I’m sure that we all agree, that the turkey the sun that the whole roast-meal revolves around! Traditionally, turkey is stuffed with breading and served with sausages, bacon and all kinds of complicated trimming.
Well this recipe is beautiful in it’s simplicity. The flavours from the herbs and the orange infuse the bird perfectly and cooking the turkey upside down allows all the juices to absorb into the breast, transforming what can be very dry meat into a succulent, delicious dish.
It doesn’t need to be dressed up and hidden, instead it pairs with all the vegetable sides and Triple Berry Cranberry sauce to create what I am SURE you will agree, is your best ever holiday meal!
And of course it’s gluten free, dairy free and healthy as well as delicious.
You could easily make this for every Sunday dinner or special occasion throughout the year.
Ingredients:
- 1 Turkey (5-6 kg)
Rub:
- 7-8 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley
- 1 Tbsp dried sage
- 1 Tbsp dried rosemary
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Stuffing:
- 2 whole oranges or clementines (depending on the size of cavity)
- 6 sage leaves
- 4 rosemary stems
- 1 whole onion, peeled
Instructions:
Put the stuffing in the cavity of turkey.
Mix coconut oil with herbs, salt and pepper and massage over whole turkey.
Place turkey, breast down, in a roasting tray and add 200ml of water in the tray. Cover with baking paper and then foil so that the foil doesn’t touch the meat. Adjust the cooking time according to the instructions below. For the last 30 min turn the turkey breast up and uncover in order to brown the breast.
Weight of bird Cooking time
4-5 kg 2 1/2 – 3 h at 200 degrees C
5-6 kg 3 – 3 3/4 h at 200 degrees C
6-7 kg 30 min at 200 degrees C then 3 1/4 – 4 hours at 180
8-9 kg 30 min at 200 degrees C then 4 – 4 1/2 hours at 180
9-11 kg 1 hour at 200 degrees C then 4 – 4 1/2 hours at 180
Sueson Vess
Sueson Vess is a professional chef, author/food writer and educator helping people eat healthier, especially those with food intolerances and others with chronic illnesses. She is passionate about nutrition and helping others achieve and maintain a “good for your health” lifestyle. There are always delicious, helpful and healthy solutions! Her focus is on “Foods with Benefits” – learning to increase delicious beneficial foods in your daily life. Sueson makes bone broth at Nature’s Own in North Carolina, and teaches cooking classes at FirstHeath and Duke Cancer Center. She is a regular contributing writer for Sandhills Naturally and Gluten-Free & More publications.
