MARINATE WHOLE TURKEY RECIPES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Place turkey in a large heavy-duty plastic bag; add half of marinade. Close the bag; refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade., Drain and discard marinade from turkey; arrange turkey in a single layer in large shallow roasting pan. Pour reserved marinade over turkey. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until tender, basting occasionally if desired. Remove turkey to serving platter and keep warm. , If desired, make gravy: Strain pan juices into a large measuring cup. Skim fat and reserve 1/4 cup in a medium saucepan; discard remaining fat. Blend flour into saucepan. Add water to pan juices to make 2 cups. Add to saucepan; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with turkey.

Steps:

• Trim off any excess fat/skin. Wash bird well, remove all innards/giblets, turkey neck; save if you are going to use them to make gravy, otherwise discard, pat bird dry, inside and out.
• Blend all marinade wet and dry ingredients, heat to warm and blend either in microwave or on stove but do not let it scorch.
• Put 1 TBS of flower in a turkey roasting oven bag, shake to coat insides. Put a cake cooling rack (coat w/ cooking spray to keep from sticking) inside of bag to help raise bird off bottom, set inside of turkey roasting pan.
• Pour/rub marinade ingredients all over, making sure to get between skin, inside cavity of bird.
• Fold back wings, let legs lay free, put bird breast up in bag.
• Tie off bag and trim any excess beyond tie;.
• Puff up bag to keep it off skin as much as possible.
• Let bird marinate overnight in bag, in the pan ready to go in oven.
• Remove middle rack and put rack/roasting pan in lowest oven position. Preheat oven to 325, cook approximately 11 minutes per LB until core is up to 160 degrees, Before putting pan on oven, put 6 @ 1/2" long knife slits in bag around perimeter of breast to allow for venting.
• At half way point turn pan around 180 degrees in oven to allow even cooking in case oven has hot spots. Oven bag will suggest 350, I have found this cooks the bird too hot, too fast with less forgiveness.
• Pull out of oven, use scissors to cut slit in bag across top to allow it to sit for 30 minutes, tent a piece of aluminum foil over bird to help trap heat and moisture back inches.
• I usually go top down, starting with removing each breast half, and the cross cut against grain into portion slices, then cut drumsticks and present them whole, then remove thighs and wings and proceed to scrape and cut into portions.
• I will drizzle just a little of the pan drippings over cut portions in pan, helps to give the white meat a little more flavor and moisture.