No Thanksgiving holiday is complete without a golden brown turkey as the main dish and centerpiece of the table. This recipe uses turkey stock to keep the bird moist during cooking and serves as the base for the most flavorful gravy as well. To make it even more special, my version has a fruit and vegetable stuffing instead of bread-based stuffing. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving, but my family loves it so much that we enjoy it all year long! I hope your family enjoys it, too.

 

 

Ingredients

12-14 lb turkey (thawed if frozen)

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

5 TB unsalted butter, melted

1 bouquet garni of fresh herbs (one sprig each: rosemary, thyme, mint, and tarragon)

1 medium sweet onion (like Vidalia)

1 large mandarin orange

2 cups turkey stock

Baby pears, mandarins, champagne grapes, and other fruits of your choice

¼ cup white flour

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, and melted butter.

3. Remove neck and giblets from the cavity. Brush outside and inside of turkey with butter mixture.

4. Peel onion and cut in half. Cut mandarin in half. Place onion and mandarin inside the cavity with bouquet garni.

5. Tie turkey legs together with cooking twine.

6. Pour the stock into roasting pan and place turkey on rack. Tent with aluminum foil and roast for 90 minutes.

7. Remove foil tent, baste turkey with juices from bottom of pan, and roast for additional 60 minutes or until golden brown. (Check temperature by inserting thermometer into thigh. Temperature will be 170° when finished.)

8. Remove onion, mandarin and herbs from cavity before placing turkey onto serving platter.

9. Decorate platter with harvest fruit such as baby pears, mandarins, champagne grapes, or fruit of your choice. Be creative!

10. To make the gravy, strain drippings from the roasting pan into a saucepan. On low heat slowly add flour and whisk until mixture thickens and is smooth. Pour into gravy boat and serve.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Petite Gourmande

© 2016 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved

 

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