Pear-Glazed Roast Turkey

1. Rinse inside of the turkey; pat dry with paper towels. If desired, season body cavity with salt. Pull the neck skin to the back; fasten with a skewer.

2. Tuck the ends of the drumsticks under the band of skin across the tail. If there is no band of skin, tie the drumsticks securely to the tail. Twist wing tips under the back.

3. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with the butter. If desired, insert a meat thermometer into the center of an inside thigh muscle. The thermometer should not touch bone. Cover turkey loosely with foil.

4. Place turkey in a 325 degrees F oven. Roast for 2 3/4 to 3 hours During the last 45 minutes of roasting, remove foil and cut band of skin or string between drumsticks so thighs cook evenly. During the last 15 minutes of roasting, brush twice with the Pear Glaze. Roast until the thermometer registers 180 degrees F . (The juices should run clear and drumsticks should move easily in their sockets.)

5. Remove turkey from oven. If preparing pan gravy, reserve drippings. Cover; let stand for 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Carve turkey. Serve with Pear Almond Preserves or Fruit Chutney and pan gravy, if desired.

Pear Glaze:.
In a small saucepan whisk 1 cup pear nectar, 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce for poultry, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Add 1 tablespoon butter. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes or until glazing consistency .

Pan Gravy
While turkey stands after roasting, pour pan drippings into a large measuring cup. Scrape the browned bits from the pan into the cup. Skim and reserve fat from the drippings. Pour 1/4 cup of the fat into a medium saucepan (discard any remaining fat). Stir in 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. Add enough chicken broth to remaining drippings in the measuring cup to equal 2 cups; add broth mixture all at once to flour mixture in saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Test Kitchen Tip
Refrigerate any leftover turkey within 1 hour and use for sandwiches and casseroles.

Note
To prepare a roasted pear garnish, halve and core small pears; add to the roasting pan the last 10 to 20 minutes of roasting. brush with some of the drippings.