OK, so this is not one of the most beautiful pictures of my Molasses Glazed Turkey, but damn it, it is person. The skin turns burgundy and is not as dark as it appears here. I just can’t seem to find the wonderful pictures I seek! Things are never where they they need to be, when I need them….story of my life!
Bottom line: This Turkey is so easy to make, yet absolutely delicious and beautiful!
Turkey with Molasses Glaze
Fresh Turkey – plan 1-2 pounds per person if you want leftovers
Molasses
Butter
Fresh Thyme
Fresh Sage
Salt and Pepper to season
(Make sure you check out the earlier post on brining.)
It depends on your oven, but plan your cooking time on 15 minutes per pound at 325 degrees. In order to determine what time to put your turkey in the oven, plan what time you want to sit down to eat. A turkey should stand without being carved at least 15- 30 minutes but no longer than 2 hours maximum. If you use a convection oven the turkey will cook 10-12 minutes per pound.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Remove turkey from brining solution and place in the sink. Rinse well for several minutes under cold water, turning turkey to ensure water is drained from every cavity. Have clean towels on counter next to sink and dry turkey well. Transfer to roasting pan. At the top opening of the breast pull the skin slightly away from the meat. Slice two pats of butter from a stick. With your fingers take one pat of butter and slide it down under the skin over the breast meat. Massage it into the meat until it is dispersed across the breast. Repeat on the other side. On both sides also slide under a few springs of fresh thyme and sage. Stuff turkey, (stuffing recipe to follow) first the rear cavity, by pulling the skin flap up to expose opening. When full use a toothpick to hold secure. Repeat for front cavity.
Brush the entire Turkey with molasses. Coat well and there will be no need to baste during roasting. An hour to an hour and a half into roasting, skin will be a deep copper tone. Cover turkey entirely with foil so skin does not over brown and continue to roast until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let stand at least 15 minutes before carving.
Classic French Chestnut Stuffing
8 cups torn pieces of rustic style bread, such as Italian or French, torn away from crust and left to sit out in a bowl for a day covered loosely with a towel so it can harden (On a busy year I have purchased bag bread cubes and the world did not come to an end!)
2 onions, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
3 TBLS minced fresh sage
2 TBLS minced fresh thyme
1 TBLS minced fresh rosemary
1 TBLS minced fresh savory
1 stick butter
2 jars (1 Lb) French chestnuts (Williams Sonoma catalog or Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop have them in my area)
½ cup finely chopped finely chopped parsley
Stuffs 24-28lb turkey with extra for baking dish for vegetarian guests
** At Thanksgiving the grocery stores carry a fresh “stuffing herb pack” that includes all of the above fresh herbs. It will save you a lot of money,time and waste. **
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place bread pieces on baking sheets or shallow baking pans and toast slightly in oven for 10-15 minutes until just slightly brown. Transfer them to a large bowl. In a large skillet cook the onions, celery, sage, thyme, rosemary, and savory in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring until the vegetables are softened, add the chestnuts, and cook the mixture stirring, for 1 minute. Add the vegetable mixture to the bread, tossing well, stir in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Let cool completely.
*I make this first thing in the morning or even a day in advance, cover and refrigerate. Stuffing must be cool prior to stuffing bird. For excess stuffing, or if you wish to bake stuffing only, butter the bottom and sides of casserole dish and I add a little chicken stock (for vegetarian stuffing, use vegetable stock) just to moisten bread mixture slightly. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 325 -350 degrees.
Loving me some stuffing!!!!
Feel free to share your favorite Thanksgiving recipe with us!
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