SPICED ROASTED TURKEY

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Spiced Roasted Turkey image

Pushing a buttery spice paste underneath the turkey's skin allows the flavor to perfume the meat-and gives it extra juiciness. Here, we use the favorite Indian combination of garlic and ginger paste, along with the technique of toasting spices and then grinding them, for the freshest, most powerful result. Though the paste may smell pungent, its flavor, once the turkey has been cooked, is quite gentle.

Provided by Lillian Chou

Categories     Poultry     turkey     Roast     Thanksgiving     Fall     Winter     Gourmet

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 25

1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon star anise pieces
4 teaspoons coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons finely grated (with a Microplane) peeled ginger (a 5-inch piece)
2 tablespoons finely grated (with a Microplane) garlic (8 cloves)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 (14-pound) turkey at room temperature 1 hour, any feathers and quills removed with tweezers or needlenose pliers, reserving neck and giblets (discard liver)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 bunches scallions, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
6 (1/4-inch-thick) slices fresh ginger
1 cup Chinese rice wine, such as Shaoxing, or medium-dry Sherry
4 to 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder; kitchen string; a V-shaped roasting rack; a 17- by 14-inch roasting pan; a 1-quart measuring cup; a fat separator (optional)
kitchen string
1 V-shaped roasting rack
1 17- by 14-inch roasting pan
1 1-quart measuring cup
1 fat separator

Steps:

  • Make turkey:
  • Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lowest position.
  • Toast spices with sea salt in a dry small heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and coriander is a shade darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to grinder and pulse until finely ground. Reserve 1 teaspoon spice mixture, then stir together remaining spice mixture with grated ginger, garlic, and butter to form a paste.
  • Rinse turkey inside and out, then pat dry. Fold neck skin under body. Starting at large cavity end of turkey, gently slide your fingers between skin and flesh of breast and legs to loosen skin, being careful not to tear skin. Using a spoon, slide spice paste under skin of turkey breast and legs, pushing butter out of spoon with a finger on outside of skin (do not put spice paste under turkey skin in advance). Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and tuck wings under body.
  • Pat giblets and neck pieces dry and cut into 1-inch pieces. Heat vegetable oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté giblets and neck pieces, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add scallions, carrots, celery, and sliced ginger and sauté, stirring, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
  • Add rice wine and boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute. Stir in 4 cups broth, soy sauce, and reserved teaspoon spice mixture and bring to a boil. Pour mixture into roasting pan, then set rack in roasting pan, arranging neck pieces and vegetables around rack as necessary (liquid should be just below bottom of rack).
  • Roast turkey on rack, rotating pan 180 degrees halfway through roasting, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of thighs (test both, close to but not touching bone) registers 170°F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  • Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into roasting pan, then transfer turkey to a platter, reserving juices in roasting pan. Let turkey stand, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 175°F).
  • Make gravy while turkey stands:
  • Strain pan juices through a large fine-mesh sieve into 1-quart measure, pressing hard on and then discarding solids, and let stand until fat rises to top. Skim off and discard fat. (If using a fat separator, pour pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour pan juices from separator into measuring cup, discarding fat.) You should have 4 cups stock. If there is less, add more broth. If there's more, boil to reduce. Transfer all but 1/2 cup stock to a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
  • Whisk together cornstarch and 1/2 cup reserved stock in a small bowl until smooth, then whisk into boiling stock and boil, whisking occasionally, 2 minutes. Serve turkey with gravy.

Kigozi Green
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This recipe is a bit too complicated for my taste. I prefer a simpler roasted turkey recipe that doesn't require as many ingredients.


Aqib Khalil
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I'm not a fan of the spices in this recipe. I prefer a more traditional roasted turkey flavor.


Sat Oro
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This recipe is a great starting point for a roasted turkey. I made a few changes to suit my own taste, but the basic recipe is solid. The turkey was moist and flavorful.


Flint Nilsson
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I've made this recipe several times, and it's always a hit. The turkey is always cooked perfectly, and the spices give it a delicious flavor. I highly recommend this recipe.


Al Yaqin Cleaning Services
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This recipe is missing some important steps. It doesn't say how long to roast the turkey, or at what temperature.


Parker Feathers
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I followed this recipe exactly, and my turkey turned out dry. I'm not sure what went wrong.


PINKY AKTER MITO
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This recipe was a bit too spicy for my taste, but my husband loved it. The turkey was cooked perfectly, and the spices were well-balanced. I would recommend this recipe to anyone who enjoys spicy food.


SniperGuy
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I made this recipe for my family, and they all loved it. The turkey was so moist and flavorful, and the spices were just right. I will definitely be making this again.


Getruda lawrent
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This recipe is a bit time-consuming, but it's definitely worth it. The turkey was unglaublich (unbelievably) delicious! The spices were perfect, and the meat was so tender and moist. I will definitely be making this again for special occasions.


Salim Mayar
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I'm so glad I found this recipe. I've been looking for a good roasted turkey recipe for years, and this one is finally the one. It's easy to follow, and the turkey always turns out perfectly. Thank you!


Raisa Afrin Rimi
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This was my first time roasting a turkey, and I was really nervous. But this recipe made it so easy. The turkey turned out perfectly, and it was delicious. I will definitely be using this recipe again next year.


Mohammade Nafees
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My family loved this roasted turkey! It was so moist and flavorful. The spices were perfectly balanced, and the turkey was cooked to perfection. I highly recommend this recipe.


Binda Lal Sah
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I was a bit hesitant to try this recipe because I'm not a big fan of spicy food. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious the turkey was. The spices were not overpowering, and they really complemented the flavor of the turkey. I will defi


Anthony Ivan
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This recipe is a keeper! The turkey was cooked to perfection, and the spices gave it a wonderful flavor. I especially liked the addition of the orange zest.


Bilal Safi
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I've tried many roasted turkey recipes, but this one is by far the best. The spices are perfectly balanced, and the turkey is incredibly moist and flavorful.


Rokie Viy
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This roasted turkey recipe was a hit! The spices gave the turkey a delicious flavor, and the meat was cooked perfectly. I will definitely be making this again for Thanksgiving.