CHEESECLOTH OVER TURKEY RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Remove giblets from turkey; cover and refrigerate for gravy. Pat turkey dry; place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. In small bowl, combine softened butter, thyme and sage. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from turkey breast; rub butter mixture under the skin. Sprinkle salt and pepper over turkey and inside cavity; fill cavity with celery, onion and carrot., In a large saucepan, melt cubed butter; stir in wine. Saturate a four-layered 17-in. square of cheesecloth in butter mixture; drape over turkey. Bake turkey, uncovered, 3 hours; baste with wine mixture every 30 minutes, keeping cheesecloth moist at all times. , Remove and discard cheesecloth. Bake turkey until a thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 170°-175°, basting occasionally with pan drippings, 45 minutes to 1-1/4 hours longer. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly)., Remove turkey to a serving platter; cover and let stand 20 minutes before carving. Discard vegetables from cavity. Pour drippings and loosened brown bits into a measuring cup. Skim fat, reserving 1/3 cup. Add enough broth to remaining drippings to measure 4 cups., For gravy, chop reserved giblets. In a large saucepan, saute giblets in reserved fat until browned. Stir in flour until blended; gradually stir in broth mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 2 minutes. Serve with turkey.
  Freeze option: Place sliced turkey in freezer containers; top with any cooking juices. Cool and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a covered saucepan, stirring occasionally; add a little broth or water if necessary.
  

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.Add 2 cup water to the bottom of the roasting pan.Combine melted butter, white wine, and stock in a medium sized saucepan. Set aside.
• Combined softened butter, sage, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, garlic, and salt. Mix until well combined.
• Pat turkey dry with a paper towel.
• Rub 2/3 of the softened butter and herb mixture under the skin
• over the top turkey breast, and drumsticks. Be careful not to rip the skin. Spread remaining butter over the top of turkey skin.If stuffing turkey, stuff at this time and tie legs together. Secure skin flap in back. If not stuffing add onions, garlic, 1 lemon cut in half, carrots, and celery to the cavity of turkey for extra flavor. Tie legs together, secure skin flap in back, and tuck wings under turkey.
• Take cheesecloth and fold large enough to cover top and sides of turkey.
• Dip cheese cloth into white wine/butter mixture. Cover the top and sides of the turkey with cheesecloth.
• Heat butter/white wine mixture on low to warm, and use for basting. When butter white wine mixture runs low use pan juices.
• Place turkey in oven and baste every 20-30 minutes until thigh meat registers 180-185 degrees F and if stuffed stuffing needs to register at 165 degrees F. Allow any where from 15 to 20 minutes per pound if stuffed, a little bit less for unstuffed. About 7-7 1/2 hours for a 29 pound turkey.
• Remove cheesecloth 30-45 minutes before removing from oven and baste well to brown skin. If cheesecloth is sticking baste it well to loosen from the skin.
• Allow turkey to rest 15 minutes before slicing to allow juices to soak back into meat. Make gravy during this time with remaining pan juices.