Rosemary Roasted Turkey: A Flavorful Feast for Your Holiday Table

Is rosemary good on turkey? Absolutely! Rosemary’s earthy, piney aroma and flavor pair beautifully with the richness of turkey, creating a truly delicious and festive dish. This recipe will guide you through the process of roasting a succulent turkey infused with the fragrant essence of rosemary, perfect for your Thanksgiving or any special occasion.

Two Delicious Recipes. One Perfect Turkey:

We’ve combined the best of two worlds by merging the insights from two renowned culinary sources: Allrecipes and Food Network Kitchen. This comprehensive guide incorporates the strengths of both recipes, ensuring you achieve the most flavorful and succulent roasted turkey.

Allrecipes: This recipe emphasizes simplicity and ease, making it ideal for beginner cooks. It focuses on a straightforward approach, using readily available ingredients and clear instructions.

Food Network Kitchen: This recipe offers a more nuanced and sophisticated approach, incorporating additional ingredients like butter, lemon, and fresh herbs for an extra layer of flavor. It also provides detailed instructions for making a delicious gravy from the pan drippings, adding a touch of elegance to your meal.

The Perfect Blend:

By combining the best aspects of both recipes, we’ve created a comprehensive guide that caters to all levels of culinary expertise. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a novice in the kitchen, this recipe will empower you to create a masterpiece that will impress your guests.

Here’s what you can expect:

• A detailed list of ingredients: We’ve included all the necessary ingredients, ensuring you have everything you need before you start cooking.
• Clear and concise instructions: The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow, guiding you through the entire process, from prepping the turkey to making the gravy.
• Tips and tricks: We’ve added helpful tips and tricks along the way to ensure your turkey turns out perfectly moist and flavorful.
• Beautiful photos: The recipe is accompanied by stunning photos that will inspire you and whet your appetite.

Get ready to experience the magic of rosemary roasted turkey!

Ingredients:

• 1 (10-12 pound) turkey
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves plus 2 rosemary sprigs
• 2 lemons, quartered
• For the gravy:
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup marsala wine or dry sherry wine
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions:

For the turkey:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Remove the packet of neck and giblets and set aside. Cut away any fatty pieces near the cavity or neck of the bird and discard. Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper inside and out.
3. Combine the butter and chopped rosemary. Loosen the skin over the breast of the turkey and push half of the butter mixture under the skin and over the breast meat. Rub the skin of the turkey with the rest of the butter mixture.
4. Stuff the cavity of the turkey with the lemons and rosemary sprigs. Tie the legs together with twine. Tuck the wings under the body of the turkey and place it, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
5. Roast the turkey until it begins to turn golden, about 25 minutes. Loosely tent the breast with foil, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Continue cooking, basting the turkey with pan drippings every 30 minutes, until the internal temperature near the thigh joint reaches about 155°F.
6. Remove the foil and continue roasting until it reaches 165°F., about 30 minutes longer. Transfer the turkey and rack to a cutting board and let rest about 30 minutes while you make the gravy.

For the gravy:

1. Using a fat separator or spoon, remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the drippings in the roasting pan. Transfer the drippings and any brown bits from the bottom of the pan to a large straight-sided skillet. Set over medium-high heat.
2. Add the giblets and neck and cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, onion, sage and rosemary. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the marsala, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer until the marsala is reduced by half. Slowly sprinkle in 1/4 cup of the flour, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook, stirring, 4 minutes.
4. Pour in the chicken broth and simmer, whisking occasionally, until the gravy is thickened, about 15 minutes. Taste the gravy and add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan; discard the solids. Bring the gravy to a boil over medium heat.
5. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour with the butter in a small bowl until it forms a paste. Drop pea-size pieces of the mixture into the gravy, whisking vigorously to incorporate between additions, until all the butter mixture is incorporated. Continue cooking until the gravy thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes more.

To serve:

1. Present the turkey whole on a platter garnished with the lemons from inside the cavity. To carve, first remove the wishbone, then legs, thighs and wings, and thinly slice the breast meat on an angle. Serve with the gravy on the side.

Tips:

• For a crispy skin, let the turkey air dry in the refrigerator uncovered for 24 hours before roasting.
• If you don’t have marsala wine, you can substitute dry sherry wine or even white grape juice.
• To make sure your turkey is cooked through, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. The thickest part of the thigh should reach 165°F.
• Leftover turkey can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

With this comprehensive guide, you’re now equipped to create a show-stopping rosemary roasted turkey that will be the star of your holiday table. The combination of the two recipes ensures a flavorful, succulent turkey that will leave your guests wanting more. So gather your ingredients, put on your apron, and get ready to experience the magic of rosemary roasted turkey!