Christmas Dinner

Michael takes easy it for the holidays by adding some new twists to his family’s holiday favourites. Spiced sugar cookies, brined turkey and whole grain stuffing add to the flavourful fest.

• Honey Roast Turkey with Gravy
• Whole Grain Stuffing

Honey Roast Turkey with Gravy

Yield: 8

Ingredients:

For the Brining Solution:

• 2 cups of kosher salt
• 2 cups of honey
• 2 gal of water
• 1 x 10 lb. turkey, fresh or thawed

For the Roast Turkey:

• 2 x whole carrots
• 2 stalks of celery
• 2 x onions, skin on, cut in half
• 1 x bulb of garlic, peeled
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

For the Gravy:

• 2 cups of red wine
• 2 tbsp of cornstarch
• 2 tbsp of water

Directions:

For the Brining Solution:

1. Stir salt, honey and water together until salt has dissolved.
2. Place brining solution into a picnic cooler or container large enough to hold the turkey and brine. If using a cooler you’ll need 3 or 4 freezer packs to keep it cool.
3. Put turkey into the brine and either cover it with the freezer packs and close lid, or place container into a refrigerator. Leave to brine overnight.

For the Roast Turkey:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Take turkey out of brine, rinse and pat dry with a towel. Tie legs together with butcher’s twine.
3. Assemble carrots, celery, onion and garlic into a roasting pan to form a rack for the turkey to rest on. Place turkey onto the vegetable rack and then place in oven. Roast for 15 minutes at 500 degrees, and then turn oven down to 325 degrees without opening the door. Roast for 20 minutes per pound, or until an internal thermometer reaches 165 degrees.
4. When finished, take out of oven and place on a platter to rest for at least 20 minutes. Cover with foil to keep warm.

For the Gravy:

1. Take vegetable rack out of roasting pan and discard. Skim off any fat and reserve the turkey juices in a glass-measuring cup.
2. Heat the pan over medium-high heat and then pour in wine to deglaze, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. Mix the cornstarch with the water and stir until it is smooth.
4. Pour turkey juices back into the pan and bring to a simmer. Add cornstarch mixture while stirring and continue to stir until thickened.

Whole Grain Stuffing

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Whole Grain Stuffing

• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 x onion, chopped
• 1 x carrot, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup of raisins
• 1 cup of dried apricots, chopped
• 1 tbsp of fennel seed
• 1 cup of wheatberries
• 8 cups of chicken stock
• 2 cups of frozen cranberries
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Whole Grain Stuffing

1. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil and then onions, carrots and garlic. Sauté until they begin to soften and caramelize. Add wine, raisins, apricots and fennel seeds. Cook until liquid has absorbed. Add wheatberries, cranberries and salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the wheatberries are tender. Adjust seasoning and serve.

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