Roasted turkey with balsamic sauce

Updated: 2020-01-14

Herbs, olive oil and balsamic vinegar produce a refreshing alternative to traditional turkey and gravy.

For the turkey:

• 1 whole turkey (about 15 pounds), thawed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic

For the sauce:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup defatted pan drippings
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

Heat the oven to 325 F.

Place the turkey breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Rub the turkey with the oil, a sprig of rosemary and garlic cloves. Place all of the rosemary and garlic inside the bird. Loosely tie the legs together. Place into the middle of the oven.

After about 1 1/2 hours, loosely cover the breast with foil to prevent over-browning. Check the doneness after 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Turkey is done when it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 F.

Remove the turkey from the oven. Cover with foil and let stand about 20 minutes. Deglaze the pan by adding 1/2 cup water. Stir to scrape up browned bits. Pour pan drippings into a gravy separator.

Pour 1 cup of the defatted pan drippings into a small saucepan. Stir in the vinegar and brown sugar. Warm over low heat on the stove until steam escapes. Don't boil.

Carve the turkey and drizzle with warm sauce. Serve immediately.

Nutritional analysis per serving

Calories: 300

Total carbohydrate: 9 g

Cholesterol:

Dietary fiber:

Monounsaturated fat:

Protein: 43 g

Saturated fat:

Serving size: About 5 ounces light and dark meat

Sodium:

Total fat: 8 g