Best Savory Apple Onion Turkey Recipes

SAVORY APPLE-ONION TURKEY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°. Prepare turkey for roasting, reserving giblets to make Giblet Stock if desired.
• Fasten neck skin to back of turkey with skewer. Fold wings across back of turkey so tips are touching. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the onion salt in cavity.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Starting at back opening of the turkey, gently separate skin from turkey breast, using fingers. Place half slices of bacon under the skin; secure skin at lower edge with toothpick or metal skewer. Place onion and apple in turkey cavity. Brush oil over turkey; sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon onion salt. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh muscle and does not touch bone. (Do not add water or cover turkey.)
• Roast uncovered 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes. While turkey is roasting, make Giblet Stock to use in gravy. After roasting about 2 hours, when it begins to turn golden, place a tent of aluminum foil loosely over turkey.
• About 40 minutes before turkey is done, heat jelly and mustard to boiling in 1 1/2- quart saucepan; reduce heat. Simmer about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until jelly is melted. Set aside until turkey is almost done. Generously brush apple glaze over turkey frequently during last 30 minutes of roasting.
• Turkey is done when thermometer reads 180° and juice of turkey is no longer pink when you cut into center of thigh. The drumstick should move easily when lifted or twisted. If a meat thermometer is not used, begin testing for doneness after about 2 hours 30 minutes. When turkey is done, place on warm platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Let stand about 15 minutes for easiest carving.
• Make Apple Cider Gravy. Serve gravy with turkey. Cover and refrigerate any remaining turkey and gravy separately.
• Method for Giblet Stock: Place all ingredients in 3-quart saucepan; add enough water to cover. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer1 hour. Strain the stock through colander or wire strainer, discarding giblets, neck and onion. Refrigerate until need to make gravy. Method for Apple Cider Gravy: Pour drippings (turkey juices and fat) from roasting pan into 4-cup measuring cup, leaving brown bits in pan. Add enought Giblet Stock to drippings to measure 3 cups; pour into 3-quart saucepan and set aside. Pour apple cider into roasting pan; cook over medium heat, stirrin constantly, until all browned bits are released. Transfer cider mixture to liquid in 3-quart saucepan. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Beat flour and water in small bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Beat flour mixture into boiling liquid, using wire whisk; continu boiling and whisking 1 minute. Stir in salt and pepper.

FRIED APPLES AND ONIONS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook the onions in butter over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Top with apples; sprinkle with brown sugar. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until apples are tender.

SLOW-ROASTED TURKEY WITH APPLE GRAVY

Steps:

• Brine the turkey: Tear the bay leaves to release their natural oils. Place in a large bowl with the buttermilk, sugar, salt, black pepper and cayenne, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Place the turkey in a brining bag or clean unscented garbage bag, pour in the buttermilk mixture and tightly tie the bag closed. Place in a pot or bowl that holds it snugly, making sure the legs are fully immersed in the brine, and refrigerate for at least 48 hours and up to 72 hours.
• Make the turkey: Position a rack at the bottom of the oven and heat oven (not convection) to 450 degrees. Tear the bay leaves to release their natural oils. Spread the apples, fennel, onions, 12 bay leaves and half of the thyme, ginger, garlic and orange across the bottom of a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and the whole peppercorns.
• Drain the turkey and wipe dry. (Discard the brine.) Place the turkey in the pan breast side up, and rub its cavity with salt and ground pepper. Stuff the cavity with the lemon and the remaining bay leaves, thyme, ginger, garlic and orange. Tuck the wings underneath and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Sprinkle the turkey with salt and ground pepper, and drizzle everything with oil. Drizzle more oil all over the turkey and rub to generously and evenly coat the skin. Transfer to the oven and roast until browned in spots all over but not burned, 20 to 40 minutes. (Ovens vary widely in how quickly they brown such a large bird, so start checking at 20 minutes and keep going until it's spotted all over.)
• Pour 2 cups water into the pan, cover the turkey with foil and loosely crimp around the edges of the pan. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and slide the pan back into the oven. Slow-roast until the turkey is almost cooked through (a meat thermometer will register 150 degrees in the thickest part of the breast and 160 degrees in the thigh), about 4 hours.
• Uncover, baste all over with the pan juices and roast uncovered until the skin is more evenly browned and the meat registers 155 degrees in the breast and 165 degrees in the thigh, 30 to 45 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise as the turkey rests. Let cool slightly in the pan, then transfer the turkey to a serving platter.
• Make the gravy: Smash the fruits and vegetables in the roasting pan. Set a colander with small holes or a medium-mesh strainer over a bowl or pot, and pour in everything from the pan, working in batches if needed. Press hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible along with fruit and vegetable pulp. Discard the solids in the colander; scrape any strained pulp into the bowl. Skim and discard fat from the strained juices.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. While whisking, add the defatted pan juices a little at a time, whisking until smooth, then stir in the brandy. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Keep warm over low.
• When ready to serve, season the gravy to taste with salt and pepper. Carve the turkey and serve with the hot gravy.