Nacho Mama's Turkey Recipe
Source of Recipe
Vicki Lawrence
List of Ingredients
turkey (any weight up to 22 pounds)
MARINADE-- in a bowl combine:
1 cup oil
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. beau monde
2 T. paprika
4 cloves garlic, minced or 2 T. dehydrated minced garlicRecipe
You may want to reserve about ¼ C. for the last hour of basting the turkey. I don’t bother with it myself…read on.
For the best flavor, marinate and refrigerate the turkey 2 days before roasting it. The turkey may be stuffed and refrigerated the day before cooking, provided both the dressing and the turkey are cold before stuffing. Remember to only fill the turkey ¾ full, as it will expand when it’s cooked. Any extra dressing can be wrapped loosely in foil and roasted for the last hour with the turkey. I prefer not to stuff my turkeys. I put my dressing in a loaf pan, cover it with foil and put it in the oven with the turkey for the last hour.
1.Remove the giblets and rinse the turkey well, inside and out. Pat it dry with paper towels. (The first time I cooked a turkey, Al kept asking, "Where are the giblets?" He loves the giblets. I didn’t know they were inside the bird until Al carved the bird and out came that little bag full of giblets right in front of my mother-in-law!)
2.Marinating the turkey: Remove any rings on you fingers! Rub the marinade all over the bird, inside and out. Then with the breast side up, gently ease your hands between the skin and the breast meat, pushing the skin away from the flesh. Be careful not to tear the skin and don’t use scissors. Once the skin is loosened, dip your hands in the marinade and generously rub it on the breast meat under the skin. Lay the turkey on a roasting rack over a large roasting pan, gently cover it with foil and refrigerate it for at least 1 day, 2 days is best.
3.Roasting the turkey: Preheat the oven to the proper temperature for your turkey’s weight. (See timetable below). Open a brown paper bag, turn it seam side up and brush the inside of the bottom of the bag with cooking oil. Put the turkey into the bag, head first and breast down. The tail and the drumsticks will be at the open end. Close the bag with paper clips or staples. Return the bag and the bird to your roasting rack in your roasting pan and put it in the oven. If any of the marinade leaked into the roasting pan, not to worry. When you make your gravy it will taste great. When the turkey is done remove the roasting pan from the oven and slit the bottom of the bag so all the juices can run out into the pan. At our house, we let the bird rest for about 15 minutes while we separate the fat from the pan juices and make a light gravy by heating the juices and adding a little mixture of flour and water. Then while Al carves the turkey and puts it on a warm platter, I put out the rest of the buffet. It times out perfectly and is always a great success.
If you are someone who needs the perfectly browned, breast- side- up- at- the- table- turkey, you will want to open the bag about 30 minutes to an hour early, pour the juices aside to be de-fatted. Turn the bird on it’s back, breast side up and return it to the oven until it’s done, basting it a few times with the marinade you have set aside. This turkey is so delicious, as I said, I don’t bother with it myself.
ROASTING TIMETABLE
12 to 15 pounds, unstuffed 325 degrees 20 to 25 minutes per pound
12 to 15 pounds stuffed 325 degrees 25 to 30 minutes per pound
16 to 22 pounds stuffed or unstuffed 300 degrees 20 minutes per pound
Actually if you get sick of all the high calorie food during the holidays like we do, here's a wonderful low fat option that's become a family favorite at the Schultz house.
Serve it with a wonderful crusty bread and hearty red wine. Make it early in the day and then sit down and put your feet up.
|
Â
Â
Â
|
member logon
