With the holiday season quickly approaching, our iQ living blog hopes to keep you posted on great seasonal recipes. Each week we will be offering helpful hints and suggestions to spice up old recipes and re-introduce you to timeless classics.
This week we wanted to feature one of our favorite recipes for cooking the perfect holiday turkey. While not all of our holiday gatherings have a turkey as the star - some of us go the meatless root, while others have ham or lamb instead.
The staff at iQliving have compared notes and have stumbled upon a couple of common traditions when we do serve turkey; chestnuts and apples are included in our stuffing, and we like to cover the turkey with foil the moment it becomes golden brown.
While we disagreed on pancetta or bacon, and golden raisins or prunes, we all agree that this recipe is flexible enough to accommodate different tastes, while ensuring that your turkey will be perfectly cooked and tender every time.
Preheat the oven to 425° F.
First make stuffing; Tear the bread into small pieces and place in a bowl. Add water to cover and let soak for 10 minutes. Chop the turkey giblets, pancetta and sausage together and place in a large bowl. Add the Soak bread, apples, prunes or golden raisins and chestnuts and mix well. Spoon mixture into the cavity of the turkey. Season the butter by dipping it into a small bowl containing a pinch of salt and paper, then add to cavity. Sew up the opening.
Place pancetta or bacon slices onto the turkey, covering the breasts. Place in roasting pan with the rest of the butter. Roast for 1 hour, then lower the temperature to 350° F and then replace the roast back into the oven. Baste occasionally and roast for another 1 ½ hours. Remove pancetta or bacon, save to use in stuffing mixture. Return the turkey to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes or more until golden brown, tender and cooked through.
Remove the turkey from the pan and let sit for at least an hour.
We carry a large variety of great Roasters and other Cookware and Cook tool's that will help you cook your turkey, our favorites is theAll-Clad Stainless Steel Roasting Pant. Large enough to hold your turkey, the pan features a perfectly sized non-stick rack that will allow you not only to brown your turkey, but be able to effortlessly remove it from the roasting pan.
