This turkey is a beautifully shade of red with a sweet glaze and moist meat. It’s bathed in white wine and butter, with oranges stuffed in the cavity. A true work of art, sure to wow your guests.
On the Ingredients
- Turkey is a North American bird that was domesticated at least 2,000 years ago by indigenous Americans. Its meat is leaner than chicken’s, with fewer calories and fats. (Read more about turkey.)
- Cranberries are well known for having unique plant compounds that may help prevent UTIs, but they also have lots of vitamins C, E, and K1, plus copper and Manganese. Cranberries also have a lot of antioxidants which are mainly concentrated in the skin, and therefore get lost in the ever-popular juice. (More on the health benefits).
White Wine Bathed Turkey with Cranberry Glaze
This turkey is a beautifully shade of red with a sweet glaze and moist meat. It’s bathed in white wine and butter, with oranges stuffed in the cavity. A true work of art, sure to wow your guests.
Ingredients
- Turkey Ingredients
1 turkey (14-16 lbs)
1 lb butter
1 bottle dry white wine
3 oranges
Salt and pepper to taste
2 red onions
- Glaze Ingredients
1 lb fresh cranberries
1 lb red grapes
1/2 cup water
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1-2 cups of sugar OR monkfruit sweetener (to preference)
- Special Equipment
1 package of cheesecloth
1 roasting pan (or baking dish large enough for a turkey)
Kitchen tongs
Meat thermometer
Kitchen twine
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 450 F. In a saucepan, melt the butter, then add white wine and one orange sliced into rings. Simmer for five minutes, then remove from heat. Unfold the cheesecloth and re-fold it into quarters. Submerge the cheesecloth in the butter and wine mixture. Set aside.
- Remove the gizzards, rinse the turkey and pat dry. Salt and pepper the bird outside and in the cavity. Place the turkey breast side up in a roasting pan. Stuff the cavity with two whole oranges and tie the legs together with some kitchen twine. Chop the red onions into large pieces and spread around the turkey in the pan. Place the gizzards in the pan as well. Use tongs to remove the cheesecloth from the butter and wine and carefully place the cheesecloth on top of the turkey so it’s covering the breast and legs. Place the turkey in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
- While the turkey roasts for the first part, combine the grapes and cranberries in a sauce pan with 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. Cover a cook on medium-low, stirring regularly, until the cranberries burst. Add the orange zest and juice. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Continue to cook until the glaze has thickened to a thick jam. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
- When the first half hour is up, remove the turkey from the oven. Using a ladle, baste the bird with a quarter of the butter and wine mixture. Reduce the heat to 350 F and put the turkey back in the oven. Roast for two hours, basting every 30 minutes. When the glaze has cooled down enough to work with, strain out the cranberry and grape skins using a sieve. When the two hours are up, remove the cheesecloth from the turkey and brush the turkey with a quarter of the glaze (being sure to cover all of the visible places). Roast for another 40 minutes (until the meat thermometer read 155 F) brushing with the glaze every 10 minutes. When the internal temp is reached, remove the bird from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving. The red onions will be very soft and can be used with the drippings in your gravy.
