread to length of turkey breast (about 9 inches), then slice horizontally. Butter cut sides of bread. On a V-shaped wire rack set in a roasting pan, place slices side-by-side lengthwise, buttered-sides up. Place turkey breast-side down, so it rests on bread (not directly on rack). Roast 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven and, using a kitchen towel to hold neck side and a wooden spoon inside cavity for leverage, carefully flip turkey breast-side up. Pour broth into pan, then rotate pan and return to oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Continue roasting, basting with pan juices every 20 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, about 2 hours more.
• Transfer turkey to a serving platter. Remove rack from pan; discard bread. Set pan with drippings aside to make your preferred gravy recipe (keeping in mind that drippings will be salty). Let turkey stand 30 minutes. Serve, garnished with figs, grapes, sage, and thyme.