ROASTED TURKEY: MEDITERRANEAN STYLE

FULL RECIPE FOR ROASTED TURKEY
Ingredients:
1 whole turkey
10 large potatoes
5-6 small onions
5-6 celery stalks
2 small apples
1 orange
1 tsp dry parsley
1 tsp dry rosemary
1 tsp dry thyme
1 tsp lemon & pepper spice
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
125 gr butter
2 stems of fresh thyme, sage and rosemary

Directions:
If your turkey is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator (usually takes ~2 days).
First prepare the fresh greens, vegetables and fruits. Wash, peel the skins, and clean the seeds.
Prepare the cookware: Placing the vegetables and spices under the rack provides flavor to the juice-fat mixture released while cooking the turkey.
Slice onions into 1 cm thick rounds and place at the bottom of the cookware; cut the celery stalks, place them around the onions, and scatter fresh herbs along the perimeter.
Place the rack on top of the vegetables.
Properly wash the turkey and place on the rack.
Separate the skin from the breast meat to make room for butter slices.
Slice the butter into thin pieces and insert between the turkeys breast meat and skin.
Pin the loose skin pieces to each other by using a long toothpick.
Drizzle orange juice over the turkey
Mix the dry spices in a bowl and apply to the inner surfaces and the outer skin of the turkey by rubbing.
Sprinkle shredded orange skin over the turkey.
Stuff the turkey with sliced apples, potatoes, and celery stalks.
Place the rest of the potatoes around the turkey and completely cover with aluminum foil.

BAKING
Aluminum foil should not touch the turkey for it is very important to allow proper heat circulation around the turkey while cooking.
Set the oven at 350F and cook the turkey for 3.5 hours undisturbed.
After 3.5 hours of cooking, take the turkey out of the oven to check its inner temperature and drizzle the released juice-fat mixture over the turkey.
Cover with aluminum foil again and return to the oven to cook for 1.5 more hour.
During this cooking period, take the turkey out of the oven to check its inner temperature every half hour and drizzle more of the released juice-fat mixture over the turkey every 20-minute.
Once inner temperature reaches 170F put the turkey back in the oven, but this time do not cover with foil, let it roast and turn a golden brown color.

Baking time depends on the size of the turkey and the performance of the oven. Thus, measuring the inner temperature gives us a clue about the proper cooking time. Insert the instant-read thermometer to the thickest part of the tight near the bone to check the inner temperature. When the inner temperature is 180F, the turkey is baked.

SERVING
When inner temperature of the turkey reaches 180 F roasting is completed; Turn off the oven and let the turkey rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Carve the turkey and cut into portion-sized pieces, then place onto a heated serving plate.
Serve with sweet-sour-spicy cranberry sauce, chestnut-rice, and roasted vegetables.

Definitely share the Roasted Turkey with your family and friends

Enjoy!