Some of you might roll past Halloween and directly into Christmas, I get it. Look, I really do but, there is something about Thanksgiving that I am deeply in love with. Never mind it’s one purpose is to stuff and be stuffed. If Thanksgiving was a part of the winter games, I’d medal every year. I digress.
It may be the historian in me that’s been dormant since my BA in the subject. I love the rich tradition and purpose behind it. To gather and give thanks even after a no-good-very-bad-year. Hey, guys! That’s pretty much my mission statement. We give thanks. We honor our stories because they are the sole reason we are where we are today.
But, I know it’s something a little more personal than that. It’s the memories of sitting on large, squeaking, vintage, wooden chairs huddled around an even larger table with my family when my feet could barely touch the ground. It’s the rolling fireplace at my grandma’s house eating a buttery overnight roll stuffed with leftover turkey and watching the Blazers play on the antenna-topped television.
It was a holiday that held no stress with the exception of scrambling to think of something I’m thankful for while being on the spot. My fall back was always “I’m thankful for my family and Jesus.” When, really, it was probably just that I had a 4 day weekend off from school so that I could catch up on episodes of Salute Your Shorts. Again, I digress.
It’s the people and the food they brought that has held such a perfect place in my heart. It’s why I can’t race past this Holiday onto Mariah Carey quite yet. I mean, sure, I’ll start listening to Christmas music pretty soon here. But, I’d rather look at grease stained recipe cards with my mom or finally make the PERFECT pie crust ( I still say it’s non-existent, but that could be a coping mechanism).
And so, I’m here, to give you a recipe that is in my family. One that has been loved and cherished like all the little traditions we have in our respective families. One that is going to live on forever now, in the deep interwebs and into your homes, I sincerely hope. Take a journey with me to the past. A time when we all were able to meet together under one roof. When holidays didn’t mean splitting time and disappointing in-laws. It just meant thankfulness and catching up on some Zs or a special Thanksgiving episode of Alex Mac.
Won’t you pull up a chair at my family’s Thanksgiving with this recipe for Cranberry Vanilla Bean Clove Glazed Turkey? It’s surely one to remember. The warmest spices and the perfect tart-meets-sweet glaze that will relax as it’s consumed. We are certainly thankful for this glaze. Without it, you’ve got pretty basic turkey fixings. Some olive oil, liquid, sweet onion, sage, rosemary… you know… the stuff that should always come to the party. But, when the turkey is done with the baking and basting process, it’s hit a few times with a glaze that seems like it has every right to overthrow everything you thought you knew about this bird.
Thank you, Sur La Table for sponsoring this post. Shop my Thanksgiving table here:
A Wood Board Similar to Photographs
Cranberry Vanilla Bean and Clove Glazed Turkey
Cranberry Vanilla Bean and Clove Glazed Turkey is a family favorite. Perfectly savory with a hint of sweet, warm, and acidic tones.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients
Whole Turkey, de-thawed
3 medium sweet onions
32 ounces stock (chicken or turkey)
Fresh Sage, a handful
Fresh Rosemary, a handful
Kosher Salt
Olive oil
|| Cranberry Vanilla Bean Clove Glaze ||
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberry
1 1/4 cup orange juice
1 vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
Instructions
|| Turkey ||
Preheat the oven to 350. To prep the de-thawed turkey, remove any parts from the cavity. Truss the turkey to ensure an even cook.
Stuff the turkey with sage and rosemary. Line the bottom of the roasting pan with onions that are peeled and halved. Pour in the poultry stock. Place Turkey onto the rack that sits in the roasting pan breast side up. Generously drizzle the turkey with olive oil and sprinkle with salt until it’s all covered. About 2 tablespoons. Massage the oil and salt onto the bird to make sure it’s coated evenly and reaches the whole surface area of the skin.
Place in the oven on the middle rack.
The cook time will vary based off of the weight of your respective turkey as well as whether or not you choose to stuff the turkey (more than the recipe calls for). It will roughly take 15 minutes per pound.
While the turkey is roasting, generously baste every 30 minutes. Tent the Turkey with foil if the skin is browned but the internal temperature isn’t finished to prevent burning. The turkey will be finished when the breast and thigh register 165 degrees. If the turkey didn’t come with an inserted thermometer, place a meat thermometer into thigh towards the breast making sure to not touch the bone for an accurate reading.
|| Cranberry Vanilla Bean Clove Glaze ||
Place one cup of the orange juice into a saucepan. Add cranberries, beans from the vanilla bean, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt and place over low-medium heat. You want the mixture to slowly heat releasing the cranberries. If you rush this step the glaze will be too bitter. Continue to cook on the stove, stirring occasionally until all the cranberries have burst and the mixture has thickened. About 10-15 minutes. Take off the heat and add remaining orange juice and butter. Mix until the butter has melted and set aside.
When the turkey is finished, take a natural haired brush and generously glaze the turkey with the sauce. Place back in the oven for 5 more minutes. Take out of the oven and cover the turkey with tin foil for 10 minutes. Remove the tin foil and glaze an additional time before serving.
Notes
The quality of the ingredients will matter in a simple recipe like this. Use free-range, organic turkey and high-quality and fresh olive oil. Grind your own nutmeg and cloves if possible. These small steps can ensure premium results on your big day!
Keywords: Thanksgiving, Christmas, turkey, cranberry
Where did you IG go? I loved it!