Tag Archives: citrus

Citrus Herb Roasted Turkey

Your turkey is the main event for your Thanksgiving feast. I suggest buying a fresh turkey. Order one in advance so you don’t find yourself with out a turkey the size you want. I’ll never forget the first time I cooked for Thanksgiving for my family in New York City. I didn’t order a turkey in advance and there were no fresh turkeys available. My mother had to strong arm the guy behind the counter to find one in the back to sell us. Lesson learned the hard way! I like to brine my turkey. I find it’s more juicy and tender. I change the favors up year to year. This year it’s the bright taste of citrus using lemons and oranges, mixed with herbs, lacquered with honey and butter. It’s delicious!

From by the bay, wishing you wonderful turkey food memories!

Maryann

blog citrus turk

Citrus Herb Roasted Turkey

1 16-18 lb. turkey, preferably organic
Brine
16 cups cold water , or more to cover turkey
8 cups chicken stock
1 cup fine sea salt
1 cup fine granulated sugar
2 Meyer lemons , quartered
2 oranges, quartered
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 cup orange blossom honey
2 onions , peeled and quartered
3 fresh bay leaves
To roast turkey
1 Meyer lemon, quartered
1 orange, quartered
1 bunch fresh rosemary and 1 bay leave
2 tablespoons fine grey sea salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
To baste
8 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
zest of one orange and one lemon

¼ cup orange blossom honey

Note: if Meyer lemons not available use lemons

Garnish with oranges, lemons , rosemary and fresh bay leaves
Directions
Prepare brine by combining water, sea salt, honey, sugar, onions, rosemary, thyme, bouquet garni and peppercorns. Cut 2 lemons into wedges, squeezing juice of lemons into the brine along with the wedges. Repeat with oranges and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Clean turkey with cold water removing any giblets and or neck. Keep giblets and neck in the refrigerator to use later for gravy base. Place turkey and brine into a resealable plastic bag or into a large non reactive bowl covered with plastic wrap. The turkey should be covered with the brine, if not add more water. Refrigerate over night. The next day remove turkey 40 minutes before planning to place into the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degress F. Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towels inside and out. Season the turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon and orange juice into the cavity and add the quarters along with rosemary. Tie turkey legs together and place into roasting pan. In a small sauce pan melt butter. orange zest and honey together on a low heat. Use this to baste turkey once before placing into the oven. Roast the turkey at 425 degrees F for 30 minutes then lower the oven to 350 degrees F. For an 18 lb. turkey cooking time will be approximately 3 hours. Use a meat thermometer to check that the meat registers 175 degrees F at its thickest part of the thigh. Baste the turkey about every 30 minutes with the butter and honey mixture. If the turkey browns too quickly tent that part with aluminum foil. When ready, remove from the oven. Take turkey from the roasting pan and place on a cutting board to rest before carving, at least 20 minutes. If you are serving later then 20 minutes from removing from oven tent turkey with aluminum foil until ready to serve.

blog turk day

Best Lemon Desserts for Spring

Pick from these favorite desserts featuring the clean, tart taste of lemons!!
Enjoy from the by the bay!
Maryann
blog lemon square

Lemon Bars
makes 9 bars or 18 small bites

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, plus more for dusting bars
pinch salt
1 stick  unsalted butter softened, plus more for greasing

Filling:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup fine sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a non stick pan 8 by 8
Make the crust by combining  flour, confectioner’s sugar, salt into a bowl. Add butter and mix with your hands to make pea size crumbs.  Turn into the greased pan and press the dough down into the bottom of the pan covering it all. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Take out and cool.
While crust is baking make filling by using an electric mixer to combine the eggs, sugar, zest, juice, flour and baking soda. Mix until smooth. Pour filling into baked crust and bake for 35 minutes until filling is set. Take out of the oven let cool and cut into 9 bars. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve.

blog citrus pound cake
Citrus Pistachio Pound Cake
Recipe published in Bon Appetit 2012 from The Tasting Room in Houston Texas
 
Ingredients
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all-purpose flour plus more
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped, divided
Directions
Arrange a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Coat a 9x5x3″ loaf pan with nonstick spray. Dust pan with flour; tap out excess.Whisk 2 cups flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add sugar; beat until well incorporated, 1–2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions. Add juices and zests; beat until well combined (mixture will look curdled), 2–3 minutes. Add dry ingredients; reduce speed to low and beat just until blended. Fold in 3/4 cup pistachios. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup pistachios over.Bake cake, rotating halfway through, until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in pan. Run a sharp knife around sides to loosen; unmold cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
blog pound cake

Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredient

  • 1/2 pound butter , at room temperature
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 5 egga, at room temperature
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • zest of one lemon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Grease and flour one 10 inch tube pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the butter and  sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs yolks, lemon juice and zest scraping down the sides of the bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the whites until fluffy, continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold some of the flour mixture into the yolk mixture, then some of the whites, and continue alternating this way until you have a well-combined, smooth, fluffy batter. Pour the batter into the tube pan. Make sure to avoid air pockets. Place on baking sheet in the oven for 55 to 60 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Remove and cool for 10 minutes then invert on rack to finish cooling. Once cool remove from pan and place on tray and serve.

blog lemon ice box 1

Lemon Ice Box Pie
CONTRIBUTED BY DAVID GUAS
TOTAL TIME: 1 HR PLUS 7 HR COOLING AND FREEZING
SERVINGS: MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE
MAKE-AHEAD
STAFF-FAVORITE
This silken frozen pie is adapted from Clancy’s, one of David Guas’s favorite New Orleans neighborhood restaurants. (Recipe adapted from DamGoodSweet.)

Ingredients

14 whole graham crackers, broken
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Two 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cups fresh lemon juice, plus 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
8 large egg yolks

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers with the sugar and salt until finely ground but not powdery. Add the butter and pulse until the crumbs are evenly moistened; transfer to a 9-inch springform pan and press into the bottom and two-thirds up the side. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, whisk the condensed milk with the lemon juice. In another bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the lemon zest with the egg yolks until pale. Beat in the condensed milk mixture until smooth. Pour the filling into the crust.
Bake the pie for 25 minutes, until the center jiggles slightly and the edges are set. Transfer the pan to a rack; let cool for 1 hour. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze the pie for at least 6 hours.
Wrap a warm, damp kitchen towel around the side of the springform pan to release the pie; remove the ring. Using a hot knife, slice the pie, transfer to plates and serve.

blog lemon posset
Lemon Posset
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups granulated fine sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
Directions
In a medium sauce pan add the cream and 1 1/4 cups sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Pour into 6 ramekins. Refrigerate until set, at least 5 hours. To serve mix the lemon zest and sugar together to top each portion.
Ideas for serving Lemon Posset:
1. with fresh berries
2. with whipped cream
3. with cookies – such as shortbread or amaretti
4. with a berry sauce, such as blueberry or raspberry