Stress-Free Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe for Red Wine Lovers

PR Log (Press Release) – Nov 14, 2008 – Napa Valley's St. Supery Vineyards & Winery Chef Ron Barber has created this holiday recipe to pair with their award winning Cabernet Sauvignon.

Turkey parts cook much faster than roasting a whole bird. Smaller pieces, higher heat and shortened cooking time produce a juicy turkey with crisp skin.  Using this method also allows you to cook more of the parts that you like best. Just roast two breasts and skip the legs and thighs if you prefer white meat. If dark meat is your preference, you can double up on the drumsticks and thighs.

The untraditional gravy bridges the gap between red wine and turkey and makes the perfect excuse to enjoy St. Supery Cabernet Sauvignon with your holiday meal. The beauty of this recipe is that you can make it ahead of time and avoid the stress of last minute preparations and lumpy gravy.



Roasted Turkey Parts with Cabernet & Herb Gravy
By St. Supery Vineyards & Winery Chef Ron Barber
http://www.stsupery.com

For the Turkey:

1 turkey breast on the bone
2 turkey thighs
2 turkey drumsticks
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Rinse the turkey parts and dry thoroughly. Season liberally on all sides with salt & pepper then place on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes then turn the heat down to 400 degrees.  Continue roasting, basting after 30 minutes, until the internal temperature of the turkey parts reaches 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer – this should take about one hour, depending on the size of the turkey pieces.  The breast may cook faster than the dark meat pieces so remove it when it reaches the proper temperature.

For the cabernet gravy:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
½ cup diced carrot
2 cloves garlic - minced
½ cup diced celery
1 ¼ cups St. Supéry Cabernet Sauvignon
2 ½ cups chicken stock (homemade or low sodium canned broth)
2 ½ cups veal or beef stock (homemade or low sodium canned broth)
1 tablespoon fresh sage – chopped
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning
4 tablespoons cornstarch
Salt & pepper

Add the olive oil to a medium saucepan and sauté the onion, carrot, garlic and celery over low heat until the vegetables are soft but not brown.

Add one cup of the St. Supéry Cabernet Sauvignon and simmer over medium heat until the wine is reduced by half.

Add the beef and chicken stock, poultry seasoning, thyme, sage and bay leaf.  Simmer for 20 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch with ¼-cup cabernet sauvignon until smooth.  Add the mixture to the sauce and simmer until the gravy thickens.  Strain the sauce into a clean saucepan and adjust the seasonings. Keep warm until serving time or refrigerate for up to 2 days.