Family Spice Recipe for Roast Turkey with Pomegranate Gravy

Roast Turkey with Pomegranate Gravy

adapted from Gourmet, November 2004

 

Pomegranates are in season in the fall and offer a great compliment to your holiday turkey.

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

    • 1 (14- to 16-lb) turkey
    • 4 1/2 cups water
    • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
    • 1 TBS fresh thyme
    • 1 TBS salt
    • 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
    • 1 onion, quartered
    • 2 carrots, peeled and quartered
    • 2 ribs of celery, cut in half
    • 4 large fresh thyme sprigs
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1/2 cup plus 1 TBS fresh pomegranate juice
    • 6 1/2 TBS all-purpose flour

 

  1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
  2. Rinse with water and pat dry with paper towels:
    • 1 (14- to 16-lb) turkey
  3. Remove gizzards and neck and reserve and place in a small saucepan.
  4. Cover with:
    • 3 1/2 cups water
  5. Simmer for 1 hour to create broth for gravy.
  6. Discard neck and gizzards, and reserve broth.
  7. In a small bowl combine:
    • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
    • 1 TBS fresh thyme
  8. Generously cover turkey with herbed butter:
  9. Make sure you butter under the skin and between the different parts of the turkey.
  10. Place inside the turkey cavity:
    • 1 TBS salt
    • 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 2 carrots, peeled and quartered
    • 2 ribs of celery, cut in half
    • 4 large fresh thyme sprigs
  11. Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string.
  12. Put turkey on rack in a large roasting pan and roast, basting with pan juices every 20 minutes.
  13. If turkey is browning too fast, cover loosely with foil.
  14. Roast until meat thermometer inserted into fleshy part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours
  15. Carefully tilt turkey so any juices from inside large cavity run into roasting pan.
  16. Transfer turkey to a platter and let stand, loosely covered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 180°F).
  17. Make gravy while turkey stands.
  18. In a dry 1-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, cook until it begins to melt:
    • 1/2 cup sugar
  19. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted into a deep golden caramel.
  20. Carefully add (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously):
    • 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate juice
  21. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramel is dissolved.
  22. Remove syrup from heat*.
  23. Pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into fat separator.
  24. Skim off fat and reserve 1/4 cup of it.
  25. Pour juices into reserved turkey broth.
  26. Add enough reserved turkey stock to pan juices to total 3 1/2 cups liquid. If not enough, add chicken stock or water.
  27. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add:
    • 1 cup water
  28. Deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits for 1 minute.
  29. Pour through fine-mesh sieve into reserved turkey broth.
  30. in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, whisk together with reserved fat:
    • 6 1/2 TBS all-purpose flour
  31. Cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, until pale golden, 7 to 10 minutes.
  32. Add reserved turkey broth to mixture in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
  33. Bring to a boil, whisking, and add pomegranate syrup, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
  34. Season with salt and pepper and stir in:
    • 1 TBS fresh pomegranate juice
  35. Remove string from turkey and discard onion and thyme from cavity.
  36. Serve turkey with gravy on the side.

 

Family Spice Recipe for Roast Turkey with Pomegranate Gravy

 

 

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 4 hours

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8-10

Serving Size: approx. 2 slices of turkey

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with your favorite sides. Also try these great turkey recipes: Mahogany Roast Turkey or Roast Turkey with Herb Butter and Caramelized Onion-Balsamic Gravy. Need something more simple? Try our recipe for roast turkey.

 

Read about this recipe in the Family Spice Blog!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Pomegranate syrup can be made 1 day ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.

 

NEED NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION!

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size 1 cup
Amount Per Serving
% Daily Values*
Calories
TBD
TBD
Calories from fat
TBD
TBD
Total Fat
TBD
TBD
Saturated Fat
TBD
TBD
Trans Fat
TBD
TBD
Cholesterol
TBD
TBD
Sodium
TBD
TBD
Carbohydrates
TBD
TBD
Dietary Fiber
TBD
TBD
Sugars
TBD
TBD
Protein
TBD
TBD
Vitamin A
TBD
TBD
Vitamin C
TBD
TBD
Vitamin K
TBD
TBD
Calcium
TBD
TBD
Iron
TBD
TBD
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

 

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