We celebrated Christmas and New Years out of town this year so my turkey sat patiently in the freezer and waited.
We had the luxury of wallowing in the leftovers for a week, turkey sandwiches piled high with lots of mayonnaise and black pepper, hot turkey sandwiches smothered in gravy all ending with a hearty turkey soup. It was total heaven!
I will be posting the homemade turkey stock and soup next.
Turkeys are not all that difficult to cook although many people will think otherwise. White turkey meat is one of the leanest meats you can eat as well as being extremely high in protein.
You can vary the stuffing ingredients as some prefer a drier stuffing to the rather moist one I have created here. I have left amounts out on some ingredients as much will depend on how big your turkey actually is and personal taste preference in seasonings.
Roast Turkey with Red Onion and Apple Stuffing with Pan Gravy.
- 1 turkey thawed rinsed and dried with giblets removed.
- 4 tbsp of butter
- 1 red onion diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 2 apples peeled and diced
- sage ,thyme, poultry seasoning and parsley to taste ( I use around a tablespoon of each)
- 1 loaf of day old bread
- salt and pepper
- chicken broth to moisten stuffing
You can place the giblets alongside if you wish.
In a frying pan melt the butter and cook the onion and celery until softened.
Add the seasonings and mix well.
Cut up the day old bread into cubes and place in a large bowl.
Add the apples and broth and mix well.
Stuff cavity of turkey and tail end if you wish.
Rub a little poultry seasoning and black pepper over the skin.
Cover and place in the oven. Cook according to the following chart.
Roast turkey weight and cooking chart:
10 – 12 lb (4.5 – 5.5 kg) 3-1/2 – 3-3/4 hours
12 – 16 lb (5.5 – 7 kg) 3-3/4 – 4 hours
16 – 22 lb (7 – 10 kg) 4 – 4-1/2 hours
20 – 25 lb (10 – 12 kg) 4-1/2 – 5-1/2 hours
After the first hour remove the cover and begin basting the turkey every half hour. The temperature of the thermometer inserted into stuffing should read 165F and in the turkey thigh 180F when the turkey is fully cooked.
Remove turkey from pan to a platter and remove stuffing to a serving dish and carve turkey as desired. Place the roasting pan over 2 burners on the stove. Heat the drippings scraping the bits of turkey off the bottom of the pan. Add 1 cup of chicken stock.
Heat to boiling. In a small jar mix 1/4 cup each of flour and water and shake until smooth.
Pour water flour mixture slowly into the hot broth , stirring well until thickened to desired consistency.
Season with sage , thyme, salt and pepper to taste. At this point you may use a gravy separator to remove any fat for a lighter gravy if you wish. Strain gravy into a gravy boat and serve along side the turkey.
Wine Suggestion: Riesling
Cheers!
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