Equipment
Ingredients
Pomegranate Glaze
- 1000 ml pomegranate juice, unsweetened
- 150 g honey
- 60 ml soy sauce
- 6 fresh thyme, sprigs
- 5 g black peppercorns, whole
The Turkey
- 6000 g whole turkey, thawed, giblets removed
- 85 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 20 g salt
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 apple, quartered
- 1 garlic head, halved horizontally
Brown Butter Gravy
- 115 g unsalted butter
- 60 g all-purpose flour
- 1000 ml turkey stock, warm
- pan drippings, fat skimmed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1123 kcal
- Protein
- 72 g
- Carbohydrates
- 36 g
- Fat
- 75 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 34 g
- Sodium
- 2060 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 27 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 27 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Cholesterol
- 4701 mg
- Potassium
- 2204 mg
- Calcium
- 819 mg
- Iron
- 28.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 105 mg
- Phosphorus
- 923 mg
- Zinc
- 8.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 980 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 37 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 8.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.57 mg
- Riboflavin
- 2.44 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 365 mcg
- Water
- 384 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 0 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a medium saucepan, combine pomegranate juice, honey, soy sauce, thyme sprigs, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until reduced to approximately 250ml (1 cup). It should have a syrup-like consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Strain and set aside to cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F. Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels inside and out. Season the cavity generously with salt, then stuff with onion, apple, garlic, and extra thyme. Rub the room temperature butter under the breast skin and over the entire exterior. Season exterior with remaining salt.
Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast at 220°C/425°F for 20-25 minutes to bronz the skin and start fat rendering.
Lower the oven temperature to 165°C/325°F. Continue roasting. Rotate the pan halfway through this phase to ensure even coloring.
When the turkey has about 45 minutes left (internal temp reaches roughly 55°C/130°F), begin brushing the pomegranate glaze over the bird every 15 minutes. Watch closely; if the sugar darkens too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
Remove turkey when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 74°C/165°F. Transfer to a carving board and rest for at least 30 minutes before carving to allow juices to redistribute.
While turkey rests, make the gravy. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling constantly, until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty (beurre noisette). Immediately whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.
Pour the degreased pan drippings and warm turkey stock into the brown butter roux, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened. Whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of leftover glaze if available for extra tang.
Chef's Notes
- Safety Note: Raw poultry must be handled with care to avoid cross-contamination. Wash hands and surfaces thoroughly after contact.
- The glaze will thicken significantly as it cools. If it becomes too stiff to brush, warm it gently on the stove for a minute.
- For the smoothest gravy, ensure your stock is warm before adding it to the browned butter roux.
- If using a frozen turkey, ensure it is completely thawed before cooking (allow approx. 24 hours in the fridge for every 2.5kg of weight).
- Save the turkey carcass and the vegetable scraps from the roasting pan to make an excellent stock for soup the next day.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store meat off the bone in airtight containers.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze gravy and meat separately.
Reheating: Reheat sliced turkey gently with a splash of stock covered in foil at 150°C/300°F.
Troubleshooting
Glaze is burning before turkey is cooked
Cause: Sugar content in pomegranate juice and honey reacting to heat
Fix: Cover dark spots with small patches of aluminum foil immediately
Prevention: Only apply glaze in the final 45 minutes of cooking
Gravy is lumpy
Cause: Adding hot liquid to hot roux too fast without whisking
Fix: Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or blitz with an immersion blender
Prevention: Add liquid slowly while whisking vigorously
Cultural Context
This recipe bridges the traditional American Thanksgiving roast with the flavors of the Levant. The use of pomegranate reduction mimics 'narsharab' or pomegranate molasses, a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine often paired with poultry to cut through richness with its potent acidity.
