Spicy Ginger-Brined Roast Turkey With Sweet and Sour Gravy
 
 
by:
Serves: 12 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 small turkey (12 to 14 pounds), giblets and neck removed, tail cut off, turkey rinsed and patted dry
  • 1 container (0.78) each: Gourmet Garden lightly dried ginger and chili pepper
  • ¼ cup kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 3 medium-large onions, cut into large dice
  • 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 each: celery stalks, and carrots, cut into large chunks
  • 1 cup dry white wine or vermouth
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons Gourmet Garden lightly dried cilantro
Instructions
  1. The night before, completely loosen the skin on turkey breast, legs, and thighs. Mix ginger, chili, salt, and pepper and rub on the turkey’s backside. Turn the turkey over and sprinkle the rub under the skin of the turkey—over breasts, legs, and thighs—as well as on the skin, in the cavity, and finally over the wings; set turkey on a wire rack set on a platter or pan large enough to hold it. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.
  2. Meanwhile, hack neck into 1½ –to 2-inch chunks. Cut, tails, hearts, and gizzards into 1-inch chunks (discard or reserve liver for another use). Heat a small Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the cut up turkey pieces and one of the onions to pan (if there’s no skin on the neck, you may need to add a little oil to the pan); cook until they lose their raw color and start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add broth and bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, to make a flavorful broth, about 30 minutes. Strain out solids; return broth to saucepan.
  3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Scatter half the remaining 2 onions, along with half the celery and carrots in a heavy-duty roasting pan. Set a V-rack in the roasting pan. Stuff remaining vegetables in turkey cavity and tie the turkey legs together. Set turkey breast down on V-rack and roast for 1 hour. Remove turkey from oven, close oven door, and baste turkey back and sides with some of the pan drippings. With two wads of paper towels, carefully turn turkey, breast side up and baste with some of the pan drippings. Continue to roast it until a meat thermometer inserted in the leg pit registers 175, 1 to 11/2 hours longer, keeping an eye on the vegetables and pan drippings throughout the cooking process. They should be kept dry enough to brown and produce the rich brown drippings to make rich gravy, but moist enough to keep from burning, so add water as needed throughout the cooking process. Transfer turkey to a platter to rest for a half hour and remove V-rack from pan.
  4. Set roasting pan over 2 burners set on medium-high. Add wine and, using a wooden spoon, stir to loosen brown bits. Add broth, vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil; simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Spoon carrots, celery and onions from roasting pan; Whisk cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water then gradually whisk into pan juices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened. Carve turkey and sprinkle with cilantro. Pour gravy into a serving bowl or boat and serve.
Recipe by Three Many Cooks at https://threemanycooks.com/uncategorized/spicy-ginger-roast-turkey-with-sweet-and-sour-gravy/