We celebrated Thanksgiving with my friend from Qing Dao, Li Yan and her son, Jimmy. I mentioned them a couple of times before.
I prepared red wine basted roasted turkey, it was my first time roasting such a huge bird! Usually we’d get smaller bird but since we had company, we got a big one 😀
My table wasn’t the prettiest but hey, the meals were awesome, I promise 😉
The turkey was so huge that I couldn’t lift it up and place it on serving dish, I tried and almost rip the bird apart lol So I had to serve it in the roasting pan lol
Ingredients
20 pounds turkey, remove giblets and the neck from the inside of the turkey
4 onions, quartered (chop or slice is okay as well)
20 garlic cloves, whole
8 celery stalks, roughly slice
6 carrots, roughly slice
4 heaping tbsp dry thyme
4 heaping tbsp dry oregano
enough salt and pepper
a bunch of sage, chop
enough olive oil
2 1/2 cups red wine
1/4 cup red wine for basting
Express Gravy (from drippings)
Drippings
water as needed
1-2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp cornstarch
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F Place all chopped/sliced vegetables and herbs on the bottom of the roasting pan.
Wash clean turkey and pat to dry. Rub olive oil all over the outer body. Rub salt, pepper and chopped sage inside the cavity. Place turkey on the rack.
Roast for 25 minutes then reduce heat to 325 F. Pour 2 1/2 cups wine onto the turkey and vegetables plus herbs. Baste with remaining wine and return turkey into the oven.Every 30 minutes, open lid and baste turkey with remaining wine. Between 3 1/2 – 4 hours, turkey will surely be done; best is if you use the thermometer inserted into the thigh without touching the bone reads 180 F.
Gravy
Place drippings into a pan, heat to boil
Dissolve flour and starch with enough water, then pour into the boiling drippings, stir to thicken.
Happy Thanksgiving Canada!!
Note: If your turkey isn’t too big or when you can, turn turkey breast side down once cooked, for 20 minutes to let the juice run back to the breast. Then turns it back, breast side up, let stand for 15 minutes before carving. The gravy from the drippings don’t need any additional spices or even salt as the taste is already good. However, if you wish to make more gravy with extra water, you might want to adjust the flavor.Â
Red Wine Basted Roasted Turkey
Ingredients
- 20 pounds turkey remove giblets and the neck from the inside of the turkey
- 4 onions quartered (chop or slice is okay as well)
- 20 garlic cloves whole
- 8 celery stalks roughly slice
- 6 carrots roughly slice
- 4 heaping tbsp dry thyme
- 4 heaping tbsp dry oregano
- enough salt and pepper
- a bunch of sage chop
- enough olive oil
- 2 1/2 cups red wine
- 1/4 cup red wine for basting
Gravy
- Drippings
- water as needed
- 1-2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Place all chopped/sliced vegetables and herbs on the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Wash clean turkey and pat to dry. Rub olive oil all over the outer body. Rub salt, pepper and chopped sage inside the cavity. Place turkey on the rack.
- Roast for 25 minutes then reduce heat to 325 F.
- Pour 2 1/2 cups wine onto the turkey and vegetables plus herbs. Baste with remaining wine and return turkey into the oven.
- Every 30 minutes, open lid and baste turkey with remaining wine.
- Between 3 1/2 – 4 hours, turkey will surely be done; best is if you use the thermometer inserted into the thigh without touching the bone reads 180 F.
Gravy
- Place drippings into a pan, heat to boil
- Dissolve flour and starch with enough water, then pour into the boiling drippings, stir to thicken.
