Salted Roasted Turkey with Chipotle Glaze Served with Caramelized Onion Gravy

Southwest Spiced Salt

Ingredients

• 1 TBSP – Cumin seeds
• 1/3 cup – mild oak smoked sea salt (found at Whole Foods or online at surfasonline.com)
• 1 TBSP – smoked paprika
• 1 TBSP – dried oregano
• 1 tsp – ground chipotle chili powder

Directions

• Toast cumin in skillet over medium heat until darker to smoke, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Cool; grind finely in spice mill or in mortar with pestle.  
• Transfer to bowl.  
• Mix in remaining ingredients.  
• Cover, store at room temperature.

Turkey Preparation

Ingredients 

• 1 14-16 pound turkey (neck, heart, and gizzard reserved)
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tsp ground chipotle chili powder, divided
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 12 garlic cloves, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 cups of Golden Turkey stock (see recipe)

Special Supplies:

• 1 roasting bag
• 1 metal or wood skewer
• Butcher’s string

Directions

• Rinse turkey inside and out.  
• Pull all fat pads from main cavity; wrap, chill and reserve fat for roasting.  
• Place turkey inside roasting bag; sprinkle inside and out with southwestern spiced salt. 
• Close bag.  Place on a baking sheet; refrigerate 18-24 hours.  
• Position rack on the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.  
• Mix honey and 1 tsp of ground chipotle chili powder in a small bowl; reserve for glaze.  
• Rinse turkey inside and out and pat very dry.  
• Stir chopped onion, garlic, and 1 tsp of chipotle chilli in a medium bowl to blend.  
• Divide mixture between main and neck cavities.  
• Fold neck skin under and secure with a skewer.  Tuck wing tips under.  Tie leg loosely.
• Place turkey on a rack set in a large roasting pan.  Spread olive oil all over the turkey.  Place reserved fat pads and reserved neck, heart, and gizzard in roasting pan; pour in 2 cups of Golden Turkey Stock.
• Roast turkey for 45 minutes.  Baste with pan juices.  Continue to roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165-170 degrees, basting every 45 minutes adding water to the pan by the cupfuls if dry, and tenting the turkey loosely with foil if browning too quickly.  3-3 ½ hours longer.
• Brush turkey with glaze twice during the last 30 minutes.
• Transfer turkey to a platter and tent loosely with foil and let it rest for 30-45 minutes.
• Reserve roasting pan with juices for gravy.

Caramelized Onion Gravy

Ingredients 

• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 1 ½ pounds onions, chopped
• 4 cups of Golden turkey stock (see recipe)
• ½ cup coconut flour

The coconut flour should not raise your blood sugar. You can use Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (Bob’s Red Mill is what I usually use.)  Even though this is gluten free, the flour will make your blood sugar go up but not as high as if you used regular wheat flour.  If you are a diabetic please use sparingly.

Directions

• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions, sauté until translucent.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until deep brown, stirring occasionally about 30 minutes. Set aside.
• Remove the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard from roasting pan.  Pull the meat off the neck, chop neck meat, heart, and gizzard and reserve for gravy.  Pour pan juices into  8 cups measuring cup.  Spoon off the fat from the surface, reserving ½ cup of fat.  Add enough turkey stock to the pan juices to measure 5 ½ cups total.
• Place roasting pan over 2 burners on medium heat. 
• Add ½ cup of reserved fat and ½ cup of flour to the pan.  Wisk until the roux is light brown, about 2 minutes. 
• Whisk in stock mixture.  Bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits and whisking. 
• Boil until gravy coats the spoon, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. 
• Add chopped neck, heart, and gizzard. 
• Season with salt and pepper.