Email to Nancy       

Recipe Categories: WickedlyGood's HOME PAGE1-HandyMiscInfoforCooking APPETIZERS APPETIZERS_TAPAS BBQ BEEF BEVERAGES BREAD BreadTutorial BREAKFAST BUTTERS-flavored Cakes CAKESandPIES CANDY CANNING---PICKLED CANNINGFRUIT CanningVeggies CASSEROLES Coffeecakes-Quick CoffeecakesandRolls--Yeast COOKIES COOKIES---CHRISTMAS COOKIES--SAVORY COOKIES-Molded Cookieswithjam DESSERTS DESSERTS---FRUIT DESSERTS---ICECREAM EGGS Entrees--ComboMeats ETHNIC FISHandSEAFOOD FROSTING FRUIT FRUITDIPS HolidayGoodies JAMSandJELLIES MARINADES MEATS MISCRecipeCollections Morels MUFFINS PASTA PASTRIES PIES PIZZA Pork POULTRY QUICKBREADS RICE SALADandDRESSING SaladDressings SALADS---POTATO SALADS--CHICKEN SaladsGreen SALADSMISC SANDWICHES SAUCES SAUCES-Savory SNACKS SOUPSandSTEWS STUFFING Substitutions SYRUP TARTS ThaiRecipes VEGETABLES Vegetables---preservingrecip YEASTRECIPES--MISC

ROAST TURKEY WITH MAPLE HERB BUTTER AND




Source of Recipe


Nancy
ROAST TURKEY WITH MAPLE HERB BUTTER AND GRAVY

Serves 12.


Maple Butter Turkey

2 cups apple cider
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram or 2 teaspoons dried
1 teaspoon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 14-pound turkey, neck and giblets reserved


For gravy
3 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 small bay leaf
2 tablespoons apple brandy (optional)


Make turkey:
Boil apple cider and maple syrup in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until reduces to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in half of chopped thyme, half of marjoram and 1 teaspoon dried sage. Add butter and whisk until melted. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 375°F.

Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen shin. Rub 1/2 cup maple butter over breast under skin.
If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Rub 1/4 cup maple butter over outside of turkey. Reserve remaining maple butter for gravy. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey.

Roast turkey 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Cover entire turkey loosely with heavy-duty foil and roast until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F or until juices rum clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 2 hours 25 minutes for unstuffed turkey (2 hours 55 minutes for stuffed turkey). Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey with aluminum foil and let stand 30 minutes; reserve mixture in pan for gravy.

Make gravy:

Stain pan juices into large measuring cup, pressing on solids with back of spoon.
Spoon fat from pan juices. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 3 cups. Transfer liquid to heavy medium saucepan and bring to boil. Mix 3 tablespoons reserved maple butter and flour in small bowl to form smooth paste. Whisk paste into broth mixture. Add chopped fresh thyme and bay leaf. Boil until reduces to sauce consistency, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in apple brandy, if desired. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper.
Brush turkey with any remaining maple butter and serve with gravy.

NOTE: I did not make the gravy as in the recipe above. I made my usual gravy. After removing the turkey from the roasting pan, I set it on the stove, covering two burners. To the turkey juices in the pan I added hot potato water and turkey stock. Thicken with a mixture of flour and water.