Brown Sugar-Cured Turkey With Apple-Bourbon Gravy

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (12-pound) turkey, cut into 8 pieces (drumsticks, thighs, etc.), back and neck reserved
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons thyme
• 6 unpeeled shallots
• 3 celery stalks, cut into (3-inch) pieces
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and quartered
• 3/4 cup bourbon
• 2 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 3/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Rub turkey evenly with brown sugar mixture. Place on a rack set in a roasting or baking pan, and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 375u0b0. Set racks at even intervals in oven.
3. Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, thyme, shallots, celery, and apples in a large roasting pan. Arrange drumsticks and thighs (skin side up) over apples. Place breasts and wings (skin side up) on a rack set in a jelly-roll pan. Place roasting pan on bottom rack of oven and jelly-roll pan on top rack. Roast at 375u0b0 for 30 minutes. Rotate pans; brush turkey with 1 tablespoon oil. Roast an additional 30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into thigh registers 160u0b0. Remove turkey-apple mixture from oven. Baste breasts and wings with 1 tablespoon oil. Roast 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155u0b0. Remove from oven. Cover loosely with foil.
4. Chop turkey neck and back bones. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bones; cook 8 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Add bourbon; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Add stock and flour; cook 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Strain liquid through a fine-mesh strainer; discard solids.
5. Peel roasted shallots; discard papery skins. Place half of 1 apple, 1 1/2 celery stalks, 3 shallots, and bourbon mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Process until smooth. Blend in butter, parsley, vinegar, and pepper. (Serve the remaining roasted vegetables with the turkey, or discard.)
6. Carve turkey; discard skin. Serve with gravy.
7. MyRecipes is working with Let's Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and USDA's MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to a trove of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit
8. .

brown sugar, kosher salt, ground fennel seeds, ground cumin, paprika, ground red pepper, turkey, olive oil, thyme, shallots, celery stalks, apples, bourbon, chicken, flour, butter, flatleaf, cider vinegar, freshly ground black pepper

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/brown-sugar-cured-turkey-apple-bourbon-gravy (may not work)