It might seem strange at first, but wrapping your turkey in cheesecloth as it roasts locks in the moisture for extra-juicy meat. A simple glaze made from orange marmalade and a jus made with arrowroot round out the dish without any wheat flour, which most gravies would use.
Turkey
- 3 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
- 1 12- to 14-lb fresh turkey, giblet bag removed, rinsed and patted dry (NOTE: Season 2 to 3 days in advance.)
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 yellow onion (or 3 shallots), quartered
- 1 celery stalk, cut into thirds
- 3–4 sprigs fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme and/or sage)
- 1 orange or lemon, quartered
- 1 apple, quartered
- 1/2 cup olive oil, divided + additional for basting
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1–2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, turkey stock or water
Glaze
- 1/2 cup no sugar-added orange marmalade
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp freshly minced rosemary
- ground black pepper, to taste
Jus
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey stock
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
1. Prepare turkey: Up to two days ahead, in a small bowl, combine kosher salt and rosemary. Rub turkey with seasoning: in cavity, onto breast, thighs and legs. Gently lift skin and rub seasoning onto breast. Cover and refrigerate.
2. The day of roasting, take turkey out of refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels. Bring to room temperature, about 1 hour.
3. Position a rack in lowest rung of oven. Preheat oven to 425°F. Mist a V-shaped rack with cooking spray; place inside a roasting pan. Place turkey on work surface; sprinkle cavity with pepper, then add onion, celery, herb sprigs, lemon and apple
to cavity. Tie legs together. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup olive oil with garlic; brush all over turkey skin. Transfer stuffed turkey onto rack in pan, breast side down, pulling wings behind the back. Roast for 40 minutes, basting with more oil after 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare glaze: In a medium saucepan, combine all glaze ingredients. Bring to a boil on medium-high. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until thickened, stirring occasionally.
5. Reduce oven to 325°F; turn turkey breast side up. (Tip: Use clean rubber gloves to handle turkey.) Add 1 cup stock or water to pan. Brush cheesecloth with remaining ¼ cup olive oil and drape over turkey, covering breast and thighs. Pour orange glaze over cheesecloth, brushing mixture evenly over turkey. Add additional stock or water to pan as needed to maintain 1/8 inch to ¼ inch liquid.
6. Return to oven for about 1 hour, 20 minutes more, then start testing for doneness, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast, away from bone, reads 165°F (2½ to 3 hours total roasting time, including step 3). Remove cheesecloth, move turkey to a platter and cover loosely with foil until ready to carve, at least 20 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, prepare jus: To a gravy separator, pour all pan juices. Set fat aside. Heat roasting pan on medium; add pan juices and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up brown bits from the bottom of pan. Strain into a medium bowl.
8. In a saucepan on medium, warm reserved fat until bubbly. (Note: You should have at least 3 to 4 tbsp. If you don’t, add some olive oil.) To a medium bowl or small pitcher, add 3 cups stock; whisk in arrowroot until smooth. Stir stock mixture into pan juice mixture in bowl. Slowly add pan juice mixture to saucepan with fat, whisking until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, adding stock as needed to desired consistency. Keep warm on lowest heat until ready to serve.
Cheesecloth Your Turkey
The method helps keep the meat juicy and tender.