{MONDAY'S MENU} Thanksgiving Style

I posted this recipe a while ago, but in case you missed it, or didn't try it I will post it again. I am making this Turkey for Thanksgiving again this year. We have so many people it requires 2 turkeys. My aunt Julie will cook the traditional one and I will do this. We will make the gravy out of hers. This...NOT good gravy! :)

One of my favorite things is Albertson's turkey sale. About a week before Thanksgiving they will have a sale. Spend $50, which would be a carton of eggs here (ok, not really, but it feels like it!), and get a Village Markey turkey for 10 cents a pound. Wait was it 10 or 19 cents?! Can't remember, but I DO know my turkey cost me under $5! SERIOUSLY! So, I usually save up a big shopping list, get $50 in groceries, buy a turkey, load it in my car and go back for more! Last year I had about 3 or 4 turkey's in my freezer! SUCH a good food storage item! You can do SO much with just one turkey!

Anyway, my treadmill is calling my name and I need to get this posted so I can answer it's call. TRY THIS! You will love it!

(Please forgive the double spacing below! Blogger is spazzin out and it's driving me NUTS!)

POMEGRANATE-BLACK PEPPER GLAZED ROASTED TURKEY

Now isn't that a beautiful turkey?!

INGREDIENTS:

16-pound turkey, rinsed well with cold water and patted dry

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups chicken stock

FOR THE ROASTED GARLIC-SAGE BUTTER:

2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 head roasted garlic, cloves removed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped

FOR THE POMEGRANATE-BLACK PEPPER GLAZE:

2 cups pomegranate molasses (If you can't find it there is a recipe to make it below)

3 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 heaping tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained

3/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

(Sounds like a gross mix, I know, but just try it! YUM)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make Pomegranate Molasses: Pour 4 cups of Pomegranate Juice in a sauce pan. Add 1/2-3/4 c. sugar and 1/4 c. Lemon juice. Bring to a boil and let simmer until it is reduced to about 2 c. Chill. (This can be done the night before)

2. Roast your Garlic: Cut off the very top of the bulb so that just the tips of each clove is exposed. Drizzle liberally with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Double wrap with foil and cook for 25-30 min in 350 degree oven. (This can be cooking while you are preparing your Turkey.)

3. Preheat the Oven to 425 degrees.

4. Make the Roasted Garlic-Sage Butter: Combine the butter, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and fold in the sage. The butter can be made 1 day in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.

5. Rub the entire turkey, including the cavity with the Roasted Garlic-Sage butter and season well with salt and pepper.

6. Place the turkey on a rack and place the rack into a large roasting pan. Add 2 cups of chicken stock to the bottom of the pan and transfer to the oven. Roast the turkey, uncovered, for 60 minutes then reduce the heat to 375°.

7. Make the Pomegranate-Black Pepper Glaze: Whisk together all ingredients and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before using. (Pomegranate Molasses must be chilled before adding other ingredients)

8.Begin basting Turkey (after 30 minutes) with the stock/pan drippings every 15 minutes, adding more stock to the bottom of the pan, if needed. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees.

9.Begin brushing with the Pomegranate-Black Pepper Glaze during the last 30 minutes of roasting. It is finished when thermometer reads 182 degrees.

10.Remove the turkey from the oven, brush with more of the glaze and let the turkey rest, loosely tented, for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

11. After turkey is sliced and plated, spoon some of the drippings from the pan over the meat (Thanks for the tip Maren) to make the meat moist & flavorful! (I have tried making gravy out of the drippings. YIKES! WAY too rich and pomegranat-ey. I used the Poultry Gravy Seasoning Mix, and that worked perfectly!)