TUSCAN TURKEY RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Cut about 1/2 inch from top of garlic heads; wrap heads in foil. Bake at 300°F for 1 1/2 hours or until very soft. Remove from oven; cool completely. Separate garlic cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins. Combine garlic pulp, butter, chopped sage, rind, salt, and red pepper in a bowl. Increase oven temperature to 425°F. Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve. Pat turkey dry. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub butter mixture under loosened skin. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under turkey. Place sage sprigs, lemon, and onion in body cavity. Secure legs with kitchen twine. Place turkey, breast side up, on the rack of a roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Place neck in bottom of roasting pan; place rack with turkey in pan. Add 1/2 cup water to pan. Bake at 425°F for 40 minutes. Combine oil, wine, and mustard in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Baste turkey with half of oil mixture. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (do not remove turkey from oven). Bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Rotate turkey from front to back; baste with remaining half of oil mixture. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 160°F. Remove from oven; place turkey on a cutting board. Let stand, loosely covered with foil, 20 minutes (internal temperature will rise to 165°F). Remove skin before carving. Reserve pan drippings and neck for gravy, if using.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook the pancetta over moderate heat, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until the pancetta and onions are browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and sage and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 400°. Set the turkey breast on a work surface, skin side down. Carefully remove the cartilage at the center; be careful not to cut through the skin. Fold the tenders outward, keeping them attached. Cover the turkey with plastic wrap and flatten it to an even 1 1/4-inch thickness with a meat pounder. Season the turkey with salt and pepper and evenly spread the stuffing over the meat. Beginning atone side, roll the turkey breast into a compact roast. Tie the roast in 5 places with kitchen string.
• Line a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan with the pancetta slices. Scatter the onion, carrots, whole sage leaves and thyme sprigs in the pan and set the turkey on top. Rub 1 tablespoon of the butter over the turkey and season with salt and pepper.
• Roast the turkey in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Add 1 cup of water to the pan and brush the turkey with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Roast for 45 minutes longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 140°; add more water to the pan if necessary. Transfer the turkey to a carving board.
• Pour the juices from the roasting pan into a bowl. Spoon off the fat, reserving 2 tablespoons in a small bowl. Stir the flour into the fat to make a paste.
• Set the roasting pan over moderately high heat. When it begins to sizzle, add the wine and cook until evaporated, scraping the pan. Transfer the contents of the pan to a large saucepan. Add the turkey stock and the pan juices and bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced to 3 cups, about 25 minutes. Strain the liquid, pressing hard on the solids, and return it to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisk in the flour paste and cook for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook the chopped pancetta over moderate heat until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the chopped sage and cook until fragrant. Add the pancetta to the gravy and season with salt and pepper.
• Discard the strings and carve the turkey into 1/3-inch slices. Arrange the slices on a platter and pass the gravy separately.