Roasted Turkey With Gingerbread Glaze and Gravy

The holidays just don’t feel as festive without a delicious turkey on the table.  This recipe is the perfect blend of ginger and spice and everything nice.  A 5lb turkey is perfect for feeding 10-12 people.  We recommend vegetables like winter squash, sweet potatoes or parsnips as side dishes.  Add similar spices to keep the flavour profile consistent.  The only problem?  It will be such a hit, that you won’t have leftovers.

Serves: 10 to 12

Prep time: 30 min

Cooking Time: 2.5 hrs

Ingredients:

Turkey

2 cooking onions, skin on, sliced into rounds

1 orange, sliced into ½” rounds

½ bulb of fennel, sliced into ¼” slices

5kg whole turkey

1 tbsp canola oil

1 tsp salt

Glaze

2 tbsp canola oil

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 tbsp chopped ginger

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground allspice

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp salt

2/3 cup fresh orange juice

¼ cup molasses

2 Tbsp ketchup

2 tbsp maple syrup

Gravy

All the drippings from the turkey pan

Remaining glaze

½ cup apple cider

½ cup water

1/8^th tsp ground allspice

1/8^th tsp ground ginger

1/8^th tsp ground cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp cornstarch

4 tbsp water

Stuffing

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1-1/2 Cups diced onion

1 cup diced fennel

¾ Cup diced celery

1 large Cortland apple, medium dice

3 Cups soft brioche breadcrumbs

3 Cups soft cinnamon raisin bread, cut into 1” cubes

¼ cup melted, unsalted butter

1 Cup turkey or chicken stock

1-1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. coarse black pepper

½ Cup chopped flat leaf parsley

You will also need:

An instant read thermometer

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Step one: Make the stuffing

1. In a large fry pan on medium high heat, add oil, diced onion, diced fennel, celery, apple and sauté until tender (5-8 minutes).
2. Scrape vegetables into large mixing bowl.  Add brioche crumbs, raisin bread cubes, melted butter, turkey or chicken stock, salt, pepper and parsley.
3. Using a large spoon, combine ingredients until well blended.
4. Stuff the cavity of your holiday turkey with ¾ of this delicious dressing, reserving the other ¼ for the upper end of the bird.

*For additional holiday cheer, add ½ cup fresh cranberries before stuffing turkey.

Step two: Cook the turkey

1. Lay the onion slices, orange slices and fennel on a large rimmed baking sheet.
2. Lay the turkey on top of the vegetables, breast side up and tuck the wing tips under the turkey. Rub canola oil all over the turkey and season evenly with salt.
3. Cook on the middle rack in the oven for 1hr 15min.
4. Meanwhile, get started on the glaze. Add the canola along with the shallot, ginger and garlic to a pot that’s set over medium heat.  Cook for 3min until everything is soft and translucent.  Add the remaining ingredients for the glaze and bring to a simmer.  Simmer on low for 8min. Pour the glaze through a sieve, pushing the liquid through with the back of a spoon. Discard the solids.
5. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh (do not hit the bone). When the temperature reads 140F, begin basting the turkey with the glaze every 10min.
6. Once the thermometer reads 165F remove the turkey from the oven. Cover the turkey and let it rest for 20min.
7. Prepare the gravy by pouring all the drippings from the turkey pan into a medium pot. Add the remainder of the glaze along with the apple cider, water, allspice, ginger and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4min.
8. Whisk the cornstarch with the water until it is fully dissolved. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the gravy and cook another 2min.
9. Carve the turkey and serve with gravy.

Courtesy of ThinkTurkey.ca