Turkey dishes for Thanksgiving.

Grilled Turkey with Gravy

1 oven ready turkey, defrosted
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Remove neck and giblets; reserve for other uses. Remove and discard excess fat. Rinse the bird inside and out and pat dry. Season body cavity with salt and pepper. Tie legs together and twist wing tips under back. Brush turkey with oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange turkey breast side up, in center of cooking grate. Place lid on grill. Cook 11 to 13 minutes per pound or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh not touching bone registers 180 degrees and the juices run clear. Transfer turkey to a platter. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Gravy:
Turkey giblet stock

1 turkey neck
Giblets
4 cups cold water
Bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 6 peppercorns, 6 parsley stems, 2 sprigs thyme tied in cheesecloth
6 tablespoons turkey fat
6 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup wine
3 cups stock

Combine turkey neck and giblets in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes, skimming. Add bouquet. Simmer 20 minutes. Remove stock from heat and strain. Reduce to 3 cups if necessary. Have a roasting pan with 6 tablespoons turkey fat. Add flour to fat and cook for 3 minutes. Add wine to roux and whisk until smooth. Add stock and bring to a boil.

Turkey Burrito

 3 cups cooked turkey, chopped
3 cups prepared stuffing
3 cups mashed potatoes
3 cups leftover gravy
3 cups turkey broth
1 onion, chopped
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 pound shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup self-rising flour
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
 Directions

2Warm tortillas in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Spoon turkey mixture onto a warm tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, and roll into a burrito! Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Roast Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy

1 12-14 lb. Honeysuckle White turkey, giblets reserved
Apple and Bacon cornbread stuffing
1 tbsp. melted butter or margarine
1 1/4 tsp. salt, divided
3/4 tsp. pepper, divided
2 cups apple cider
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. dried sage

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Note turkey cavity preparation instructions from the first recipe in this section. Fill turkey cavity with stuffing. Truss and insert meat thermometer, if desired. Brush butter over breast and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast until juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a fork or meat thermometer registers 170 degrees F, about 3 hours. Remove turkey from pan and cover loosely with foil.

To make gravy, in saucepan over medium heat bring giblets and 4 cups water to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour. Strain broth and discard giblets. Skim fat from roasting pan juices, reserving 1/4 cup fat. Add cider to pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits; reduce heat and simmer, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. In saucepan, over low heat combine reserved fat and flour; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in cider mixture, then giblet broth. Increase heat and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in sage and remaining salt and pepper.

Roast Bourbon & Mustard Glazed Turkey

 Ingredients:

1 12-14 lb. Honeysuckle White turkey with giblets
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cornbread Stuffing
3/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. Dijon or spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup plus 1 tsp. packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch

Giblet Stock
Giblets and neck from turkey
1 tsp. vegetable oil, preferably canola
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
a few sprigs of fresh parsley a few sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
6-8 whole peppercorns

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place a lightly oiled rack on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Lightly oil a 2-quart baking dish.

Remove giblets and neck from turkey cavity and reserve for the stock. (Discard the liver.) Remove any visible fat from the turkey. Rinse it inside and out with cold water and pat dry. Season the cavity with salt and pepper.

Spoon about half the corn bread stuffing into the turkey and neck cavities, securing the neck cavity with a skewer. Transfer the remaining stuffing to the prepared baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate.

For the bourbon and mustard glaze, stir together in a small bowl 1/4 cup of the bourbon, 1/4 cup of the mustard, and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. With your fingers, separate the turkey skin from the breast meat, taking care not to tear the skin or pierce the meat. Rub about half the glaze under the skin onto the breast meat; set aside the remaining glaze. Season the bird with salt and pepper.

Tie the drumsticks together and tuck wing tips behind the back. Place the bird, breast side up, in the prepared roasting pan. Cover with lightly oiled aluminum foil and roast for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the foil, brush the turkey all over with some of the reserved glaze and baste with pan juices. Continue roasting, uncovered, 1 1/2 to 2 hours longer; brushing with glaze and basting from time to time. The turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees F and registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the stuffing.

To make giblet stock: While the turkey is roasting, heat oil over medium high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the giblets, neck, onions, and carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until well browned. Add chicken stock, garlic, parsley, thyme, peppercorns and 1 cup of water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve. (You should have about 2 1/2 cups stock.) Chill until ready to use. Skim off the fat.
To make gravy: When the turkey is done, transfer it to a carving board. Scoop the stuffing into a serving bowl, cover and keep warm. Place the dish of extra stuffing in the oven to heat. Cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, pour the drippings from the roasting pan through a strainer into a small bowl, then chill in the freezer so that the fat can be skimmed off. Add the remaining 1/2 cup bourbon to the roasting pan and cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, for about 1 minute. Strain into a medium saucepan. Add the giblet stock and bring to a simmer. Skim off fat from the chilled pan juices before adding to the pan. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup water; slowly add to the simmering sauce, whisking until slightly thickened. Stir in the remaining 2 tbsp. mustard and 1 tsp. brown sugar. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Remove string from turkey and carve, discarding skin. Serve with gravy and stuffing.

Recipe Index