Roast Turkey with Chili-Pecan Sauce and Cranberry Relish

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Roast Turkey with Chili-Pecan Sauce and Cranberry Relish

Serves: 12


	Ingredients 12 lb whole turkey, fresh 4-1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 3 cups turkey stock 1-1/2 medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped Cranberry Jalapeno Relish 1 large orange 1 cup whole cranberries 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated 2 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped 2 tsp jalapeno chile, chopped Maple syrup, to taste Chili-Pecan Sauce 1-1/2 Tbsp grapeseed oil 3 medium shallots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 2 medium jalapeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped 1 Tbsp chili powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1 cup turkey pan roasting pan sauce 1 cup veal demi-glace 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped Fresh lemon juice, to taste Salt, to taste

Method

Turkey
Wash turkey well under cold running water. Pat dry. Remove excess fat from cavity. Tuck wings underneath body.

Coat outside of turkey with 2 tablespoons of oil. Season skin and cavity with salt. Season cavity generously with pepper.

Position turkey, on a rack, in a roasting pan, uncovered and place in a preheated 400 degree F oven. Roast for 20 minutes or until skin is golden.

Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees F and roast for about 2-1/2 hours, basting the breast every 15 minutes with stock and remaining oil. If skin begins to brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil. Place onion, celery and carrots around the turkey in the last hour of roasting. Continue to roast until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees in the thigh.

Remove pan from oven and place turkey on a warm platter and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Turkey Gravy
Bring juices and vegetables to a boil in the roasting pan over medium heat on the stovetop. heat to a boil; cook for 2 minutes, scraping pan. Pour through a fine strainer. With a small ladle, push the solids through. If necessary, remove grease. Reserve 1 cup or more of sauce for the Chili-Pecan Sauce. Keep turkey warm until ready to serve.

Cranberry-Jalapeno Relish
Quickly chop orange zest and pulp, cranberries, ginger, cilantro and jalapeno in a food grinder using a small die. Do not puree. Add maple syrup and mix well. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Chili-Pecan Sauce
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add shallots, garlic and jalapenos. Saute for 2 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano and cayenne. Saute for 2 minutes. Add reserved turkey sauce and demi-glace. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in pecans and season with salt and fresh lemon juice. Reserve hot for service.

To Serve
Slice turkey and fan the slices onto warmed dinner plates. Ladle hot chili-pecan sauce over turkey, allowing it to spill out onto the plate. Spoon a small portion of cranberry-jalapeno relish on each plate. Serve immediately.

Courtesy of the National Turkey Federation