Recipes

Recipe: Turkey with orange-herb basting sauce

Recipe: Turkey with orange-herb basting sauce

Recipe: Turkey with orange-herb basting sauce Author: Style At Home

Recipes

Recipe: Turkey with orange-herb basting sauce

My friend Janice Wald Henderson describes this as her no-fail turkey recipe, and after trying it I couldn't agree more. The sauce is easy to prepare, and the best part for those of us who are carving challenged is that the pieces are already cut up, except for the breast.

Serves 6 to 10

Recommended wine:
The orange and herb flavors call for a fresh, unoaked Chardonnay or Viognier, or a young, zesty Riesling (dry to slightly sweet). If a red is required, try a soft, bright, youthful Grenache.

INGREDIENTS
Basting Sauce
One 6-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup orange liqueur such as Cointreau
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, sage, and thyme
Seriously Simple Seasoning Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Turkey
One 3-pound whole turkey breast
Two 1-pound turkey thighs
Two 1-pound drumsticks
Seasoning salt
1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken broth
Orange slices and parsley or watercress for garnish

PREPARATION
1 To make the basting sauce, in a glass measuring cup, combine the orange juice concentrate, liqueur, and butter and microwave for 1 minute, or until all of the ingredients are liquid. Or heat in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

2 Preheat the oven to 325°F. Arrange the turkey parts in a shallow roasting pan, placing the breast skin side up. Pour the basting sauce over the turkey and turn each piece with tongs to coat it evenly. Sprinkle a little salt on each piece. Pour 1/2 cup of the broth around the pan.

3 Roast, basting every 45 minutes and turning the legs, until the pieces are cooked through, brown, and crispy. You will need to add more broth as the pan gets brown and dry, so watch carefully. Total cooking time is 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours. The breast may be done sooner. It should read 160°F on an instant-read thermometer. The dark-meat parts should register 175°F. Transfer the turkey breast to a carving board and let rest for at least 15 minutes. Arrange the other pieces on a platter. Carve the breast and arrange on the platter.

4 While the turkey is resting, place the roasting pan over medium-high heat, add 1 cup of the broth and deglaze the pan by scraping up the brown bits. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Pour over the turkey. Garnish the platter with orange slices and parsley. Serve immediately.

Advance preparation: Make up to 1 hour ahead through step 3, loosely cover, and keep at room temperature.

The clever cook could
1 Cut the turkey breast into 1 1/2-inch chunks and make a salad with an orange vinaigrette.
2 Add leftover turkey to a quick vegetable soup.
3 Cut any leftover turkey into 1-inch pieces and use in a stir-fry.


seriously-simple-cover.jpg BUY THIS BOOK
Excerpted from Seriously Simple Holidays: Recipes and Ideas to Celebrate the Season by Diane Rossen Worthington. Copyright 2007 by Chronicle Books. Excerpted with permission by Chronicle Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Recipe: Turkey with orange-herb basting sauce