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This week, I have been testing the Thanksgiving menu that I shared with those of you signed up for my newsletter. We had almost a full Thanksgiving dinner last Wednesday and leftovers Thursday and Friday. Needless to say, my husband was not too thrilled with eating turkey 3 nights in a row just a week before Thanksgiving.
Below is the turkey recipe I used for our pre-Thanksgiving feast. I will make it again this Thursday for the real turkey day. This recipe includes the basic steps for how to make a turkey and also provides a simple gluten-free stuffing. No fuss, so you can focus on side dishes, my favorite part of the meal.
Balsamic Roasted Turkey with Apple Stuffing
- 1 turkey (10-15 pounds)
- ½ cup grapeseed oil
or olive oil
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon celtic sea salt
- 10 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
in half
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- Remove the gizzards (save in refrigerator for gravy)
- Rinse bird well and pat dry with paper towels; then truss (tie legs together with string)
- Place turkey breast side up in a roasting pan, then put rosemary inside bird
- Drizzle bird with oil and balsamic vinegar, then sprinkle with salt
- Wedge apples around roasting pan to prop turkey up evenly –place 2 apple halves in cavity of bird
- Place roasting pan with turkey, apples, etc. in oven on lowest rack
- Roast at 325°, 15 minutes per pound; a 15 pound turkey requires 3 hours and 45 minutes
- If skin begins to brown too soon, cover with foil
- To check temperature stick a meat thermometer deep into thigh; at 175° it is safely done
- Remove turkey from oven and allow to sit for 20 to 30 minutes before carving
- Serve
Serves 12
To thaw out a frozen turkey place in refrigerator –this will take about one day for every 5 pounds, a 15 pound bird needs 3 days. Alternatively, thaw the bird in a cold water bath, this requires 30 minutes per pound –7 ½ hours for a 15 pound bird. Below are cooking instructions for the thawed turkey.
Take note, because of the balsamic vinegar in this recipe, the turkey skin will be much darker than a bird cooked in the traditional method.
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