Mmm - Roasted Turkey -- In June!?!

Change - re. fresh herbs. . .see below**

Every year, at the end of November, I vow to make more turkey in the coming year. Mmmm, if you were here with me now, you'd know why. My home smells like Thanksgiving!! (well, almost, no wonderful-warm scent of stuffing. . .) This is half a turkey, so no stuffing. It will brown and cook quick, but my method  (hot, cooler, hot oven temperatures) is my secret for creating wonderful roasted chicken and turkey. Lots of flavor, and not dry.

After the 350° roasting - before the last 425° roasting

½ a perfect turkey that calls your name. . 

~ mine is just under 5#, so adjust times for size*

½ a stick of real butter - no substitutions!

your favorite seasonings, spices and herbs**

~ today my fresh herbs are: regular and lemon 

~ thyme, pineapple sage, rosemary

Rosemary Seasoning and Lemon Thyme seasoned salt

- - - Done! - - -

Roast, uncovered at 425° for half hour, then roast an hour, covered at 325°, then uncovered with the heat back up to 425° for the last half hour.  Baste in between each temperature change, or at least 3-4 times, quickly, while cooking.

**Adding the Fresh Herbs. . . Put them in the juice in the bottom of the pan, then poke and baste - when you reduce the heat to 325°. Remove them before poking and basting, an hour later, when you again, increase the heat to 425°.

MMmm, Lunch today. . .

This would be wonderful, hot out of the oven with garlic mashed potatoes, pan drippings, fresh green beans and carrots.  But I'm not doing that today. I had 4 gorgeous sweet potatoes that I didn't think to bake with the turkey, but poked them, then covered them on a plate and microwaved for 8:30 minutes. Perfect! It was almost noon and I realized I hadn't eaten yet. This will be a good combination breakfast-lunch. Maybe a salad for dinner later. . .

This will make great sandwiches, turkey tetrazzini, turkey Waldorf salad, turkey mac'n-cheese, turkey noodle soup, cut up in scrambled eggs, turkey tacos. . .any way you'd use roasted turkey. . .Since I'm A Soup Freak. . .of course, it goes without saying, there will be a nice big pot of turkey rice, turkey vegetable, or turkey noodle soup - soon.


Starting The Soup

This meat will be all covered and tucked in, with a damp paper towel, the cover snapped shut, and refrigerated for the next couple days. Any left by then, will be frozen in a zip-type bag. The skin and bones are going back in this pot, to be slowly simmer, covered - with a splash of white balsamic vinegar added to pull the collagen out of the bones. Cook, covered at a low bubble once it boils hard for a couple minutes, for 2-4 hours, with some chopped celery, pepper, carrot and onion,  salt and pepper - adding water if needed.

I'll strain the broth until it becomes clear bone broth (no particles) for the soup. Then finally straining, into a tall flat edged, glass jar and refrigerate. The fat can then be pulled off in a round, solid, yellow circle. It can be melted on dog food, or used in cooking, since it's well strained and rendered. I might use it to brown the turkey with onion, for the soup, tetrazzini or turkey stroganoff!

Ahhh Be Creative! Try to think of all possibilities regarding food, seasonings, fresh herbs, creating healthier-rendered-fats.

Happy Cooking 😊 🍗 💖 🤎

Ahhh. . .Turkey. . .Not Just For HolidaysAnymore! . . . Lin