Best Mustard Butter Basted Roast Turkey With Bacon Recipes

JUICY MAYO ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Adjust a rack in the lowest position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Set a roasting rack in a large roasting pan.
• Stir together the mayonnaise, paprika, dried parsley, garlic powder, dried thyme, ground sage, hot sauce, 2 tablespoons salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Remove any turkey parts from the neck and breast cavities and reserve for other uses if desired. Dry the bird well with paper towels, inside and out. Rub the mayonnaise mixture all over the turkey, including the cavity, trying to make it as smooth as possible, especially on the breast so it browns evenly. Stuff the cavity with the onion, garlic, herb sprigs and bay leaves.
• Set the bird breast-side up on the prepared roasting rack. Tent the bird with foil.
• Roast the turkey for 2 hours. Remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Add a cup of water to the bottom of the pan so that the drippings don't burn and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the thigh, 30 to 45 minutes. You can strain the pan drippings and serve them on the side or reserve and blend them into your gravy for extra flavor.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest about 20 minutes then carve and serve.

ROAST TURKEY WITH MUSTARD-MAPLE GLAZE

Steps:

• Make the glaze: Whisk the maple syrup, mustard, horseradish and chile powder in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. (The glaze can be made up to 2 days in advance; store, covered, in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.)
• Prepare the turkey: Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper. Rub the outside of the turkey with the butter and season liberally with salt and pepper. Put 4 cups chicken stock in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
• Place the carrots, celery and onions in a large roasting pan and place a roasting rack on top. Put the turkey on the rack, place in the oven and roast until light golden brown, about 45 minutes. (Tent the turkey loosely with foil if it is browning too quickly.) Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚ F, baste with 2 cups warm stock and continue roasting, basting with 2 more cups warm stock halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 155˚, about 1 hour. After the turkey reaches 155˚ F, begin basting with the maple glaze; continue roasting, basting with the glaze every 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165˚ F, about 20 more minutes.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and transfer to a large cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and let rest at least 45 minutes before slicing. Strain the drippings into a bowl and discard the solids. Add enough of the remaining chicken stock to make 6 cups liquid.
• Make the gravy: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until light golden brown, about 8 minutes. Slowly whisk in the stock-drippings mixture, then bring to a boil and whisk until the gravy begins thickening and the flour taste has been cooked out, about 10 minutes. Add more stock until you reach the desired consistency. If desired, add a splash of white wine and cook 2 more minutes. Stir in the herbs and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat the remaining stock in a saucepan over low heat. Remove the turkey legs and wings, then remove the dark meat and shred. Remove the breasts and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Ladle some of the warm stock on top of the turkey and serve with the gravy.

ROAST HERITAGE TURKEY WITH BACON-HERB AND CIDER GRAVY

Steps:

• For bacon, dijon, and herb butter:
• Blend all ingredients in processor until bacon is finely chopped. Transfer to sheet of plastic wrap. Using plastic wrap as aid, roll butter mixture into 2-inch-diameter log; chill until firm. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
• For cider gravy base:
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine turkey neck, 1/4 cup turkey fat, and turkey leg in heavy large ovenproof pot. Place in oven; roast uncovered until turkey parts are deep, dark brown, turning once, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain, reserving fat from pot. Reserve 1/4 cup fat for gravy; return 1 tablespoon fat to pot. Return turkey parts to pot; stir in celery, onions, thyme sprigs, and peppercorns. Return pot to oven; roast uncovered 10 minutes. Add apple cider and vinegar; roast 10 minutes longer. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Add 8 cups stock and sage to pot; cook in oven uncovered 1 1/2 hours. Strain gravy base through fine strainer; discard solids in strainer (there will be about 5 cups gravy base). DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.
• For turkey:
• Cut bacon butter into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Starting at neck end, carefully slide hand between skin and breast meat, then slide hand between skin and thigh meat. Carefully slide butter slices between skin and leg, thigh, and breast meat to cover (there will be a generous amount of butter mixture). Sprinkle 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 teaspoon pepper over turkey, and 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in main cavity of turkey. Place turkey on rimmed baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or foil; chill at least 1 day. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
• Set rack at lowest position in oven; preheat to 350°F. Mix onions, celery, fennel, carrots, apples, oil, and bay leaves in large roasting pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place turkey atop vegetable mixture. Tuck wings under; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Place turkey in oven; roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 170°F, basting with pan drippings every 30 minutes and tenting loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 4 hours total. Transfer turkey to platter (internal temperature of turkey will increase 5 to 10 degrees).
• Pour vegetable mixture and pan drippings into large strainer set over large bowl; press on solids to extract liquid. Discard solids in strainer. Spoon off fat from pan drippings; discard (there will be a large amount of fat in pan drippings). Reserve degreased pan drippings for gravy (about 1 cup). Remove fat from surface of gravy base; reserve 1/4 cup fat. Rewarm cider gravy base.
• Melt reserved 1/4 cup fat in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; stir 3 minutes. Gradually add warm cider gravy base and degreased pan drippings. Simmer until smooth, thickened, and reduced to 51/2 cups, whisking frequently, about 5 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper.
• Serve turkey with gravy.

ROAST TURKEY WITH BACON, TARRAGON AND APPLEJACK GRAVY

Steps:

• Make turkey:
• Stir jelly, 1/2 cup butter, apple juice concentrate and 2 tablespoons tarragon in small saucepan over medium heat until butter and jelly melt. Remove glaze from heat. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and rewhisk before using.)
• Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 375°F. Place small rack in center of large roasting pan. Melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion and carrot; saut until dark brown, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle vegetables and turkey neck pieces around rack in pan.
• Stir remaining 6 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons tarragon in heavy small saucepan until butter melts. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey on rack in pan. Starting at neck end, slide hand between skin and breast meat to loosen skin. Brush 3 tablespoons tarragon butter over breast meat under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing loosely into main cavity. Brush remaining tarragon butter over outside of turkey. Sprinkle turkey with salt and pepper. Tuck wing tips under turkey; tie legs together to hold shape.
• Roast turkey 45 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; add 1 cup broth to pan. Cover turkey loosely with foil. Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F., adding 1 cup broth and basting with pan juices every 1/2 hour and brushing with 1/3 cup glaze twice during last 2 hours, about 4 1/4 hours longer if unstuffed or 4 3/4 hours longer if stuffed.
• Transfer turkey to platter. Tent with foil; let stand 1/2 hour. Reserve pan juices.
• Make gravy:
• Mix 1/2 cup glaze and flour in small bowl to blend. Strain pan juices into large measuring cup, pressing on solids; spoon off fat. Add enough broth to measure 6 cups.
• Sauté bacon in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Pour off fat. Add broth mixture to saucepan and bring to boil. Whisk in glaze-flour mixture and tarragon, then applejack. Simmer until thickened to sauce, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

ROAST TURKEY WITH SAGE BUTTER

Steps:

• For Butter:
• Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels and drain. Crumble bacon finely. Mix butter, sage and bacon in medium bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)
• For Turkey and Gravy:
• Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Season cavity with salt and pepper. Place leeks, 8 sage sprigs and bay leaves in cavity. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen skin. Spread 1/3 cup sage butter over breast meat under skin. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Rub 2 tablespoons sage butter over outside of turkey. Set aside 1/3 cup butter for gravy; reserve remainder for basting. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover, chill. let stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.)
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Pour 1/3 cup broth over turkey. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of inner thigh registers 180°F. basting every 30 minutes with 1/3 cup broth and occasionally brushing with sage butter, about 3 hours. Transfer turkey to platter; tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Remove rack from pan. Pour pan juices into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat; discard. Pour juices back into pan. Set pan over 2 burners set on high heat. Add 2 cups broth. Boil until liquid is reduced to 2 cups, scraping up browned bits, about 10 minutes. Whisk in reserved 1/3 cup sage butter. Season with pepper. Transfer gravy to bowl.
• Uncover platter. Garnish with sage and parsley. Serve turkey with gravy.

ROAST TURKEY WITH HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the lowest position. Make herb butter: In a small bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons butter with chopped herbs; season generously with salt and pepper.
• Prepare and stuff the turkey. Loosen skin: Working from the neck end, slide fingers under skin until you reach the end of the breast, being careful not to tear the skin; rub herb butter under the skin. Fill neck cavity: Place turkey breast side down. Fill neck cavity with stuffing; avoid packing. Close up by folding skin over and fastening with skewers or trussing needles. Tuck wings: Turn turkey over; bend wing tips underneath bird so they stay in place (you may have to break the bones). Loosely fill large cavity with stuffing. Tie legs: Using cotton kitchen twine, tie legs together securely (they will overlap) so bird retains its shape and moisture during cooking.
• Cut neck into pieces; mix with carrots, onions, celery, and 2 cups water in a large roasting pan. Set roasting rack over vegetables in pan.
• Lift turkey onto rack; rub with remaining tablespoon butter. Season generously with salt and pepper. Tent turkey loosely with foil. Roast 1 hour, then baste every 30 minutes with pan liquids, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 125 degrees, about 3 hours.
• Remove foil; raise oven heat to 400 degrees. Continue roasting, basting occasionally, until thigh reaches 180 degrees, 45 to 60 minutes more. Tent with foil if bird browns too quickly; add more water if pan becomes dry. Transfer turkey to a serving platter; cover loosely with foil, and let it rest at least 30 minutes before carving.

PERFECT ROAST TURKEY 101

Steps:

• Rinse turkey with cool water, and dry with paper towels. Let stand for 2 hours at room temperature.
• Place rack on lowest level in oven. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine melted butter and white wine in a bowl. Fold a large piece of cheesecloth into quarters and cut it into a 17-inch, 4-layer square. Immerse cheesecloth in the butter and wine; let soak.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a heavy metal roasting pan. If the turkey comes with a pop-up timer, remove it; an instant-read thermometer is a much more accurate indication of doneness. Fold wing tips under turkey. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Fill large cavity and neck cavity loosely with as much stuffing as they hold comfortably; do not pack tightly. (Cook remaining stuffing in a buttered baking dish for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.) Tie legs together loosely with kitchen string (a bow will be easy to untie later). Fold neck flap under, and secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey with the softened butter, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper.
• Lift cheesecloth out of liquid, and squeeze it slightly, leaving it very damp. Spread it evenly over the breast and about halfway down the sides of the turkey; it can cover some of the leg area. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Using a pastry brush, baste cheesecloth and exposed parts of turkey with butter and wine. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to cook for 2 1/2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes and watching pan juices; if the pan gets too full, spoon out juices, reserving them for gravy.
• After this third hour of cooking, carefully remove and discard cheesecloth. Turn roasting pan so that the breast is facing the back of the oven. Baste turkey with pan juices. If there are not enough juices, continue to use butter and wine. The skin gets fragile as it browns, so baste carefully. Cook 1 more hour, basting after 30 minutes.
• After this fourth hour of cooking, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Do not poke into a bone. The temperature should reach 180 degrees (stuffing should be between 140 degrees and 160 degrees) and the turkey should be golden brown. The breast does not need to be checked for temperature. If legs are not yet fully cooked, baste turkey, return to oven, and cook another 20 to 30 minutes.
• When fully cooked, transfer turkey to a serving platter, and let rest for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Pour all the pan juices into a glass measuring cup. Let stand until grease rises to the surface, about 10 minutes, then skim it off. Meanwhile, place roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup dry red or white wine, or water, to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan until liquid boils and all the crisp bits are unstuck from pan. Add giblet stock to pan. Stir well, and bring back to a boil. Cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the defatted pan juices, and cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes more. You will have about 2 1/2 cups of gravy. Season to taste, strain into a warm gravy boat, and serve with turkey.