Maple Roast Turkey

SUBMITTED BY: Christine L. PHOTO BY: Knopka

"This is the perfect turkey. The maple adds a sweet flavor that is just divine. A family favorite! Substitute 2 teaspoons dried marjoram if fresh marjoram is not available."

PREP TIME	1 Hr
COOK TIME	3 Hrs 30 Min
READY IN	6 Hrs 30 Min

SERVINGS & SCALING

Original recipe yield: 12 servings

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INGREDIENTS

2 cups apple cider
1/3 cup real maple syrup
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
3/4 cup butter, softened
salt and pepper to taste
1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets reserved
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup apple brandy

READ REVIEWS (75)

DIRECTIONS

Combine apple cider and maple syrup in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking until reduced to 1/2 cup, then remove pan from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 tablespoon marjoram, and lemon zest. Stir in butter until melted, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until cold.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place rack in lower third of oven.
Place turkey on a rack set in a roasting pan. Reserve 1/4 cup maple butter for gravy, and rub the remaining maple butter under the skin of the breast and over the outside of turkey. Arrange onion, celery, carrots turkey neck and giblets around the turkey. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon thyme and 1 tablespoon marjoram over vegetables. Pour 2 cups broth into pan.
Roast turkey for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cover entire turkey loosely with foil. Continue roasting for about 2 1/2 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Transfer turkey to platter, and let stand 30 minutes.
Strain the pan juices into a large measuring cup, and then remove any excess fat. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 3 cups. Transfer liquid to a saucepan, and bring to boil. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup maple butter and 1/3 cup flour until smooth. Whisk flour and butter mixture into broth mixture. Stir in remaining thyme and the bay leaf. Boil until reduced to sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in apple brandy, if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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REVIEWS

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Reviewed on Jan. 2, 2006 by mjm

Great tasting and juicy turkey. This is the best turkey I've ever made. I will definitely make this again next year. Next time I will boil the cider vinegar and maple mixture longer. I don't think I reduced the mixture as it was intended because when it cooled, there was liquid beneath the butter. This made it too tangy to use for the gravy, but that did not affect the flavor of the turkey itself. This was such a good recipe, I couldn't even mess it up! *Actually, I did mess it up!! I mistakenly used apple cider vineger instead of apple cider and it still turned out great. I was wondering why the gravy was so tangy.

8 users found this review helpful

Reviewed on Dec. 17, 2003 by BOBERTO

I used this recipe this year for my first Thanksgiving dinner ever. As you can imagine, I was pretty nervous! The turkey turned out wonderfully. I do have a few pointers for any novices out there like me - definitely make the Maple herb butter the night before to make the next day that much easier, "marjoram" is a plant and I went to the grocery store and found it in the spices and used that (it worked great). Also, when you first place the turkey in the oven on 375 for 30 minutes, make sure to keep an eye on it. The baste cooked very quickly on top of the skin and burnt, I just wasn't paying attention. It didn't matter at all since you cut the skin off before you serve it anyway, but if you are concerned about presentation then keep an eye on it. I do HIGHLY recommend using the gravy recipe included, the flavor was incredible and tastes great on the leftover sandwiches as a spread!! The entire process was pretty simple and easy to follow, and the end result was that I may be doing Thanksgiving for everyone for the rest of my life!!! Thanks so much, Lipo!

6 users found this review helpful

Reviewed on Nov. 25, 2005 by BONSTEAD

We made this yesterday and received a lot of compliments. It was fairly simple to prepare and the house smelled wonderful. The butter took longer to make than I estimated; I'm glad we made it in advance as suggested. I prepared half the gravy with the brandy and half without... everyone preferred the gravy without the brandy. The brandy was the most expensive part of the meal ($29.00 for a pint) and the most difficult ingredient to locate. If we make this again, we will not use the brandy.

5 users found this review helpful

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