Apple-Rosemary Roasted Turkey

2 Reviews
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Yield
Makes 12 servings
November 1999
RECIPE BY Southern Living

Put a fresh spin on the average holiday turkey with Apple-Rosemary Roasted Turkey. The aroma of the rosemary combined with the tartness of the apples makes for a flavorful main dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 (12- to 13-pound) whole turkey
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, divided
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, quartered
  • 1 onion, quartered and divided
  • 8 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 2 fresh sage sprigs
  • 1 (12-ounce) can apple juice concentrate, thawed and divided
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

How to Make It

Step 1

Remove giblets and neck from turkey, reserving neck. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Sprinkle outside of turkey and cavity with salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; stuff cavity with apple, half of onion, and 6 rosemary sprigs. Loosen skin from turkey breast without detaching it; insert remaining 2 rosemary sprigs and sage beneath skin. Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan.

Step 2

Stir together 1 cup apple juice concentrate and butter. Attach needle to marinade injector, and fill with apple juice concentrate mixture according to directions. Inject marinade into turkey breast several times and into thighs and drumsticks.

Step 3

Bake at 425° for 20 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350°, and bake 4 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into turkey thigh registers 180°. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Remove turkey from pan, reserving 1/2 cup drippings. Cool. Remove onion, apple, and rosemary from cavity, and discard; wrap turkey in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Chill 8 hours.

Step 4

Bring 2 cups water, remaining apple juice concentrate, turkey neck, and remaining half of onion to a boil in a saucepan; boil 15 minutes. Pour through a wire-mesh strainer into a measuring cup, discarding solids.

Step 5

Heat reserved drippings in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add apple juice mixture, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Chill 8 hours. Serve warm with turkey and whole-berry cranberry sauce, if desired.

Step 6

NOTE: Turkey may be basted with apple juice concentrate mixture every 30 minutes if marinade injection isn't available.

Step 7

Apple-Rosemary Turkey Breast: Substitute 1 (6-pound) bone-in turkey breast for whole turkey. Bake at 350º for 1 1/2 hours; cover and bake 1 more hour or until meat thermometer registers 175º. Yield: 8 servings.

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Ratings & Reviews

MrsWife's Review

acooker
November 17, 2011
I make this turkey every year at Thanksgiving and it is always a big hit. I make a whole turkey and the gravy is not weird at all provided you follow the instructions. I tend to double up on the ingredients for the gravy to make sure there is more than enough to go around. At first I did not have a marinade injector and had to stab the turkey and insert the baster into the incisions every hour. Now that I have the injector it makes life a whole lot easier. The turkey comes out beautifully and very moist. Because I commute between England and America I have had to substitute the frozen apple concentrate for bottled apple concentrate whilst in the UK. It doesn't pack the same flavour, but it is still very good. When in the U.S. the frozen is great. I like to serve this with an apple stuffing.

acooker's Review

MrsWife
November 25, 2009
I made this using a 5.5 lb turkey breast instead of a whole bird. Cooked for 2 3/4 hrs total. I was concerned that I had overcooked, because my meat thermometer registered over 175, however, it came out very juicy and perfect. The aroma while cooking was to DIE for! The gravy was WEIRD and I threw it away, possibly because I had no giblets and not much pan drippings. For this reason giving it 4 instead of 5 stars. Would definitely utilize this recipe again.