Herbed Roasted Turkey

Ingredients:

1 whole 12 to 14 lb turkey
1/2 cup rosemary sprigs(fresh)
1/2 cup sage leaves(fresh)
1 apple(quartered)
1 stalk celery(halved)
1 onion(halved)
1/2 cup butter(melted).

Instructions:

Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for other uses if desired.

Rinse turkey with cold water and pat dry.Loosen skin from the turkey breast a bit not totally detaching.

Place rosemary and sage under skin then smooth skin over herbs and back into place.Place apple celery and onion into the neck cavity.

Place the turkey breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and brush with melted butter.

Cover turkey loosely with a "tent" of aluminum foil.Bake at 325 degrees until meat thermometer registers about 180 degrees.

This should take from 3 1/2 to 4 hours but begin checking after 3 hours.

Remove turkey and let stand 15 minutes before carving. Serve with gravy.

Turkey Breast Braised With Garlic And Rice

Ingredients:

1 Cup long-grain rice
1 Can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1/2 Cup white wine
2 Teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 Teaspoon each dried rosemary, thyme and sage
1 Bay leaf
1 bone-in Turkey Breast (5-6 pounds), Paprika
3 Cloves garlic.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.In 5-quart Dutch oven combine rice, broth, wine, parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage and bay leaf.

Place turkey over rice mixture and sprinkle turkey generously with paprika.Cut off root ends of garlic cloves.

Place whole garlic bulbs, cut-end-up, in rice around turkey breast.Cover top of Dutch oven with foil and lid.Bake at 350 degrees F. 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast registers 170-175 degrees F.Allow to stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

To serve, carve turkey into slices and place on platter. Spoon rice mixture into serving bowl.Squeeze garlic from skins onto turkey and rice.

Barbecued Turkey With Maple-Mustard Sauce

Ingredients:

For turkey:

6 quarts water
2 large onions(quartered)
1 cup coarse salt
1 cup chopped fresh ginger
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
4 large bay leaves
4 whole star anise
12 whole black peppercorns(crushed).
1 13- to 14-pound turkey,niblets discarded.
4 cups hickory smoke chips(soaked in water 30 minutes, drained)
Disposable 9x6 1/4x1-inch aluminum broiler pans.
2 large oranges, cut into wedges
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil.

For glaze:

3/4 cup pure maple syrup, 1/2 cup dry white wine, 1/3 cup Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter.

Instructions:

First the turkey is soaked overnight in a brine to improve flavor and ensure moist meat. (Be sure to use a pot large enough to hold both the brine and the turkey.) The smokiness of the turkey is offset beautifully by the tangy, sweet glaze, which incorporates two quintessential Napa Valley ingredients: wine and mustard.

To Prepare Turkey:

Combine first 8 ingredients in very large pot. Bring mixture to simmer, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve. Cool brine completely.Rinse turkey inside and out. Place turkey in brine, pressing to submerge. Chill overnight, turning turkey twice.

If using charcoal barbecue:

Mound charcoal briquettes in barbecue and burn until light gray. Using tongs, carefully divide hot briquettes into 2 piles, 1 pile at each side of barbecue. Sprinkle each pile with generous 1/2 cup hickory chips. Place empty broiler pan between piles. Position grill at least 6 inches above briquettes. Position vents on barbecue so that chips smoke and briquettes burn but do not flame.

If using gas or electric barbecue:

Preheat barbecue with all burners on high. Turn off center burner and lower outside burners to medium-low heat. Place generous 1/2 cup hickory chips in each of 2 broiler pans. Set pans over 2 lit burners. Place empty broiler pan over unlit burner. Position grill at least 6 inches above burners.
Remove turkey from brine; discard brine. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Place orange wedges in main cavity. Mix olive oil and sesame oil in small bowl. Brush over turkey. Arrange breast side up on grill, centering above empty broiler pan. Cover; cook until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 160°F, adding 1 cup hickory chips (and 6 briquettes if using charcoal barbecue) to barbecue every 30 minutes, about 3 hours.

For glaze:

Bring all ingredients to simmer in heavy medium saucepan.Brush glaze over turkey; cover and cook until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F, covering any dark areas of turkey with foil, about 1 hour longer. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent with foil and let stand 30 minutes.Serves 8.