What's For Dinner Wednesday: Post-Thanksgiving Apple Cider Glazed Turkey

We are talking about turkey on this special edition of What's For Dinner Wednesday.  I know that Thanksgiving has passed already, but a roast turkey is an excellent choice for any big gathering during the holiday season.  This one is a little different that turkeys that I have made previously.  The recipe caught my eye in Real Simple Magazine and I thought the idea of a cider glaze sounded delicious and different.  The cider glaze brings in all of those great fall fruit flavors and also gives the turkey that really pretty reddish glazed look that you see in all the food magazines.  It's actually a pretty easy recipe and the glaze can be made ahead of time too.  Add it to your day before to do list and just be sure to warm it on the stove before you start glazing your turkey.

Turkey before...

Ta da!  Turkey after.

Apple Cider Glazed Turkey

Ingredients:

• 4 cups apple cider
• 2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
• 4Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Salt and pepper,
• 3 stalks celery, halved crosswise
• 3 carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
• 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
• 2 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth, divided 1 12-pound turkey—thawed, giblets discarded, and patted dry
• 1 Granny Smith apple, quartered
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 8 sprigs fresh sage

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet boil the cider until reduced to about ¾ cup, 25-30 minutes. Add the vinegar, 2 Tbs. of the butter, 1 tsp. salt, and ½ tsp. pepper and stir until the butter has melted.

Meanwhile, in a large roasting pan, scatter the celery, carrots, and onions, reserving 2 onion quarters.  Add 1 cup chicken stock.  Season the turkey cavity with 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper and stuff with the apple, thyme, sage, and remaining 2 onion quarters. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wings underneath the body. Place the turkey on top of the vegetables or in a roasting rack if you have one.  Gently loosen turkey skin with your fingers and rub 1 Tbs. of butter underneath the skin.  Rub the remaining 1 Tbs. of butter on top of the skin and season with 2 tsp. salt.

Tent the turkey loosely with a piece of foil in order to prevent it from drying and browning too quickly.  Roast the turkey, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, for 2 hours.  Remove the foil tent and continue roasting, basting every 15 minutes with the cider glaze, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165 degrees, 30-60 minutes more.  Keep the reserved chicken broth on hand and fill the bottom of the roasting pan as needed if the liquid evaporates and the vegetables start to burn.

Remove turkey from the oven and carefully tilt it to empty the juices from the cavity into the pan. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour before carving. Reserve the pan and its contents so that you can use the drippings to make gravy.



Original recipe courtesy of RealSimple.com


Looking for some Thanksgiving side dish recipes? Check these out:

Brandy Apple Cranberry Sauce  
Cranberry Walnut Stuffing 
Caramelized Onion Smashed Potatoes
Butternut Squash with a Rosemary Pecan Parmesan Crust 
Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes 
Holiday Cranberry Lemonade