Thanksgiving is less than a week away, which can only one thing... FOOD! And lots of it!
Thanksgiving
is the time of year where families get together to give thanks and to
show appreciation for the wonderful things in our lives.
It
is also the time time of year where families spoil themselves with more
food then one can eat. From turkeys and hams to stuffing and mashed
potatoes to delicious pumpkin and pecan pies, it leaves everyone in a
state of awe with a giant food baby for a few days. But it's all worth
it, after hours of preparation and getting the family together, turkey
day is definitely a day to be thankful for.
Preparing for
the Thanksgiving can definitely be a challenge, especially to the
families celebrating on their own for the first time or to the families
looking for new recipes to try out versus the recipes that has been
passed along from their grandmas, grandmas, grandma. Even though it was
bad, you just might want to try something different.
So
for the people in need of wanting to try something new, we have decided
to pass along some ideas for you to try out to give our thanks for your
support!
Simple Roast Turkey
Time
3 1/2 hours, plus 1 to 3 days’ standing
Yield
10 to 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 turkey
(10 to 12 pounds)
- Coarse kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 lemon, zested and quartered
- 1 bunch fresh thyme or rosemary
- 1 bunch fresh sage
- 12 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 1 bottle hard apple cider (12 ounces)
- Dry white wine, as needed
- 2 onions, peeled and quartered
- 3 bay leaves
- Olive oil or melted butter, as needed
Preparation
- Remove any giblets from the cavity and reserve for stock or gravy.
Pat turkey and turkey neck dry with paper towel; rub turkey all over
with 1/2 teaspoon salt per pound of turkey, the pepper and the lemon
zest, including the neck. Transfer to a 2-gallon (or larger) resealable
plastic bag. Tuck herbs and 6 garlic cloves inside bag. Seal and
refrigerate on a small rimmed baking sheet (or wrapped in another bag)
for at least 1 day and up to 3 days, turning the bird over every day (or
after 12 hours if brining for only 1 day).
- Remove turkey from
bag and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey, uncovered, back on the
baking sheet. Return to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to
12 hours to dry out the skin (this helps crisp it).
- When you are ready to cook the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for one hour.
- Heat
oven to 450 degrees. In the bottom of a large roasting pan, add the
cider and enough wine to fill the pan to a 1/4-inch depth. Add half the
onions, the remaining 6 garlic cloves and the bay leaves. Stuff
remaining onions and the lemon quarters into the turkey cavity. Brush
turkey skin generously with oil or melted butter.
- Place turkey,
breast side up, on a roasting rack set inside the roasting pan. Transfer
pan to oven and roast 30 minutes. Cover breast with aluminum foil.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until an
instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh
reaches 165 degrees, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Transfer turkey to a
cutting board to rest for 30 minutes before carving.
GRAVY
Time
20 minutes, with premade stock
Yield
5 to 6 cups
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup flour
- Salt and pepper
- 4 to 5 cups rich stock, warmed
- Turkey drippings and giblets, optional
Preparation
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add onion.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5
minutes. Sprinkle the flour on the onions, stirring constantly, and cook
until flour is golden to brown. Adjust heat so mixture does not burn.
- Gradually whisk in 4 cups stock until mixture thickens and is smooth. If it is too thick, add liquid. Cool, cover and chill.
- When
ready to serve, reheat mixture over low heat, stirring. Scrape bottom
of turkey pan and add drippings or giblets to gravy. Taste and adjust
seasoning, then serve.
For more ingredients, go to
Essential Thanksgiving!
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