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Roasted
Turkey Stuffed with Citrus, Garlic and Herbs
Cooking
the Holiday turkey doesn't have to take as long or
be as arduous as the colonization of the first 13 states.
The skinny on getting out of the kitchen in time to enjoy
the festivities - plan ahead and keep it simple. You don't
have to cook the bird at a dozen temperatures, stand it
on it's head at the halfway point or spend a fortune
on oven racks and poultry scaffolding to enjoy a moist and
delicious turkey!
Serves 8-10 for dinner with a bit left over for sandwiches!
Ingredients:
| 1 |
10-12
pound turkey, completely defrosted |
| 8 |
cloves
of garlic, cut in half lengthwise, sprouts removed |
| 8 |
stems
of Italian parsley |
| 6 |
sage
leaves, whole |
| 12 |
sprigs
of thyme |
| 4 |
sprigs
of oregano |
| 1 |
lemon,
juiced |
| 1 |
orange,
juiced |
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Coarse
grained salt & Cracked black pepper |
| 1 |
cup
celery, diced into 1/2" chunks (about 4-5 stalks) |
| 1 |
cup
onion, diced into 1/2" chunks (about _ a large
onion) |
| 1 |
cup
of carrots, sliced into 1/2" slices (about 3-4
medium carrots) |
| 1 |
Tablespoon
of olive oil |
| 1 |
of
fat free, no salt chicken broth for basting the turkey |
Method
of preparation
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One
day ahead – Season and stuff the bird. Remove
turkey from wrapping. Remove gizzards, kidneys etc.
from the bird and discard or save and freeze for stock.
Wash the bird thoroughly under cold running water and
pat dry with paper towels.
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To
stuff the garlic and herbs over the breast meat and
under the skin you must first loosen the skin. Begin
at the neck end by sliding one hand between the skin
and breast meat until loosened. Do this with each breast.
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Tuck
half the sliced garlic and half of the herbs over the
breasts and between the breasts and thighs.
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Squeeze
the lemon and oranges over and around the bird, throw
the rinds inside the cavity of the bird. Season the
bird generously with course grained salt and cracked
black pepper. Store in the refrigerator overnight.
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Serving
Day – Preheat oven to 350°. Place celery,
onions and carrots in the bottom of the pan you will
be roasting the turkey in. The vegetables serve as a
"rack" and as essential flavoring components
for the gravy. Place the turkey on top of the vegetables
and brush with one tablespoon of olive oil. Place in
the oven.
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Turning
the turkey during cooking is not necessary as it is
too heavy to handle safely while cooking. Using a turkey
baster, baste the turkey every half hour with the canned
chicken broth.
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When
the breast is sufficiently browned, tent it loosely
with tin foil. The turkey is done when an instant read
thermometer reads at least 165°-170° when inserted
into mid thigh. Place the bird onto serving platter,
but lest it rest at least 15 minutes before carving.
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Tools
of the Trade
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Cutting
board |
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Chef's
Knife |
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Paring
knife |
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Hand
held lemon reamer or any juicer |
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Pepper
mill |
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Roasting
pan (I used the broiling pan that came with my oven
without the broiling rack) |
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Turkey
baster |
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Instant
read thermometer |
| Servings:
8-10 |
| Nutrition
Scores: Per 4 ounce serving: 156 calories, 39% fat (6.8g;
2 g saturated), 54% protein, 7% carbohydrate, 0 fiber. |
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