INGREDIENTS
Turkey
- 1 whole turkey
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp black pepper
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- Bacon
- Turnips
- Parsnips
- Carrots
- Pearl red onions
- Vegetable oil
- Clarified butter
Pumpkin Pie
Pie Crust
- 6 ¼ ounces all purpose flour
- 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 3 ½ Tbsp ice water
- Pie weight (I went with brown rice)
Pie Filling
- 1 sugar pie pumpkin
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- Grated nutmeg
- ½ cup milk
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 4 eggs
Whipped Cream
- Sugar
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Vanilla extract (optional)
Stuffing
- ¾ loaf white bread
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 spanish onion, finely chopped
- 2 ribs of celery
- 1 Tbsp sage
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 1 Tbsp parsley
- About 1 cup turkey stock, divided into ¼ cup and ⅔ of a cup
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cheese cloth
- 1 egg, beaten
DIRECTIONS
Turkey
- First, loosen the skin from the turkey. Combine ¼ cup of kosher salt with 1 Tbsp of black pepper. Rub about ¾ of that mixture under the skin. Then add 1 ½ tsp of baking powder to the salt and pepper mixture and cover the outside of the turkey.
- Once fully coated, let rest uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Line the inside of the turkey with a few layers of cheesecloth. Add your stuffing (recipe below) and then tie the cheesecloth shut. Also tie the legs.
- Roll 4 large cylinders of aluminum foil. Place three of them widthwise and 1 lengthwise onto your pan - this will hold the turkey up.
- Place the turkey breast-side down onto the cylinders and top the turkey with 1 pack of bacon. Cook in a preheated 325°F oven. When the turkey has reached 130°F, remove from the oven.
- Remove bacon from the turkey.
- While the turkey cooks, chop up your turnips, parsnips, and carrots and add them to a bowl along with your red pearl onions. Season with salt and pepper and top with vegetable oil. Toss to combine.
- On a rimmed baking sheet add your turnip, parsnip, carrot and onion mixture and place a wire rack on top.
- The turkey should already be cooked to 130°F. Flip turkey so it’s breast-side up and place on the wire rack on top of the vegetable mixture.
- Remove stuffing from the turkey and then brush down turkey with clarified butter.
- Place back in the oven, and increase the temperature to 400°F and cook for an additional 45 minutes, or until the thickest part of the breast registers 160°F.
- Remove from oven and let the turkey rest for 30 minutes.
- Strain any juice in the baking sheet to help make gravy.
- Place the tray of veggies back in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Carve the turkey and serve with everything else and enjoy!
Stuffing
- Dice ¾ of a loaf of white sandwich bread. Cook in a 225°F oven for one hour, stirring occasionally.
- In a high-walled sauté pan add: 1 Spanish onion (finely chopped) along with 2 chopped ribs of celery. Cook for about 2 minutes before adding 1 Tbsp sage, 1 tsp thyme, and 1 tsp of rosemary. Cook for 2 more minutes.
- In a large bowl add your toasted bread along with your onion celery mixture plus 1 Tbsp of parsley and ⅔ cup of turkey stock. Mix to combine and season with salt and pepper.
- Insert cheesecloth into the cavity of the turkey and then add as much stuffing as you can fit. (It should not all fit)
- Remove stuffing when the turkey has reached 130°F and combine with the reserved stuffing. In a mixing bowl combine 1 egg with ¼ cup of turkey stock and beat to combine before adding to stuffing mixture. Stir to combine.
- Butter a casserole dish and then add stuffing evenly.
- Once the turkey is removed from the oven, place the stuffing in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes.
Pumpkin Pie
Crust
- In a food processor combine 6 ¼ ounces of all purpose flour along with 10 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, ½ tsp of salt, and 1 Tbsp of sugar. Process to combine.
- Add the mixture to a bowl along with 3 ½ Tbsp of ice water. Gently fold to combine.
- Flour your work surface and turn out dough. It will be sticky - just make it into a cohesive mass and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Flour your work surface and your rolling pin and roll out your dough until it is 2 inches wider than the pie pan. Drape crust into pie pan. Trim the edges and pinch any holes. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Poke a bunch of holes in the bottom of the crust using a fork. Then press down a layer of aluminum foil onto the pie crust and fill with your desired pie weight (I used brown rice, you can also use dried beans).
- Par bake crust for 15 minutes at 400°F on a preheated pizza stone in the oven.
Pie Filling
- Slice open 1 sugar pie pumpkin. Scoop out the insides and place face-down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast at 325°F for one hour.
- Remove from the oven and peel the skin off. Let cool for 2 minutes.
- Add 2 cups of pumpkin to a food processor along with 1 cup of packed brown sugar and 1-2 Tbsp of maple syrup. Process for about 90 seconds or until smooth.
- Next add 2 tsp of cinnamon, 2 tsp of ground ginger, ¼ tsp each of allspice and ground cloves, a generous grating of nutmeg, ½ a cup of milk, ¾ of a cup of heavy cream, and 4 eggs. Process for 1 minute or until smooth.
Whipped Cream
- Combine 1 cup of heavy cream with 2 Tbsp of sugar.
- Whisk to combine (or use a hand mixer).
Pie Assembly
- Add filling to par baked pie crust and bake for 25 minutes or until crust is brown.
- Top with whipped cream (recipe below).
- Serve and enjoy.