Recipe for Jacques Pepin’s Steamed and Roasted Turkey

This recipe for Jacques Pepin’s steamed and roasted turkey is the one I prefer over countless other recipes I’ve tried over the years. It can be steamed, cooled, covered and refrigerated, then roasted the next day. The point of steaming before roasting is that the meat is stays moist and flavorful – and it yields lots of broth for Mark Bittman’s Make-Ahead Gravy. It also makes the roasting time short.

I must note that this is a simplified version of the original recipe, cutting out a few steps and eliminating a sauce to be added to the roasting pan juices.

For this recipe you’ll need a large deep pot with a tightly-fitting lid, like a canning pot or large lobster pot. Don’t try to cover the pot with parchment or foil; the lid must fit snugly to hold in the steam.

1. 1. To steam the turkey: Make a cut about 5 cm (1-inch) deep and 8 cm (1½ inches) long at the joint connecting the drumstick and thigh of each leg and at the joint connecting each of the wings and the breast. Place a small wire rack (or crumpled foil) in the bottom of a large stockpot (or other large pot like a canning or lobster pot) and add 4 liters (6 cups) of water. Place the turkey (minus the neck, gizzard, heart and liver) in the pot, and bring the water to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and steam the turkey for about 30 minutes. At this point you may remove the turkey (or allow it to cool in the pot), then cover and refrigerate overnight to roast the next day. The liquid in the pot may be reduced and seasoned to make a broth for gravy.

2. For the glaze: In a small bowl, mix together the cider, vinegar, Tabasco and salt. Set aside.

3. To roast the turkey: Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Place the turkey breast side up in a roasting pan. Put the pan in the heated oven, and cook the turkey for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the carrots and onions around it, and stir to coat them with any fat in the pan. Brush the turkey with the glaze, and continue to cook it in the oven for 1½ hours longer, brushing it with the glaze occasionally. If the top of the bird begins to brown too much, cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Remove the turkey from the oven when the breast and the leg register an internal temperature of about 71°C (160°F).