INGREDIENTS
TURKEY BROTH (for extra gravy-can just purchase organic turkey broth, as well)
This broth can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge or even earlier and frozen up to 6 months until ready for its use. I like to make mine early to free up time during Thanksgiving week. This recipe is a favorite adapted from epicurious.com.
- 4 lbs. organic, pastured turkey wings and necks
- 2-3 Tbs. avocado or coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped (maintenance)
- 1 large celery stalk with leaves, chopped
- 3 springs fresh thyme
- 6 springs fresh parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 whole black peppercorns
INSTRUCTIONS
- Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 450°F. Break wings at the joints or chop into chunks. Lightly grease wings and necks with oil and spread in a large roasting pan, roasting approximately 45 minutes or until nice and brown.
- While the bones are roasting, heat oil in a 6-quart stock pot over medium high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery, and cook about 10 minutes or until soft. stirring occasionally. Add necks and wings along with any pan juices and reduce heat to low.
- Place the roasting pan over 1-2 burners on the stovetop until the brown bits in the pan start to sizzle. Add 2 cups cold water and bring to a boil, scraping up the bits with a whisk or spoon. (They will add amazing flavor to your broth.) Pour into pot and add enough cold water to cover all at the ingredients by one inch (approx. 14 cups). Bring to a boil on high, skimming the foam from the surface. Add parsley, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 3 hours, adding water as needed to keep wings covered.
- Pour stock through fine-mesh sieve into large stainless-steel bowl or line with cheesecloth, discarding the solids. If using broth immediately, let stand until yellow fat rises to surface, 1 to 2 minutes, then skim off and discard fat. If not using immediately, place bowl in the sink filled with iced water, about 1/2-2/3 of the way up the bowl. Let stand, changing ice water as it warms, until stock has cooled. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, then scrape off and discard fat. This will be plenty for the gravy as well as extra for use in other dishes or to freeze.
TO ROAST THE TURKEY
- 1 (10-12 pound) pastured turkey (serves 8-10)
- 4 Tbs. Kerry Gold butter (room temperature)
- 1 yellow onion, cut into 8ths
- 1 celery stalk, cut into large chunks
- 1 large carrot, cut into large chunks (maintenance)
- 1 orange, cut into 8ths
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- Pink Himalayan salt and fresh-ground pepper
- 2 cups of organic chicken or turkey stock/broth for basting (you can make your own, above, or purchase it)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Remove the neck, giblets and liver from the turkey cavity. (You can use them in the turkey broth.) Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water and let sit out about an hour to reach room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, inside and out. Rub butter on all sides of the turkey. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, orange, celery, carrot, bay leaf and thyme. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string. (You can simply roast the turkey without stuffing it at all, as well.
- Place the turkey breast side up on a flat rack (crunch up balls of aluminum foil for the turkey to sit on if you don’t have a rack) in a shallow roasting pan (an aluminum one is fine) – 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep. Tuck the wings back to hold the neck skin in place. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh without touching the bone. Place your turkey in the oven. When the turkey is about ⅔ done or getting brown, loosely cover the breast with a piece of foil to prevent overcooking. Your turkey is done when the temperature with a meat thermometer is 180°F in thigh and 165°F in breast or stuffing. Lift turkey onto platter, and let stand for 20 minutes before carving. Discard the stuffing.
- A stuffed 10-12 lb. turkey will take approx. 3-1/2 to 3-3/4 hours. If you choose not to stuff your turkey, it will take approximately 3 hours. Times vary slightly.
TURKEY GRAVY
On the Genesis Health Solutions Weight Loss Program, flours and other thickening starches are not friendly for weight loss. We will provide you with a recipe below that is low-carb using Xanthan Gum as a thickening agent. A bag of xanthan gum can cost more but will last you a lifetime, as it is used in small amounts.
Keep in mind, if you are concerned about making gravy with a new product for your Thanksgiving dinner and want to use your usual methods, it’s okay. This is a special holiday meal with plenty of options for staying on plan. One day or a spoon of gravy won’t be your downfall! Enjoy your holiday and get back on track the next day!
- 5 cups turkey broth (see above)
- 4 Tbs. Kerry Gold butter
- Xanthan Gum – will use 1/4-1/2 tsp. per cup of broth (start with 1/4 tsp. and add more, if needed, to desired thickness)
- Pink Himalayan salt and fresh-ground pepper
For the gravy, pour the turkey pan juices into a glass measuring cup and skim off the fat. Place the roasting pan on two burners over medium heat, adding back in the pan juice and 2 cups turkey broth to deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom. Transfer broth to a large heavy saucepan, adding an additional 3 cups of turkey broth to equal 5 cups.
Once the broth is hot, add the xanthan gum. Sift it over the broth, as it can clump otherwise. There is no need to heat it to activate the thickening properties. A hand mixer or immersion blender helps to distribute it evenly, as well. It will thicken as it sits. Here is a web address for more information: https://feedme.typepad.com/my_weblog/2016/01/xanthan-gum-magical-food-thickener.html
Add butter to gravy and stir until melted. Sea salt and pepper to taste.
