Aluminum Football Roast Turkey Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.
• Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
• Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.
• Slice the turkey and serve.

Steps:

• Remove giblets from both cavities at both ends and set aside. Rinse the bird inside and out and pat dry with paper towel.
• Place a rack into a large roasting pan,and then place the turkey onto the rack with the breast and legs up.
• Mix all of the seasonings, except the paprika, together with the butter.
• Place your hand between the skin and the flesh from the rear of the turkey and slide a palm full of butter and seasoning mixture in between the skin and flesh.
• Then place a glob of butter into the palm of your hand and generously rub the entire turkey with the butter. Generously sprinkle the entire bird with salt, freshly ground black pepper, onion powder, granulated garlic powder, tarragon, parsley flakes, thyme, basil and paprika. Pour about 1/4" to 1/2" of chicken broth in the bottom of the roasting pan, being careful not to wash any of the seasonings off the turkey.
• Completely tent the turkey with aluminum foil and place into a preheated 325 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil tent and wrap foil around the legs and wings.
• Baste the turkey and return it to the oven for the remainder of the cooking time, which will be when the interior temperature of the bird reaches 180 degrees or until the juices run clear and not red when you puncture the bird between the thigh and the breast.
• Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the turkey.
• NOTE: I always cook my turkey unstuffed.
• I place my stuffing into baking dishes to bake.
• Also, see my recipe #105192 for the best giblet gravy ever!
• During the last 10 or 15 minutes of cooking, increase temperature to 375 or 400 degrees F. to get more browning, but watch it carefully, as you do not want to burn it or dry it out.

Steps:

• Rinse the turkey and dry it well. Sprinkle the cavity well with salt. Stuff as desired.
• Rub the softened butter all over the outside of the bird, and sprinkled it lightly with salt.
• Place the turkey on the rack of a large roaster, which has a heavy bottom, pouring about 2 inches of water in the bottom of the pan.
• Lay the neck and giblets alongside, cover the pan tightly and put it on the large burner on top of the stove. Allow it to boil and then steam gently for 4 1/2 to 5 hours, approximately the same length of time that it would take to roast the same bird. Take care to see the pan does not cook dry.
• When the drumsticks are loosened and the meat thermometer indicates the bird is about done, dribble a bot of soft butter over the skin, sprinkled it with a bit of white sugar and flour and bang it into a 350*F oven to brown while theaccompanying vegetables are cooking on top of the stove.
• The drippings in the bottom of the roasting pan will be a rich dark brown. Skim off any fat and then use them to make a rich gravy.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces, quarter the pieces, and refrigerate butter until needed.
• Use your fingers to loosen the skin over the turkey breast and thighs. Cut a hole in the turkey skin between tail and body (to affix legs); cut a hole on each side of the turkey beneath each wing (to affix wings). Rub the entire skin with vegetable oil.
• Toss apple and onion wedges, garlic cloves, and celery in a large bowl until combined; sprinkle poultry seasoning over the apple mixture and toss again to coat. Stuff the body and neck cavities with the apple mixture. Insert each wing tip into the hole under the wing to secure wings; insert both legs into hole near tail to secure legs.
• Place turkey onto a rack and set in a roasting pan. Insert cold butter pieces under the loosened skin, distributing the butter as evenly as possible.
• Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, reads 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 3 1/2 hours. Check for doneness after 3 hours.
• Remove roasting pan containing turkey from oven and cover with aluminum foil, lightly pressing the foil directly onto the bird. Let the turkey rest for 40 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• Make turkey:
• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in lower third.
• Rinse turkey inside and out, then pat dry. Mix together 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and rub all over turkey inside and out. Put onion and thyme in large cavity. Pin neck skin to body with skewer. Center kitchen string under back of breast and bring ends over to pin wings, then crisscross string and tie ends of drumsticks together. Put turkey on a metal rack in roaster and brush with 4 tablespoon melted butter. Cover pan (if using a roasting pan, cover turkey with parchment paper, then foil) and roast 1 hour.
• Baste with pan juices and add water to pan. Continue to roast, covered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of each thigh (test both; close to but not touching bone) registers 170°F, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Baste with remaining tablespoon melted butter and roast, uncovered, until skin is browned, about 15 minutes more (total roasting time: 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours). Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey to a platter and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 175 to 180°F).
• Make gravy while turkey stands:
• Strain pan juices through a fine- mesh sieve into 2-quart measure and skim off fat (or use a fat separator), reserving fat. Pour pan juices into a bowl and add stock.
• Whisk together flour and 1/3 cup reserved fat (if there is less, add melted butter) in a heavy medium saucepan, then cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Add pan juices and stock in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking. Stir in any turkey juices from platter. Chop and add giblets (if using). Simmer gravy, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.
• Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
• Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 4 hours.
• Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• Defrost the turkey. Place the wrapped turkey on a baking sheet and set on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Defrost for 1 day if fresh, or 4-5 days, if frozen. For a quicker defrost, submerge the turkey in a large sink or cooler filled with cold water and defrost for 30 minutes per pound of turkey.
• 1 day before cooking, brine the turkey. Measure the salt into a small bowl. Set up your work station with kitchen shears, a plastic bag, a fresh baking sheet with a wire rack set over it, and a garbage can nearby.
• Cut the packaging off the defrosted turkey, being careful not to cut the skin or flesh, and remove from the bag. Set the turkey on the baking sheet with the wire rack. Cut off any excess skin around the neck and release the plastic holder securing the legs. Remove any innards and giblets from the cavity and discard. Thoroughly pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
• Sprinkle the salt all over the turkey, making sure to get in the cavity, under the skin, and between any crevices.
• Refrigerate the turkey, uncovered, for 1 day. If brining for more than 1 day, cover the turkey with plastic wrap, then remove for the last day to let the skin dry out before roasting.
• A few hours before serving, prepare the turkey for roasting. Set an oven rack at the lowest height and the other in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325˚F (160˚C).
• Add the butter to a medium bowl. Chop the sage leaves and add to the bowl, along with the garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Mash the herbs into the butter. Set aside.
• Set a roasting pan or single-use aluminum pan over a baking sheet near your work station.
• Trim off the wing tips of the turkey and add to the roasting pan. Cut off any excess skin to expose the wishbone, then use a paring knife to cut out the bone. Use your hands or kitchen shears if the bone is hard to remove. Add to the roasting pan.
• Turn the bird so the legs are facing you. Tug out the plastic holder. Loosen the skin around the breasts, using your fingers to create a pocket. Be careful not to tear the skin. Rub the herb butter under the skin, then all over the rest of the turkey. Make sure to get in any crevices and the cavity.
• Stuff the lemon wedges and ¼ of the onion inside the turkey cavity. Add the rest of the onion wedges to the roasting pan, along with the carrot and celery. Pour the chicken broth into the pan.
• Use the wire rack to rest the turkey over the roasting pan, then pour any accumulated juices from the baking sheet into the pan.
• Set the roasting pan on the lowest oven rack. Place the turkey on the wire rack on the middle oven rack, directly over the roasting pan to catch any juices.
• Roast the turkey for about 2 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 160˚F (71˚C). Start checking the turkey about 90 minutes into roasting to ensure it does not overcook.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and set the wire rack over a baking sheet to catch any juices. Let rest for about 30 minutes while the internal temperature climbs to 165˚F (74˚C).
• Meanwhile, make the gravy: Remove any solids from the roasting pan. Strain the liquid into a large pot and bring to a boil, then let reduce to your desired consistency. The gravy can be served as is or, for a thicker gravy, ladle a few spoonfuls of stock into a small bowl with the flour. Whisk until no lumps remain, then stir a bit of the flour mixture at a time back into the pot. Return to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes, until thickened. Repeat as needed until the gravy has reached your desired consistency. Reduce the heat to low, whisking occasionally, until ready to serve, or remove from the heat and bring back to temperature before serving.
• Carve the turkey: Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board with a lip to catch any juices. First, release the legs to make carving the rest of the bird easier. Using a sharp knife, cut along where the legs meets the breasts, being careful not to cut all the way through. Then, use your hands to pull the legs and thigh away from the carcass and tuck them under the wings to keep them in place.
• Cut straight down along both sides of the breast bone until you can't cut any further, then cut horizontally near the wing to release the breasts from the carcass.
• Cut all the way through the legs to release from the hip joint.
• Find where the shoulder meets the breast, then cut through that joint to remove the wings, using your hands to pull the wing away if the joint is tough to find.
• Set the carcass aside--you can pick off any remaining meat for leftovers, or make stock from the whole carcass.
• Slice the breasts crosswise, against the grain, then transfer to a serving platter. Cut the drumsticks from the thighs through the joint, wiggling the knife to find an easy release or pulling apart with your hands. Add the drumsticks to the platter. Cut the thigh meat away from the bone, then into bite-size pieces, and add to the platter. Release the flats from the wings by cutting through the joint, pulling apart with your hands if necessary, then add to the platter.
• Rearrange the meat on the platter so the larger pieces of meat with crispy, browned skin are on top. Garnish the platter with sage leaves and lemon wedges, if desired.
• Serve with the warm gravy.
• Enjoy!