Perfect Pair: Maple-Roasted Turkey with Beer and Wine

Pete and I basting the turkey.

Spoil yourself on Thanksgiving with an organic turkey from Ayrshire Farm and pairings from Francis Ford Coppola Winery, 3 Stars Brewing Company and Ommegang.  I tested out the menu recently and this turkey is the best I've ever had.  Try the recipe on Thanksgiving and you'll be in heaven!  (This recipe is best made with friends when there is no Coronavirus while sipping beer and wine.)  I am blessed an thankful to have such wonderful friends and family.  Cheers!

She's done!

The Dish:

Ayrshire Farm Turkey with Tonewood Maple Syrup, Bacon and Sage Butter 

The Recipe:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 bunch fresh sage, leaves finely chopped 

1 cup heavy cream 

2 cups chicken stock 

18 pound fresh turkey (local Ayrshire Farm Turkey)

1 cup pure Tonewood maple syrup 

1/4 cup hot water 

8 strips bacon 

1/4 cup all-purpose flour 

1/2 lemon, juiced

Salt and pepper
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and quartered

Tops and bottoms of a bunch of celery

2 carrots

15-18 lb turkey can feed about 14-16 people. If you get a frozen turkey, you will need to defrost it in the refrigerator for several days first. Allow approximately 5 hours of defrosting for every pound.

Beautiful bird

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and remove the top rack. 

Combine the butter and sage in a mixing bowl, mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated and the butter has flecks of green in it; season with salt and pepper. 

Stuff me

Remove the neck and giblets from the inside of the turkey and discard or save for stock. Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, pat dry. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. 

Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the breast and legs, and slip pieces of the sage butter underneath; massaging it in as you go. 

Time to add the sage butter.

Add in salt and pepper. Fill the bird with a half a yellow onion, peeled and quartered, a couple of carrots, and some tops and bottoms of celery. Truss the turkey. 

Place turkey BREAST DOWN on the bottom of a rack in a roasting pan. Slide it into the oven. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and hot water to thin the glaze out a bit; use this to baste the turkey every 30 minutes. 

Cook for 30 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 F for the next 2 hours. The turkey should take about 3 1/2 hours to cook (i.e. 15 to 20 minutes per pound.) If the legs brown too quickly, cover with foil. About 2 1/2 hours into cooking flip the turkey to breast side up and shingle the strips of bacon over the turkey breast to cover; continue to roast and baste for another hour or so at 300 F. Take off the bacon during the last 30 minutes so the skin can brown.

The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees (the thigh juices will also run clear when pricked with a knife.) Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before carving, so the juices can settle back into the meat. 

Carving time!

Gravy:

Skim off the excess fat from the pan drippings and pour the drippings into a pot over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the drippings, stirring as it thickens to prevent lumps. Add the remaining chicken stock and bring to a simmer; season with salt and pepper and hit it with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. Simmer for 5 minutes and then strain to remove any particles. Stir in heavy cream.  Serve the gravy with the maple-roasted turkey.

Full Thanksgiving Menu coming soon!

The Pairings:

No leftovers with these beverages.

Francis Ford Coppola Winery, 3 Stars Brewing Company and Ommegang have amazing selections. 

The Southern Belle (Imperial Brown Ale brewed with toasted pecans) 8.7%abv The smooth caramel and toasted malt character of the beer is the perfect dance partner for the savory notes of the turkey and the semi salty notes in the gravy. It also plays nicely with herbs and sausage flavors of the stuffing, as it smoothly finishes into a suble sweet aftertaste.

Ommegang Rare Vos is a Belgian-style amber ale that has a caramel maltiness and a little sweetness that will go nice with the maple.

Director’s Cut Zinfandel: The classic American grape variety meets the classic American Thanksgiving dish. Zinfandel is bold, rich spicy but not overly tannic, making it a good match for hearty poultry like turkey.

Friends and Fun