Source: Norene’s Healthy Kitchen (Whitecap, $34.95)
It’s turkey thyme! The zesty blend of citrus fruit, garlic, and herbs will impart a fabulous flavor to your turkey. This is excellent with cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, Passover, or any holiday celebration!
Marinade:
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup orange or mixed fruit marmalade (preferably all-fruit)
Juice of 1 large orange, about 1/4 cup (reserve the rind)
Juice of 1/2 a large lemon, about 2 Tbsp (reserve the rind)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
12 to 14 lb (5.4 to 6.4 kg) turkey
4 stalks celery, cut into chunks
1. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, drop the garlic through the feed tube while the motor is running; process until minced. Add the marmalade, orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme; process until blended, about 8 to 10 seconds. (The marinade can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days.)
2. Rinse the turkey well and pat dry. Trim excess fat and remove the giblets from the cavity. Place the turkey, breast-side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Loosen the skin but don’t remove it. Rub the marinade over the turkey, inside the cavity, and under the skin. Pour any of the remaining marinade into the pan. Place the celery and reserved orange and lemon rinds inside the cavity of the turkey.
3. Cover the pan and refrigerate the turkey overnight (or up to 2 days), basting occasionally. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking.
4. Preheat the oven to 325°F. The turkey will take a total of 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 hours to cook. Cover the pan loosely with foil and roast the turkey for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and continue cooking the turkey for 2 to 2 1/4 hours longer, basting occasionally. If it gets too brown, cover loosely with foil. When done, the juices will run clear when pierced and a meat thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of the breast, should register 165 to 170°F.
5. Let turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving. Discard the celery, and orange and lemon rinds. Serve the turkey with defatted pan juices and All-Fruit Cranberry Sauce (Norene’s Healthy Kitchen page 102).
Yield: 16 servings. Keeps for up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator; reheats well. Freezes well for up to 4 months.
282 calories per serving (without skin), 4.8 g carbohydrate, 3.5 g fiber, 50 g protein, 5.4 g fat (1.6 g saturated), 166 mg cholesterol, 274 mg sodium, 472 mg potassium, 5 mg iron, 38 mg calcium
Chef’s Secrets
How Much is Enough? Calculate 3/4 lb (350 g) per serving. An average turkey will serve 12 hungry people, plus leftovers if you are lucky!
Good Stuff: For Thanksgiving, see Cornbread Stuffing Mounds (page 338 of Norene’s Healthy Kitchen). For Passover, see Matzo and Vegetable Stuffing (page 469 of Norene’s Healthy Kitchen). Bake the stuffing separately so it does not absorb the fatty drippings from the turkey.
Let’s Talk Turkey: For more helpful tips, including how to check when the turkey is done, see pages 183–85 of Norene’s Healthy Kitchen or read Turkey Talk.