A nice piece of freshly roasted turkey with a side of mashed fauxtatoes just screams comfort to me. It looks like you slaved all day in the kitchen for your loved ones, but both recipes are really quite simple, and there are lots of uses for the meat. If you find yourself with leftover turkey after making this dish, you can use it to make Turkey Tetrazzini or Turkey Goulash , for example. And you can use the carcass to make a rich turkey bone broth (here) for use in Braised Turkey Legs with Creamy Gravy or the goulash.
Ingredients
- 1 (12-pound) turkey
- 3 lemons, plus extra for garnish
- 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup diced onions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large stalk celery, diced
- 4 small sprigs fresh thyme
- 10 strips bacon, diced
- ½ cup ghee or unsalted butter
- 0.12 teaspoon guar gum (a natural thickener), or 1 ounce cream cheese (2 tablespoons)
For serving (optional)
- Mashed Fauxtatoes
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey.
- Grate the zest of the lemons into a small bowl. Add the pepper and salt. Using paper towels, pat the turkey dry. Season the turkey cavity with a bit of the zest mixture, then rub the rest all over the outside of the turkey. Cut the lemons in half. Place 1 lemon inside the cavity along with the onions, garlic, celery, and thyme sprigs.
- Tie the turkey legs together using kitchen twine or a small string. Place the turkey on a rack set inside a large roasting pan. Tuck the wings under the body to prevent burning.
- Cook the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, keeping the drippings in the skillet.
- Add the ghee to the skillet with the drippings and stir until melted, then pour into a bowl and stir in the juice of the remaining 2 lemons. Rub this mixture all over the turkey. Place the turkey in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, baste the turkey with the drippings. Continue to roast for a total of about 3 hours, basting every half hour, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165°F. Remove the turkey to a serving tray to rest for at least 25 minutes before carving.
- Meanwhile, pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk in the guar gum or cream cheese until well combined and no clumps are present. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until the gravy is thick. Then add the reserved bacon for an amazing gravy. Serve with extra lemon halves or quarters.
- Store extras in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on a baking sheet in a preheated 350°F oven for 5 minutes or until warmed through.
| Nutrition Facts |
Serving Size 1 |
Nutritional Value Per Serving | Calories 349 kcal Calories from Fat: 171 kcal |
|
% Daily Value*
|
| Total Fat 19 g 54% |
Trans Fat 0.0 g |
carbohydrates 3 g 2% |
Dietary Fiber 1 g 3% |
Protein 39 g 78% |
* Above mentioned %DVs (Percent Daily Values) are based on 2,000 calorie food intake.
DVs (Daily values) may be vary depending upon individuals daily calorie needs. Above nutritional values are estimates and should only be used as a guide for approximation. They are not allfoodchef.com recommendations. Calculations are based on average weight of 194 lbs. and ages of 19 to 50 years. |