Garlic and Herb Roasted Turkey with Pan Jus
HOW IT HEALS: Turkey is a notable source of selenium; 3 ounces of light turkey meat contains 27 microgramshalf the RDA. Selenium is an immune-system booster, says Steven Pratt, M.D., senior staff ophthalmologist at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., and author of SuperFoods HealthStyle. Glutathione is the primary antioxidant found within all the cells in the body, and if youre missing selenium, glutathione wont work as it should. The mineral fights prostate cancer, and high doses may decrease tumor-cell growth, report University of Arizona researchers.
Ingredients
1 12- to 14-pound fresh organic turkey, neck reserved1 head of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
2 lemons, quartered
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 cups water, divided
Nutrition Facts
Per serving: 262 calories, 48% fat (14 g; 3.2 g saturated), 13% carbohydrate (8 g), 39% protein (25 g), 2 g fiber, 64 mg calcium, 667 mg sodium.Read more Healthy Recipes.
Directions
1. Position the oven rack in a lower slot and preheat to 375F. Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey on a rack set in a large roasting pan.2. Mix the garlic, 3 tablespoons of oil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, lemon peel, 1 tablespoon of pepper, paprika, and 2 teaspoons of salt in a small bowl. Rub 1 tablespoon of the garlic mixture inside the turkey cavity. Stuff the lemon wedges into the cavity. Tuck the wings under and tie the legs together loosely to hold the turkeys shape.
3. Starting at the neck end, carefully slide your hand between the skin and breast meat to loosen the skin. Rub 3 tablespoons of the garlic mixture over the meat under the skin. Rub 1 teaspoon of oil over the turkey and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tent the turkey with aluminum foil. Roast for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the reserved turkey neck, plus the onions, carrots, and celery, with 2 tablespoons of the garlic mixture to coat. Remove turkey from oven, pour 2 cups of water into the roasting pan, and stir to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Arrange the vegetables around the turkey in the pan, then return pan to oven and roast for 1 hour.
5. Lower the oven temperature to 325F. Remove the foil and baste the turkey with pan juices. Add 2 cups of water to the pan. Continue roasting the turkey, basting occasionally with pan juices, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 175F or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer, about 1V hours longer. Transfer the turkey to a platter. Remove the lemon wedges from inside the turkey and set aside. Tent the turkey with foil and let stand 30 minutes while preparing the pan jus. (The internal temperature of the turkey will increase 5 to 10 degrees.)
6. To make the pan jus, squeeze enough juice from the reserved lemon wedges to measure 1 tablespoon. Stir the lemon juice into the pan juices. Line a sieve with a fine-meshed pastry cloth. Strain the pan juices from the roasting pan into a medium saucepan; discard the solids and spoon the fat from the top. Stir the remaining garlic mixture into the pan juices. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Serve the turkey with the pan juices.
