Roast Turkey with Pancetta, Rosemary and Garlic
- 15 lb. turkey
- 1/2 lb. pancetta
- 1/2 cup fresh rosemary leaves
- 4 whole heads garlic
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
- Olive oil
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Rinse the turkey and pat dry.
- Finely chop half the pancetta and cut the other half into large chunks.
- Stuff the large chunks of pancetta, half the rosemary leaves and the whole heads of garlic into the cavity of the turkey.
- Transfer the finely chopped pancetta to the workbowl of a food processor with the remaining rosemary, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
- Pulse until everything is finely chopped.
- Loosen the skin of the turkey over the breast and around the legs.
- Slide the pancetta mixture over the breast and legs, under the skin, patting it out evenly.
- Transfer to a roasting pan and rub the turkey with olive oil.
- Tie the legs loosely.
- Roast for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, basting the turkey with 1/2 cup of the red wine every 30 minutes.
- After the second basting, scatter the shallots in the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Remove the turkey from the roasting pan.
- Degrease the juices with a fat separator or skim with a spoon.
- Strain through a sieve into a pot; keep warm over low heat and adjust the seasoning.
- Remove the whole garlic from the cavity and separate the cloves.
- Remove and discard the pancetta and rosemary, or save to us in soup.
- Let turkey rest for 15 minutes.
- Carve the turkey into slices and garnish with the cloves of garlic, which are meant to be eaten.
- Serve with the pan juices on the side.
- Serves 8.
- How do you know when its done?
- Buy yourself an instant read thermometer and use the recommendations below for meats and fish.
- Having an instant read thermometer takes all the anxiety and guesswork out of cooking meat.
- To use it, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat so the point is in the middle, and give it a few seconds to adjust.
- 105 F. to 110 F. Rare 115 F. to 125 F. Medium rare.
- 130 F. to 140 F. Medium Over 150 F. Well Done Roasts, big steaks and large birds should sit for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing.
- As the meat rests, in continues to cook, so keep this in mind when checking the temperature.
- It is recommended that poultry be cooked to 180 F. I personally find chicken and turkey cooking to this temperature to be overcooked and extremely dry, but I cant tell you to do as I do in this instance.
- Screamingly Good Food
turkey, pancetta, rosemary, garlic, garlic, salt, ground black pepper, olive oil, red wine, shallots
Taken from www.foodgeeks.com/recipes/21229 (may not work)