Can you believe that Thanksgiving is less than a week away? I don’t know about you, but I got a late start on planning my menu for my Thanksgiving dinner. I am hosting family and a few friends in my home, and want to have a fabulous spread of food—and a huge part of that will center around the turkey, which is a Thanksgiving Day menu staple for many of us.
There are so many ways to prepare a turkey. You can bake it or fry it. You can have a well-seasoned bird or one that is served with plenty of gravy with plenty of fixings. There is no “right” way to make a turkey, but it can sure help if you have a good recipe to guide your turkey making.
Below are three yummy turkey recipes from the Food Network that make a delicious turkey. Hopefully these recipes will come in handy for you that are looking for some different takes on the bird for Thanksgiving.
Good Eats Roast Turkey:
If you know anything about Good Eats impresario Alton Brown, then you know that he knows his food. You can always count on Alton to not only make some incredible food, but break down the background and the science behind it. His recipe for roast turkey is a little more on the traditional side, and begins with brining the turkey 24 hours before cooking the bird.
You will need the following ingredients:
- 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 gallon vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
- 1 gallon heavily iced water
For the aromatics:
- 1 red apple, sliced
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup water
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 6 leaves sage
- Canola oil
To see a full video demonstration of this recipe, click HERE. For the full recipe, click HERE.
The Neely’s Smoked Turkey with BBQ Gravy:
We all know that Gina and Pat Neely can throw down in the kitchen. They are known for their down home cooked recipes and southern style food. If you want a twist on the traditional turkey fare, then this recipe for Neely’s Smoked Turkey with BBQ Gravy is for you. This twist on the traditional bird will have your guests ooh’ing and ah’ing. Perfect for those of you who want to keep ’em guessing!
Check out the video of the recipe HERE. For the complete recipe, click HERE.
You will need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
Rub:
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground sage
- 1 1/2 tablespoons thyme
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon Neelys Seasoning, recipe follows
Turkey Brine:
- 1 gallon water
- 2 cups salt
- 3 cups apple juice
- 1 cup bourbon
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 (22-pound) turkey
- Olive oil
- 4 cups hickory wood chips, soaked in water for 60 minutes
- BBQ Gravy, recipe follows
Anne Burrell from Secrets of a Restaurant Chef- Brined Herb-Crusted Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy:
Anne Burrell is funky, unique, and a damn good cook. I love watching her on Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, and her recipes are are complicated, yet easy enough for a non-cook like me to do. When I saw her recipe for turkey with apple cider gravy, I had print it out for a possibility for my Thanksgiving turkey. One drawback that I do see for this recipe is that it takes 53 hrs from start to finish to make. And for some of us Cubicle Chicks and Dudes on the move, that may be way too long.
But anything good is worth the hard work and time put in, right? So I am sharing this recipe with you in hopes that if you do have time to make it for your Thanksgiving spread, that you will try it.
Check out this video for step-by-step instructions, or click HERE for the recipe.
Here’s what you will need:
Brine:
- 7 quarts water
- 1 quart apple cider
- 3/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large or 2 small carrots, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 1 head garlic, cut in 1/2 equatorially
- 1/2 bunch fresh rosemary
- 1/2 bunch fresh sage
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 (12 to 14 pound) turkey, free range organic is great!
Herb crust:
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
- 1 bunch fresh sage, leaves finely chopped
- 3 sticks butter, room temperature
- Kosher salt
Gravy:
- 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bunch thyme
- Kosher salt
- 1 quart chicken stock, divided
- 2 cups apple cider, divided
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
No matter your pleasure, one of these turkey recipes should be up your alley.
What will you be preparing for Thanksgiving?
Photo credit: Food Network
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