This Maple Roasted Turkey with Bacon is accompanied by Cornbread Stuffing and is quite simply the best bird I've ever had.
I've been making this Maple Roasted Turkey with Bacon and Sage for the last decade for our Thanksgiving dinner. As a matter of fact this post has been on my site for many years but it was more as a refuge for the recipe so I wouldn't lose it.
One quick photo of the finished bird while people were waiting to eat dinner did not really do it the justice it deserved so this year I decided it was high time to do it right and feature my most favorite turkey ever.
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I used to love changing up ingredients and doing something new each year with the holiday bird but then I did this recipe from an issue of Bon Appetit magazine and everything changed. The article was a charming tale of how Tyler Florence made this Maple Roasted Turkey with Bacon and Sage for the holiday with his son during a period when he found himself single again.
Well, Tyler is no longer single but I'm still making this bird albeit with a few of my own twists. It is quite simply the most amazing and wonderfully flavored star of our Thanksgiving meal.
I have no doubt that the first step towards the perfection of this Maple Roasted Turkey is the bird itself. After years of buying my turkey frozen at the grocery store, I've found that Sprouts has fresh turkeys available and I love that I can buy a bird one day and have it in the oven the next.
More of the things I love? The fresh sage that is still available from the garden in the fall that is added to butter for both the turkey and a fabulous cornbread stuffing (I might not stuff the bird but yes, I still call it stuffing!).
I have a theory about why sage is so prevalent in our Thanksgiving meal; it's the one herb that doesn't seem affected by the chilly nights that come with Fall; mine will stay alive until we get a really hard freeze in January.
Or I should say my neighbor Amy's will stay alive until then. I've yet to plant one and she's been generous with hers; perfect right?
While the bacon and the sage are clearly important in a turkey with a moniker like Maple Roasted Turkey with Bacon and Sage, I honestly think the big huge secret to the success of this turkey is the use of maple syrup. I admit I had some trepidation myself at the thought of gravy with maple syrup but combined with the flavors of bacon and sage and turkey it is downright addictive stuff.
There is no secret why cornbread is the perfect stuffing for this dish; imagine that maple goodness drizzled on top of cornbread. It is seriously an OH MY moment!
I make two dressings each year; one the cornbread that is a companion for this bird and another that is so unique I have to mention it here. Two different breads, bacon, pecans, and booze and the end result is out of this world. You should make this Pumpernickel and Rye Dressing with Bourbon too...just because!
How prophetic that I've been asked to work with The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers as a Brand Ambassador; this isn't my only use for what I deem an elixir of the Gods. I have a profound love for all things maple and combining it with bacon and bourbon is something I'm known for.
The Federation was founded in 1966 with the mission of defending and promoting the economic, social and moral interests of its 7,400 maple businesses; the men and women in this industry work together to collectively market their products.
The quality of their work and their products has made Canada the producer of 71% of today's global maple syrup output, 91% of which is produced in Quebec. Friends brought me that gorgeous bottle of syrup pictured above after a trip to Canada (see, everyone knows what I like!) but when a bottle was sent to me by my Canadian friends it was, lo and behold, a jug of the Kirkland brand from Costco.
I have a lot to learn about maple syrup and thought this graphic interesting...I mean really...who knew?
I have never had one person enjoy this meal with us that hasn't shared my love. The maple syrup is the most surprising, most noticeable, and most memorable component. Looks like I won't be off the hook for making this meal for a long time...and that works for me!
The cookie? Maybe I'll get to it but it pales compared to this Maple Roasted Turkey with Bacon and Sage!
The Maple Roasted Turkey is smothered and stuffed with sage butter and then glazed every 30 minutes with the maple syrup. The first time I made it the syrup and fat combined in the bottom of my roasting pan and burned a bit so the only modification I've ever made to this recipe was to pour chicken stock into the bottom of the roaster as it first goes into the oven.
Not only did that prevent any burning but it's my notion that the steam in the oven is just one more reason why this bird is so amazingly moist. Brining? Absolutely no reason to and I'm fine with that!
The bacon is added during the last hour of cooking and I only use thick cut; anything else would get too dry. Even with the bacon, the maple glazing does not stop so at the end of the roasting period, those slices are slightly crispy and maple glazed and totally worth their weight in gold.
As much as I love this recipe, I can't say that the whole bird is the best presentation; once you remove the bacon slices the skin is not that smooth brown you might expect, so I slice the bird into pieces before serving. One benefit to that? I have two thermometers in my period; I use this amazing dual thermometer wireless unit. When the turkey breast reaches 160 degrees, I remove the bird from the oven and cut out the breast meat. Then I roast it until the temp for the darker meat reaches 170 degrees...it can take the heat and the meat is wonderful and releases better from the bone.
Still slicing your turkey breast into thin slices? Try this technique of carving out the entire breast sections and then slicing them crosswise into thick steaks; cutting across the grain makes for a more tender and juicy piece of meat.
There was a day when people fought for the roasted slices but no more; no one gets them! Half of them are chopped and put into the cornbread stuffing and the rest are put on the plate of carved turkey so everyone can have a slice.
I don't stuff the bird; preferring to have it cook faster, so I have a process. The bird comes out of the oven, the bacon is chopped and added to the stuffing which is then put into the oven while the turkey rests and is carved. I long ago gave up the tradition of bringing a whole bird to the table; we carve it and present it on a platter that makes serving it at the table so much easier.
When the Maple Roasted Turkey is done, that combination of stock, turkey drippings, maple syrup and bacon make for a gravy that is simply unbelievable, especially with the cornbread stuffing. I know...you want some right now don't you?
No post about this years Maple Roasted Turkey with Sage and Bacon would be complete without my bragging a bit about my new toy. Yes, that's right...cooking gadgets and utensils are every bit the cooks toy as skis are to someone else; they bring joy to us in their use and when they are both functional and gorgeous it's simply the best of both worlds.
When the kind people at Viking Ranges wondered if I would like to feature their latest (and greatest), this Viking 9 quart Oval Roaster with Metal Induction Lid & Rack, I was all ears. I still had not found my turkey roaster that had gone errant when I moved almost 2 years ago and it was time to give up hope.
The name Viking certainly has the cache of excellence so I was excited about working with them. When I thought roasting pan, I was picturing my old roaster in my mind; a large rectangular unit with a rack. Period. So I was not completely prepared for this beauty.
The large oval roaster could have easily managed a much larger bird than the eleven-pounder I put to the test. Reversing the rack would prop a bird up a bit higher too allowing for more space but for my needs, I decided to cook it with the rack resting on the bottom; not hung from the sides and it was perfect.
The top is something I might be most excited about though. Certainly a perfect fit for the bottom unit when it's needed but the best part? It is also a separate unit that you can roast, bake and serve from.
If I had been cooking for a large crowd it would have been perfect for my Pumpernickel and Rye Stuffing with Bourbon, or my famous Creamy Mushroom Bake. While my previous roaster lived in the basement except for one day each year, this one will find it's home upstairs, you know, where the uppity kitchen gear lives?
This year it was so handy to just remove the rack and make gravy while the maple roasted turkey rested. Once I carved the bird and put the gravy into a serving dish, I simply put the carcass and wings back into the pot with some chicken stock and water and covered it while I simmered those pieces to use in lieu of chicken in my favorite soup. Perfect! Now if they would would just ask me to 'try' a range...ahh, that would be nirvana!
With some great irony, I found my old roaster in a box with some towels two days after this one was delivered. I'm sure a daughter must be in need because it's now been relegated to the garage until I decide it's fate. Ready to make your own switch to something not just practical but beautiful too? Viking has you covered; I seriously love this roaster!
While I may not be staying home and cooking for Thanksgiving Day, I have sure enjoyed this meal this week. I'll be sharing a recipe for the Herb Roasted Carrots with Honey on Thursday and I've got a whole bunch of cranberry sauce recipes too.
This was the perfect meal. The only thing left? Dessert. I'm hoping Bourbon Pumpkin Pie with Toasted Walnuts will change the mind of any 'I don't like pumpkin pie people!' I hope you try this turkey but more than that I wish all of you a happy and blessed holiday season filled with good friends, good food and of course...good cocktails. Cheers!