The ultimate Thanksgiving spread! Citrus Hot Honey Turkey with Cranberry Salsa, Roasted Carrots with Yogurt, Pistachios & Pomegranate Seeds, and the best ever Lemon Kale Salad! Plus, a twist on a Grumpy Old Man with bourbon, apple pear ginger soda, lemon & bitters, and chocolate caramel apple cups (all from my @wholefoods haul last week)!
I was nervous about making a turkey, but I’m SO stoked about how it turned out. I stuffed it with garlic, citrus, & herbs, and then I made a glaze with hot honey, butter, orange, and garlic. The organic fresh turkey from Whole Foods was $2.99/lb, and I love that they don’t allow antibiotics on their birds! Click on the link in my bio to learn more essential turkey cooking tips!
RECIPE (serves 10-12)
Turkey
1 (13-14) pound turkey, neck & giblets removed
1 head of garlic, halved (excess paper removed)
1/2 lemon
½ orange (save other half for glaze)
2-3 sprigs of rosemary
5-6 sage leaves
½ stick (4 tbsp) butter
Salt & pepper
Glaze
1 stick butter
1 cup hot honey
Juice of ½ an orange
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & pepper
Salsa
12 oz fresh cranberries
½ white onion, chopped
1 jalapeno
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro
Juice of 2 navel oranges
Pinch of salt
Dry brine your turkey the night before. In the morning, remove turkey from fridge, and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Position a rack in the lower part of your oven, and preheat to 350 F.
Season turkey inside & out with salt & pepper. Stuff the cavity with garlic, lemon, orange, rosemary, and sage. Rub butter all over turkey and stuff underneath the skin. Tie the legs together with twine, and bake for 1 hour in a roasting pan.
Prepare the glaze by melting honey & butter together in a pot over medium heat, whisking until smooth. Add the juice of ½ orange and the garlic, season with salt & pepper, and simmer until sauce thickens.
After 1 hour, brush the turkey with the glaze every 20 minutes. Loosely tent foil over the turkey for the rest of baking. Roast until turkey breast reaches 165 F (about 1-2 ½ hours longer). Let turkey rest for 20 minutes while you prepare salsa. Serve with your favorite Thanksgiving sides (and turn the drippings into gravy!)