Honey-Saffron Glazed Turkey

It's time to indulge in mouth watering turkey roasts, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin cupcakes! Thanksgiving's just around the corner, which means many of us will try our hand at cooking a turkey in hopes we don't dry it out. My mother passed this recipe on to me and while it changes just a little every year, because we've never written it down before - until now - it always yields a juicy, flavorful turkey. Avoid the dry bird blues and prepare yourself for a whole new turkey taste! Our exciting blend of exotic spices turns an ordinary roast into an extraordinary meal.

Thanksgiving dinner has always been a big deal for my family, and we relish the chance to sit around the table with family and dear friends, laughing, giving thanks for everything that has motivated, inspired, enlivened, awakened, and otherwise comforted and thrilled us in the past year, and telling stories long into the night. If you're expecting an intimate group, set a truly lavish table, one worthy of this grand holiday. Use your silver serving pieces, china and crystal. And take the time to add special touches, like name and menu cards. Pour your creative energy into creating a fall-inspired centerpiece that beautifies the table.

This year we have put together A Romantic Thanksgiving Dinner menu with bold & exotic flavors: a succulent honey-saffron glazed turkey roasted to perfection, a baked stuffing with caramelized onions & pomegranate seeds, string beans sautéed with shallots and topped with toasted almond slices, delicious sweet potatoes stuffed with crunchy pecans & gooey marshmallows, and spiced pumpkin cupcakes topped with a dreamy maple cream cheese frosting. And, as always we’re cutting a few corners, but nobody will notice.

As always, keep it simple and delicious. Happy Thanksgiving from our Turkey Day table to yours!

Honey-Saffron Glazed Turkey

10 to 12 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 pound) fresh turkey
• 2 medium white onions, quartered
• 10 cloves, peeled
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 cup dry white wine
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for Honey-Saffron Butter:

• ¾ teaspoon saffron
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (about 10 springs)
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 large lemon
• zest from 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

For Garnish:

• 6 persimmons
• hearts of 2 large pomegranates
• 12 figs

Turkey Selecting Tip: You need a bird that is going to feed everyone at the table. Obviously, having too much is better than not enough. Regardless, the basic guideline is to buy a bird that will provide 1.5 pounds for each person invited. It sounds like a lot and it is, but you can always turn the rest into sandwiches or to-go plates for your family and loved ones.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Remove giblets and neck from turkey and rinse, inside and out, with cold water. Pat dry. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine saffron, herbs, butter, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin (By massaging the turkey meat with a flavored butter, you'll end up with a delicious, juicy bird everyone will absolutely love. Fat is what renders the meat juicy).

In a seperate mixing bowl, dissolve the honey in the pomegranate juice, wine, and vinegar. Add cardamom and whisk. Pour concoction into the bottom of the roasting pan. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Stuff the bird with onion and garlic cloves.

Roast the turkey for 4 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife (good rule of thumb: 15 minutes per pound). If the skin is over-browning, cover loosely with aluminum foil. Transfer turkey to a serving platter, loosely covered with foil to rest for up to 30 minutes before carving.

Remove onions and garlic cloves from the turkey. Carefully transfer turkey to a large serving platter. Garnish with persimmons, pomegranate hearts, and figs.

Honey-Saffron Glazed Turkey

Thanksgiving Dinner Wine Suggestion: Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir 2006 (provided by HelloVino).