If you are looking to cook your Thanksgiving turkey in a new way this holiday season, we suggest following the steps to this recipe. Spatchcocking the turkey means it cooks faster and the meat turns out juicy and tender. The oil/rub mix, plus the veggies stuffed inside, add wonderful seasoning and flavor to the turkey. I have been trying to find a good turkey recipe for years. Over the past two years, I have tried several that had the potential but still not quite to our liking. This year, I took some basic ideas for seasoning a turkey and keeping it moist and created the following recipe. At our family gathering, this was a major hit. Absolutely no turkey leftovers! I was not happy about that since it was the tastiest, most moist turkey I have ever made.
Ingredients :
- 13 pound(s) fresh turkey, spotchcocked (butterflied)
- 1/4 cup(s) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoon(s) sage, dried
- 2 teaspoon(s) (each) salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon(s) orange zest
- 1 - orange (can be the one used for zest), cut into pieces
- 1 - apple (I used a Gala), cut into pieces
- 4 - celery stalks, cut into pieces abot 3 inches long
- 4 - carrots, cut into 3 inch pieces
- 1 - sweet onions, cut into eight pieces
Intructions :
- In a small bowl, mix olive oil, salt, pepper, sage, crushed red pepper, and orange zest. Set to the side to allow flavors to blend
- Wash turkey that has been spotchcocked (I had the grocery butcher do this for me, and they also gave me the backbone removed with some meat on it to use for soup later) with water and pat dry. Place on a cutting board and remove any fat tags from the ends with kitchen shears
- Cut up the orange, apples. celery, carrot, and onion. Spread out on rack of turkey pan
- Take the oil mixture and rub it into both the inside and outside sides of the turkey and also under the skin of the breast meat. Generously apply to all areas. Then flatten out the turkey and put it, skin side up, on top of the fruit and vegetables on the turkey roasting rack inside the turkey pan
- Place in an oven that is preheated to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered for the entire time. Bake for 45 minutes and rotate the pan. Then bake another 45 minutes and rotate again. Bake the final 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees in the deepest part of the thigh without touching the bone. Also, juice should not be pink. Allow turkey to sit for at least 20 minutes before cutting to allow juices to go back into the meat (it really makes a difference).
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Keyword : thanksgiving-turkey-American-Turkey