If you're looking for the perfect centerpiece for your Thanksgiving menu, award-winning cookbook author, and TV presenter Clodagh McKenna brings an impressive twist on a traditional roast turkey recipe. If you spotted her in our recent How I Host with Clodagh McKenna video, you'll be eager to replicate her fabulously cozy entertaining style for fall, and Thanksgiving is the perfect chance to steal a few of her foodie and styling tips.
Clodagh McKenna's Mulled Marmalade Glazed Turkey
The tangy marmalade glaze in Clodagh McKenna's turkey recipe brings a delightfully citrussy twist. Consult our guide to the best turkey roasting pans before you start, serve it up on a nostalgic platter (Pottery Barn's Thanksgiving tableware has the perfect heritage look), and let the turkey do the talking.
Ingredients (Serves 6 - 8)
- For the turkey
- 1 free-range or organic turkey (about 9–10lbs)
- 2 bunches of thyme and sage (roughly 2 small bunches each, or about ½ cup of fresh thyme leaves and ½ cup of fresh sage leaves, loosely packed)
- 70 g butter (about 5 tablespoons)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the glaze
- 1 jar marmalade (about 1½ cups)
- 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled
- 8 cloves
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 star anise
- For the roasting pan
- 4 shallots, peeled and halved
- 6 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 4 parsnips, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 4 beets peeled and quartered
- 1 whole head of garlic, halved crosswise through the center
- 1 small bunch fresh thyme
- 1 small bunch fresh sage
Clodagh McKenna's Method
- Make the marmalade glaze the day before you start the turkey. Place the marmalade in a small saucepan over low heat to melt. Stud the ginger piece with the cloves and add it to the pan along with the cinnamon stick and star anise. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let it infuse for at least 2 hours or overnight. When ready to use, gently rewarm the glaze and strain it through a fine sieve to remove the spices and any orange peel. Set aside.
- Take the turkey out of the refrigerator about an hour before roasting so it can come to room temperature – this helps ensure tender, evenly cooked meat. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove the giblets, rinse the cavity, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Season the cavity with salt and pepper, and place some of the thyme and sage inside. Scatter the rest of the herbs around the bird in the roasting pan (our Cookware Editor, Lydia, named the Hestan Provisions Classic Roaster, available at Macy's, the best in our guide).
- Using the back of a spoon (or your fingers), gently loosen the turkey skin and rub butter under and over the skin. Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the turkey in the preheated oven. Roast for 45 minutes at 450°F, then remove from the oven, baste with pan juices, and reduce the temperature to 350°F. Cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil and return it to the oven. Continue roasting for about 3 more hours, or adjust the cooking time according to the size of your turkey and baste every 45 minutes.
- Add the vegetables around the turkey in the roasting tin and baste in the juices 45 minutes before the turkey is due to come out of the oven (we recommendthe OXO Good Grips Turkey Baster from Amazon). Brush the turkey all over with the marmalade glaze for the final 5 minutes of roasting.
- Check to see if the bird is cooked by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh; the juices should run clear. When you have taken the turkey out of the oven, leave it to rest for 30 minutes with a loose tent of aluminum foil to keep it warm. This will allow the juices to redistribute themselves, giving tastier meat. Brush the turkey with any remaining glaze just before serving.
