Pan-Seared Turkey With Gremolata

Name: Pan-Seared Turkey With Gremolata
Ingredients: 4 cup water; 1/2-3/4 cup kosher salt; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 10 whole allspice; 10 cloves; 10 black peppercorns; 5 star anise; 7-8 sprigs thyme; 1/2 cup olive oil; one 12- to 15-pound turkey, cut into 8 pieces; 1 1/2 cup packed flat-leaf parsley; 1/4 cup sage leaves; 4 cloves garlic, smashed; 3 tablespoon lemon zest; 2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 cup olive oil

Carla Hall|July 15, 2013 3:53 pm EST

5 (1 ratings)

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I might never have come up with this recipe if my car hadn't broken down on the way to a catering job. My client was looking forward to my cooking turkey at her home. She was psyched about the house filling up with the aroma of it roasting in the oven. Well, it took so long to get the car fixed that by the time I arrived at her house, I wouldn't have been able to cook and serve dinner until very late. And then I remembered how often I had been told that you can think of a turkey as a big chicken, so I cut it into parts: wing, drumstick, thigh, breast. It cut down the cooking time by two-thirds, and everyone really liked the way we rescued Thanksgiving. Click here to see The Chew: From the Television to Your Kitchen with the Official Cookbook.

Servings

6

Ingredients

4 cup water
1/2-3/4 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
10 whole allspice
10 cloves
10 black peppercorns
5 star anise
7-8 sprigs thyme
1/2 cup olive oil
one 12- to 15-pound turkey, cut into 8 pieces
1 1/2 cup packed flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup sage leaves
4 cloves garlic, smashed
3 tablespoon lemon zest
2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients except for the turkey in a large resealable plastic bag, and shake to dissolve the salt and sugar. Place the turkey parts in the bag, and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse thoroughly. Pat dry. Gently loosen the skin from the turkey pieces and liberally rub the gremolata under the skin on each part.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sear each piece until golden brown on all sides. Place seared pieces on a baking sheet, and finish cooking them in the oven. Cook until all the pieces have an internal temperature of 170 degrees, for 1-1 ½ hours.