More Recipes from the Thanksgiving menu

I'm doing my best to get the whole menu posted before this evening but it's a little challenging. Here is the Turkey recipe and I'll have more of the menu done by the end of the day. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family has in the past. I'm getting a new digital camera to start loading pictures of these wonderful creations. Enjoy!

Herb Roasted Turkey

1 12 to 14 lb turkey
3 oranges
2 Yellow onions
1 stick unsalted Butter
1 tb each fresh Sage, oregano, thyme finely chopped
Whole sage leaves and thyme for the cavity
1 tb chopped garlic
Salt & Pepper
1 ½ c Chicken broth

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Clean and wash turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper towels completely inside and out. Salt cavities of bird liberally. In a sauce pan melt butter and add chopped herbs. Sauté for about a minute on low, add garlic and sauté for another 30 second or so until the garlic blossoms and releases its wonderful aroma. Take off heat and refrigerate until just jelled and no longer a liquid state.

With turkey on a stable surface take your fingers and open the skin from the meat carefully not ripping any wholes in it. Take half the butter mixture and evenly spread it under the skin and between the breasts. Take the remaining butter mixture and rub it all over the outside of the bird not leaving any large lumps. Quarter the oranges and onions and place inside cavities of bird along with some whole sage and thyme stems. Truss the bird with butchers twine.

Place turkey on a rack in a sturdy roasting pan and put the chicken broth in bottom of pan, put in oven uncovered for 30 minutes. Turn oven down to 300 and place a foil triangle over the breast only and put back in oven. Cook until internal temp reaches 180 (use a probe thermometer between the thigh and breast not touching the bone). Baste a couple of times during the cooking process. Remove the foil during the last 30 minutes and baste again. You will be left with a delicious crispy skin.

Take bird out of oven and tent with foil and let rest for at least 30 minutes before carving, (this is the key to a successfully moist bird).

Note, you could stuff the turkey with my Apple and Sausage stuffing just before cooking too if you prefer this method. I do it both ways. I will remove the stuffing and add it to the rest of the cooked stuffing and mix together…makes a delicious moist stuffing. Recipe: Apple & Sausage Stuffing


Sweet & Savory Roasted Sweet Potatoes

4 lg sweet potatoes chopped in 1 inch cubes
4 tbs honey
2 tbs Cajun seasoning
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

In a large bowl toss potatoes with olive oil to coat. Spread on a large baking sheet lined with non stick foil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning and then drizzle honey over potatoes. Bake at 425 for approximately 25 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender and a little crispy. Put in your favorite serving dish for the table

Enjoy!
The Home Chef