Thanksgiving Dinner: Turkey

You just can't have Thanksgiving Dinner without the turkey. If you're looking for a recipe to really "wow" your guests, you've come to the right place. Our friends at the Junior League of Houston have taken this staple and done it right. It is sure to be the focal point at your dinner table.

Read on for the recipe and tips from our friends at Publix Supermarkets on how to truss and carve your main dish.

Enjoy!



Thanksgiving Turkey

Stop and Smell the Rosemary - Junior League of Houston - Houston, TX

1 1/2 bunches each fresh thyme, sage, basil, and oregano, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons each dried thyme, sage, basil and oregano

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper

1 fresh turkey (12 to 14 pounds)

2 small onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 ribs celery, cut into 1/4 pieces

2 leeks, cut into 1/4-inch rounds

2 cloves garlic, sliced

olive oil

Herb Butter:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh sage

2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano

1 clove garlic, minced

salt

freshly ground pepper

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Jalapeno and Cranberry Jelly or Mexican Cranberry Sauce (recipes below)


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix fresh herbs, dried herbs, butter, salt and pepper. Rub into turkey cavity. Stuff onions, carrots, celery, leeks, and garlic into cavity. Truss with string. (Instructions below.) Rub outside of bird with olive oil. Place on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast 30 minutes.

Herb Butter: Combine butter parsley, sage, thyme, basil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. (This can be refrigerated up to 4 days, but bring to room temperature before using.)
Reduce oven to 325 degrees and brush turkey with half of Herb Butter. Roast another 30 minutes and brush with remaining Herb Butter. Continue to roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, until thigh temperature measures 170 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 2 1/4 hours. Serve with Jalapeno and Cranberry Jelly or Mexican Cranberry Sauce.


Jalapeno and Cranberry Jelly:

6 jalapenos, seeded and quartered

2 1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail

7 cups sugar

6 ounces liquid fruit pectin

1 cup distilled white vinegar

red food coloring (optional)

Place jalapenos and cranberry juice in blender. Process until jalapenos are finely chopped. Combine jalapeno mixture with sugar in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a full rolling boil. Add pectin. Return to a boil. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add vinegar and food coloring if desired. Cool. Spoon into sterilized jars and refrigerate.


Mexican Cranberry Sauce:

1 can (16 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 jar (10 1/2 ounces) hot jalapeno pepper jelly, preferably red

Combine cranberry sauce, cilantro, and jelly in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until jelly melts. Cool. Spoon into sterilized jars. This will keep for several months in the refrigerator.

TIPS!

Trussing a Turkey:
Use a piece of butcher's string three times the turkey's length. Place the string underneath the center of the back, breast up and tail closest to you. Pull the string around the bird, binding its wings to the body. At the base of the breast cross and wrap it around the legs' ends, tying tightly so the legs cross. Lift the bird to a tail-up position and wrap the string around the tail, closing the cavity. Again place the turkey on its back, bring the string to the front, and tie it off.

Carving a Turkey:
Choose a very sharp or electric knife to carve your turkey; you will also need a special fork with two long prongs. Cut the meat against the grain to achieve even, eye-appealing slices of turkey. Begin with a cut where the leg and breast meet. Use the fork to pull the leg away from the body as your cut continues down to the point where the thigh meets the body. Slice through the joint to remove the leg and thigh.

Place the leg skin-side down and find the point where the thigh and drumstick meet; cut along the joint to separate. Repeat on the opposite side. Remove the wishbone (collarbone). Cut along one side of the breastbone in slices, gently pulling the meat away from the bones in large pieces. Cut through the wing joint and remove it. Repeat on the opposite side.