Bardstown Holiday Turkey

3 T. bourbon
10- to 12-lb. turkey, fresh or thawed
Aromatics, optional (see directions)
2 T. softened butter
salt and pepper

Glaze:
1/2 C. bourbon
1 C. orange marmalade
1/8 t. ground allspice
1/8 t. grated nutmeg
Garnishes: Bundled herbs, orange slices or kumquats, grape clusters

Heat oven to 325°F. and set rack at lower level; remove other racks.

Unwrap and rinse turkey, being sure bags of giblets and neck are removed from both the neck and body cavities. In other words, check fore and aft, reaching in as far as possible so as not to miss a giblet bag.

Rinse turkey inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons bourbon, salt and pepper inside turkey cavity. Tuck in aromatics as desired, such as citrus slices, a whole peeled onion stuck with cloves, celery or carrot sticks and herb sprigs. These will not be served and may be discarded before carving.

Twist wings behind bird's back and tie drumsticks near "ankles" or return to "hock lock." Place turkey breast-side up on a rack (preferably a V-rack) in shallow roasting pan (some like to line the pan with foil). Spread softened butter evenly over surface of turkey. Roast about 3 hours or until the internal temperature is 175 - 180°F. inside turkey thigh, thermometer not touching bone. If using an instant-read thermometer, do not allow it to remain in the oven even a minute. Just insert, read and pull it out before closing oven door again. Juices running clear and a drumstick that can be wiggled are less reliable indicators of doneness. If roasting turkey breasts only, thermometer should reach 165-170°F. in thickest part of meat. If skin over breast is well-browned, shield with a loose tent of foil for last part of roasting.

Prepare glaze in advance. Combine 1/2 cup bourbon, marmalade and spices in saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes or until glaze is reduced to 1 cup. Brush half the glaze over turkey after roasting an hour or so. Brush with remaining glaze about 20 minutes before turkey is done. Transfer whole bird to a serving platter (the point of glazing the bird), garnish with citrus or grapes and herbs and let rest on buffet 20 minutes for internal juices to set. Return to the kitchen and transfer it to a large cutting board before carving.

Yield: 10 servings

Recipe adapted from the "Jim Beam Family Recipe for Holiday Entertaining" booklet. Jim Beam's grandson, Booker Noe of Bardstown, Ky., continues the family's legacy begun by Jacob Beam, his great-great-great-grandfather, who arrived in Kentucky in 1788, carrying the makings of a copper still.

Classic Roast Turkey with Giblet Gravy

For the turkey:
1 fresh 12-pound turkey, neck, heart, gizzard and liver reserved
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 T. butter, at room temperature
3/4 C. canned chicken broth
1/4 C. peanut oil
1 yellow onion, unpeeled, coarsely chopped
2 large carrots, unpeeled, coarsely chopped

For the gravy:
7 C. turkey stock (see below)
1/4 C. cornstarch
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for up to 1 hour to take off the chill.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325° F. Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry. Trim off and discard the excess fat. Fold the wings underneath the back of the turkey to prevent overbrowning. Lightly salt and pepper the turkey inside and out. Truss the turkey.

Place the turkey on a rack in a flameproof roasting pan. Spread 2 tablespoons of the butter over the turkey breast. Dampen an 18-inch square of doubled cheesecloth and drape it over the turkey breast, leaving the drumsticks uncovered. Place the turkey in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile in a small sauce pan, combine the chicken broth, the remaining 6 tablespoons butter and the peanut oil. Warm over very low heat until the butter has melted.

At the 30-minute mark, using a bulb baster, baste the turkey through the cheesecloth with some of the broth mixture. Continue roasting, basting every 20 minutes, for 1 1/4 hours. Add the onion and carrots to the roasting pan, stirring to coat them with the drippings. Continue to roast, basting the turkey every 30 minutes with the remaining broth mixture and then with the accumulated pan juices, until the vegetables are well-browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey thigh, away from the bone, registers 175° F., about 1 1/4 hours longer, for a total roasting time of about 3 hours.

Transfer the turkey from the oven to a cutting board, cover with foil, and make the gravy.

To make the giblet gravy, place the turkey's roasting pan with all its juices and the vegetables over two burners and turn the heat on both burners to medium-high. Add all but 1/4 cup of the turkey stock to the roasting pan and bring to a brisk simmer. Stir to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, about 5 minutes.

Pour the contents of the pan through a sieve set over a large bowl, pressing hard on the vegetables with the back of a large spoon to extract all the liquids; discard the solids. Spoon off as much of the fat from the liquids as possible. (You also can use a fat separator.) Transfer the defatted liquids to a medium sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and simmer briskly for 5 minutes.

Finely chop the cooked heart and gizzard reserved from making the turkey stock and the reserved uncooked liver. Reduce the heat to low and stir the giblets into the gravy. In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1/4 cup stock into the cornstarch to make a slurry. Gradually stir the slurry into the gravy. Cook until the gravy thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy. Serves 8.

Turkey Stock
3 T. peanut oil
2 turkey wing drumettes
Turkey neck (reserved from turkey), plus the heart and gizzard
3 C. chopped yellow onion
2 C. chopped carrot
1 C. chopped celery
Stems from 1 bunch fresh parsley
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
8 C. low-sodium canned chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Warm the oil in a stock pot set over medium-high heat. Brown the turkey wings, neck, heart and gizzard well, turning about once or twice, about 14 minutes. Stir in the vegetables and herbs. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, about 15 minutes. (For the giblet gravy, remove the heart and gizzard at this point and reserve.) Add the broth, salt and pepper to taste, then bring to a simmer. Cover partially and cook for 35 minutes.

Strain the stock, pouring it through a sieve, into a large bowl. If using right away, skim off the visible fat or pour into a fat separator. Otherwise, let cool 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight. Using a large spoon, remove the solid fat from the top of the stock and discard. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes about 7 cups.

Glazed Turkey with Sweet Potato Dressing

3 sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed
1 orange, rind grated, juice squeezed, reserved
1 tablespoon butter, melted, divided
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, trimmed, chopped
1/2 cup peeled parsnip, chopped
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 10-lb. turkey

Stuffing: Place sweet potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain, mash, and stir in the grated orange rind.

Place half the melted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and parsnip. Cook 10 minutes, stirring often. Add sage. Add mixture to the sweet potatoes, mixing well.

Preheat oven to 450 F. Spoon the stuffing into turkey. Insert a meat thermometer through the body cavity into the thickest part of the stuffing. Brush remaining butter on the turkey and place in a roasting pan.

Bake at for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat and continue baking at 375 F 1 to 2 hours, or until the internal temperature registers 180 F. Baste often with the reserved orange juice and any juices that collect in the pan. When turkey is done, let stand 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Orange Glazed Turkey

1 (12 to 14 lbs.) whole turkey

3 T. melted butter

3 T. olive oil

3 t. instant chicken bouillon

1 t. thyme leaves

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. black pepper

2 large onions

2 each carrots and celery stalks, coarsely chopped

2 C. water

1/2 C. orange marmalade

Rinse and stuff turkey with your favorite stuffing, if desired. Secure turkey wings and legs; place on rack in roasting pan. Combine butter, oil, bouillon and spices. Brush turkey with bouillon mixture. Cover turkey breast with foil and remove foil halfway during roasting. Place
vegetables around turkey in pan.

Roast at 350° F. for 1 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes. Add water to pan as vegetables start to brown. Roast 3 hours longer, basting every 30 minutes, roast until the pop-up timer pops and the meat thermometer reaches 180 - 185° F. in the deepest part of the thigh, not touching bone.

Brush marmalade on turkey during last 15 minutes of roasting. Transfer to platter; remove stuffing to a bowl. Let turkey rest 20 minutes before slicing.

Makes about 10 servings.

Perfect Roast Turkey

4 C. kosher salt or 2 cups table salt

1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly; giblets, neck, and tailpiece removed and reserved to make gravy

3 medium onions, chopped coarse

1 1/2 medium carrots, chopped coarse

1 1/2 celery stalks, chopped coarse

6 thyme sprigs

3 T. unsalted butter, melted

Dissolve salt in 2 gallons of cold water in large stockpot or clean bucket. Add turkey and refrigerate or set in very cool (40° F. or less) spot for 4 to 6 hours.

Remove turkey from salt water and rinse both cavities and skin under cool running water for several minutes until all traces of salt are gone. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Place turkey on meat rack set over rimmed sheet pan. Place turkey in refrigerator, uncovered, and air-dry for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, and heat oven to 400° F. Toss one-third of onion, carrot, celery, and thyme with 1 tablespoon of melted butter and place this mixture in body cavity. Bring turkey legs together and perform a simple truss.

Scatter remaining vegetables and thyme over a shallow roasting pan. Pour 1 cup water over vegetables. Set V-rack in pan. Brush entire breast side of turkey with half of remaining butter, then place turkey, breast side down, on V-rack. Brush entire backside of turkey with remaining butter.

Roast for 45 minutes. Remove pan from oven (close oven door); baste with juices from pan. With wad of paper toweling in each hand, turn turkey, leg/thigh side up. If liquid in pan has totally evaporated, add another 1/2 cup water. Return turkey to oven and roast for 15 minutes. Remove turkey from oven again, baste, and again use paper toweling to turn other leg/thigh side up; roast for another 15 minutes. Remove turkey from oven for final time, baste, and turn it breast side up; roast until breast registers about 165° F. and thigh registers 170 to 175° F. on an instant-read thermometer, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove turkey from pan and let rest until ready to carve.

Serve with gravy.

Roast Turkey with Pecan Corn-Bread Stuffing

1 turkey (about 15 lbs.)
2-1/2 C. pecan halves (8 oz.)
1/3 C. butter
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 C. Bourbon, Tennessee whisky or rye
4 t. chopped fresh sage (or 1-1/2 tsp dried)
2 t. chopped fresh thyme (or 3/4 tsp dried)
1 t. salt
3/4 t. pepper
8 cups Corn Bread
1/2 C. chopped celery leaves or fresh parsley
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1/3 C. all-purpose flour
3 C. Giblet Stock for Gravy or chicken stock

Remove neck and giblets from cavity of turkey; reserve for Giblet Stock for Gravy. Finely chop liver and reserve for stuffing. Pull out any loose fat from cavity.

On baking sheet, toast pecans in 425°F. oven for 4 minutes; let cool.

In skillet, melt 2 T. of the butter over medium-high heat; cook celery, onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper until lightly browned, about 7 minutes.

Stir in 2 T. of the bourbon, reserved chopped liver, sage, thyme and 1/4 t. each of the salt and pepper; fry for 2 minutes. Transfer to large bowl; let cool. Crumble corn bread into bowl. Add pecans and celery leaves; mix well. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.) Mix in egg.

Pat turkey dry inside and out. Holding breast side down, sprinkle body cavity with 2 T. and neck cavity with 2 t. of the remaining bourbon. Stuff both cavities loosely with some of the stuffing; skewer cavities shut. Tie legs together and tuck wings under back.

Place turkey, breast side up, on greased rack in roasting pan. Place remaining stuffing in greased 11-x7-inch glass baking dish; cover with foil and refrigerate.

Melt remaining butter and stir in 2 T. of the remaining bourbon; brush over turkey. Sprinkle with 1/2 t. of the remaining salt and 1/4 t. of the remaining pepper.

Roast in 325°F oven for 1 hour. Roast, basting often, for 2-1/2 hours or until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh registers 180°F.

Meanwhile, add covered dish of stuffing to oven; cook for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes longer. Lift turkey onto warmed platter; tent with foil and let stand for at least 15 minutes or for up to 30 minutes.

Skim off all but 2 T. fat from pan drippings; place pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle flour over drippings; cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Gradually whisk in stock and remaining bourbon, salt and pepper; bring to simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in giblets; heat through. Pour into warmed gravy boat.

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Southern Roast Turkey with Bourbon Peach Glaze

1 15-Pound WHOLE TURKEY, fresh or frozen (thawed)
1-1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 Cup peach preserves
2 Tablespoons bourbon
2 Teaspoons Angostura bitters
5 pickled peaches, for garnish

Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for gravy. Rinse turkey with cold running water and drain well. Blot dry with paper towels.
Sprinkle salt and pepper in the cavities of the bird.

Fold neck skin and fasten to the back with skewers. Fold the wings under the back of the turkey. Return legs to tucked position.

Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (no more than 2-1/2" deep) roasting pan. Insert an oven-safe thermometer into thickest part of the thigh, being careful it does not touch the bone.

Roast turkey in a preheated 325 degree F. oven about 3-3/4 hours. Baste with the pan juices.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, over low heat, combine preserves, bourbon and bitters. Cook until preserves are melted.

During the last 30 minutes of roasting time, baste the bird with the bourbon peach glaze. Continue to roast until the thermometer registers 180 degrees F. in the thigh, or 170 degrees F. in the breast.

Remove turkey from the oven and allow the bird to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Place on a warm large platter and garnish with pickled peaches. Note: Provides 22 servings at 6 ounces per portion.

Recipe Source: The National Turkey Federation

Super-Moist Roast Turkey

12 lbs. turkey

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/4 C. onions - finely chopped

1/4 C. carrots - finely chopped

1/4 C. celery - finely chopped

1/4 C. turnip - finely chopped

3 cloves garlic - thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Sprinkle turkey inside and out with salt and pepper. Tuck wings under turkey. Place turkey in an oven roasting bag. Scatter onions, carrots, celery, turnip and garlic over and around turkey. Fold the top of the bag over and place turkey, breast up. in a small roasting pan. Add 1 in. water.

Roast turkey 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the leg (but not touching the bone) reaches 165° F. to 170° F. Carefully tear open and remove the bag. Increase the oven temperature to 450° F. Roast 30 minutes longer, or until the thermometer registers 180° F., basting with the pan juices every 5 minutes. Turkey should be golden brown.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully transfer turkey to a platter, letting the juices run back into the pan; reserve the juices for gravy. Cover the bird with foil and let stand for 20 minutes before carving.

Makes about 16 servings.