100 dishes from bygone Iowa City-area restaurants, remembered by LV readers - Little Village

Turkey Gravy

After you've roasted your Christmas turkey use the juices in the pan to make this flavoursome gravy. We roasted our turkey in an oven bag which is not only a quick and easy way to go, it will also ensure a moist bird with plenty of juices. Get my Tender Christmas Turkey recipe here. If you're not already a convert, I recommend you brine the bird first for a succulent result. See how to do it here.

With the turkey covered and resting, remove the fat from the juices, and reheat both in separate saucepans. Add 3-4 Tbsp flour to the fat (enough to bind it into a sandy roux), then stir and cook for 3-5 minutes. If you've used them in the recipe forTender Christmas Turkey,mash the cooked garlic cloves (removed from the turkey's cavity and peeled) into a paste, and stir into the roux.

Slowly whisk in the hot juices in stages, until you have a velvety sauce that coats the spoon. Season with salt and pepper, add the juice of ½ an orange, strain and serve. You can also just reheat the juices (discard the fat), add orange juice to taste, along with the mashed garlic (if using), then thicken with potato starch or cornflour.

More of Warren's sauce recipes to accompany turkey

Roast Heritage Turkey And Pan Gravy

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

4 fresh sage leaves, chopped

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

12-lb. Heritage turkey (preferably Bourbon Red, available from heritagefoodsusa.Com), neck reserved

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

8 garlic cloves, cracked

2 fresh bay leaves

4 or 5 sprigs thyme

Canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 cups chicken stock

3 tbs. Cornstarch

Instructions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, add the softened butter, sage, and parsley; using a spatula, mix together until combined. Cut the turkey neck into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Wipe the turkey cavity with a damp cloth. Lift up the neck flap and loosen the breast skin by inserting your fingers, a spatula, or a spoon between the skin and flesh, taking care not to tear the skin. Spread the butter-herb mixture between the skin and breast meat. Place one onion, half the garlic, the bay leaves, and half the thyme in the cavity, and truss the turkey. Rub the turkey with a little oil and season generously with salt and pepper. In a large roasting pan scatter the neck, the remaining onion, garlic, thyme, and carrots. Place the turkey, breast side up, in the pan and roast for 40 minutes. Turn the turkey in the oven and roast for 40 minutes more, basting occasionally with the pan drippings. Transfer the turkey to a platter, and pour off the fat from the pan, reserving 2 tbs. Add two cups of stock to the roasting pan, return the turkey to the pan, and roast for 1½ to 2 hours more, or until the juice runs clear when the thigh is pierced or a thermometer in the thigh registers 160 to 165 degrees. Transfer the turkey to a platter. Remove the onion, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme from the turkey cavity, and add to the roasting pan. Cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil, and set aside in a warm place. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned particles from the bottom and sides of the roasting pan, pour the contents into a medium saucepan, and add the remaining stock. Bring to a boil, skimming any fat from the surface. Cook at a boil until the stock is reduced by a third. Lower the heat and simmer. Mix the cornstarch with the reserved 2 tbs. Of turkey fat to make a smooth paste, and slowly whisk the paste into the stock. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, skimming any fat from the surface. Strain the gravy through a fine sieve. Carve the turkey, and serve with the gravy. (Published 2012)

Roast Turkey With Cranberry Sauce Recipe

1.

In skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in onions, celery, sage, thyme and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until browned.

2.

Remove giblets and neck from the turkey cavity, keep for gravy. Rinse turkey inside and out with running water.

3.

Stir together butter, sage, salt and pepper; rub over turkey, inside and out. Loosely pack stuffing into neck and body cavities, fold over and skewer neck flap closed over stuffing. Tie legs together.

4.

Place turkey, breast side up on rack in roasting pan.

5.

Cover with foil and roast in 325°F oven for about 1.5 hours, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes.

6.

Remove foil and continue to roast or 1 3/4 hours, basting every half hour, or until instant-meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 185°F. Keep it under lamp for carving.

7.

Meanwhile, in saucepan, bring chicken stock turkey neck, giblets, onion and bay leaf to boil, reduce heat and simmer,.

8.

While cooked turkey rests, skim excess fat from roasting pan whisk in flour until well combined.

9.

Gradually whisk in reserved giblet stock; Bring to boil and cook, Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain and serve alongside turkey.

10.

For cranberry sauce in small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; stir in onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened.

11.

Put balsamic vinegar; boil for 5 minutes or until reduced now mix together cranberries, sugar, salt and pepper.

12.

Mix into onion mixture; bring to boil and cook, until cranberries are tender and sauce is thick.

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