Apricot Glazed Turkey

Apricot Glazed Turkey

By Gloria Kobrin Published: November 30, 2014

• Cuisine: American
• Course: Entrée
• Skill Level: Moderate

• Yield:

• 18 Servings

Ingredients

• 20 pound turkey cleaned
• 1 cup Non-dairy Margarine softened
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 2 small bunches Fresh Sage
• 1 small bunch Fresh Thyme
• 1 cup apricot nectar
• 1 cup apricot preserves
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 4 inches Fresh Ginger root peeled and minced
• 6 cups Fresh/Boxed Low Salt Chicken Broth
• 1/2 cup flour

Equipment

• 1 large roasting pan if using foil pans-double them
• 1 non-stick turkey rack
• 1 small mixing bowl
• 1 baster
• heavy duty foil
• 1 large pastry brush
• 1 meat thermometer
• 1 slotted spoon
• 1 fine strainer
• 1 large saucepan

Directions

1. Adjust racks in your oven to make room for turkey. Preheat oven to: 400° F. Place rack inside roasting pan. Rinse off turkey inside and out, pat dry and place on rack-breast up.
   
2. Chop leaves from one bunch of sage. Discard stems. Mix sage leaves and dried thyme with soft margarine. Place your hands (I wear plastic gloves for this) underneath the skin on the breast and push through the membrane on both sides. Then, take small amounts of the herbed margarine and place it under the skin. Go as far back as you can. Press down on top of the skin to flatten out the margarine. Do this on both sides of the breast until it looks pretty much filled. I use a little more than half the margarine in the bowl. Take the rest of the herbed margarine and spread it over the top of the turkey-including the wings and legs. It won't be even when you do it; but it will spread out as it roasts. Place a small bunch of fresh thyme and remaining bunch of sage and insert them into the turkey's cavity-leaves first. Place turkey in oven. Roast for 30 minutes. While turkey is beginning to roast, place minced ginger, nectar, preserves, and honey in saucepan and melt over low heat. (you can use a microwave as well for this step) Reduce oven to 325° F. Roast 90 minutes more-basting every 20 minutes. After 90 minutes, pull out oven rack slightly, and tent turkey with foil. Roast 60 minutes longer and remove foil.
   
3. After removing foil, brush glaze generously over entire turkey. Roast 1-2 hours longer brushing turkey with glaze every 15 minutes. Turkey is done when meat thermometer reads 180° F. and juices run clear. When you grab the legs with a pot holder or paper towel, they should shake easily in their sockets. Remove turkey from oven and cool 15 minutes. The skin will be sticky so carefully remove turkey from the rack and place it on a platter or cutting board. Save pan drippings for gravy. Tent turkey with foil until serving or carving time. Ideally, your turkey should rest 20-30 minutes before carving; so the juices settle in the bird. it will also be easier to carve.
   
4. Gravy: Pour off most of the fat from the roasting pan. Remove pieces of apricot and ginger with a slotted spoon and set aside. Sprinkle flour over drippings and stir briskly until a paste has formed. Pour chicken broth slowly over the paste and briskly stir again until gravy has formed. Strain gravy into a saucepan. Add reserved apricots and ginger to gravy. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot with turkey.
   
5. Note: The neck and gizzard usually come with the turkey. I simmer them both with a medium onion for about 30 minutes before stripping off any skin or fat that is still visible. The, I scrape the meat off the neck and mince the gizzard and add them to the gravy. Alternatively, you can freeze the neck and gizzard raw and add them to any soup or stock you make.