HOLIDAY OVEN ROASTED PERUVIAN TURKEY

Talk about kicking your Turkey up a few notches!  WHEW!!  Easter is around the corner and I want my Easter to be full of flavor.  That is why I decided to make my family a Roasted Peruvian Turkey!  I am totally addicted to Peruvian chicken so why not take my turkey to Peru?  Seriously!!?!!  Have you had Peruvian chicken?  If not, you really should try some, the flavor is intense, hence my addiction to it!  I also plan on making the perfect cornbread dress, the sweetest corn pudding, incredible greens, flavorful gravy and moist sweet potato cake!

 OMG I can just see all the marinating love going on here!!

This turkey is about to get an awesome flavor party!!

Ahh a butter and seasoning rub down!!

Can the flavor get anymore intense? ~ HERBS!

Looking Good Mr. Peruvian Turkey!

 ROASTED PERUVIAN TURKEY

INGREDIENTS:

11.5 – 12 pound turkey
2 12oz bottles of corona beer
1 cup white distilled vinegar
1 cup lime juice
4-6 tbsp. dried oregano for marinade (plus 1-2 tsp. for Turkey)
1-2 tbsp. sea salt for marinade (plus 1-2 tsp. for Turkey)
2-4 tsp. poultry seasoning (on Turkey)
4-6 tbsp. dried thyme for marinade
1-2 tbsp. ground black pepper
1-2 tsp. cumin
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 orange (chopped in 4 pieces)
1 red apple (chopped in 4 pieces)
6 stalks of celery (chopped in 3 pieces)
5-8 baby carrots
3-4 sprigs of fresh tarragon
3-4 sprigs of fresh sage
5-6 sprigs of fresh tarragon (for bottom of roaster)
5-6 sprigs of fresh sage (for bottom of roaster)
2 cups of water (plus 1 cup if liquid evaporates)
¼ cup unsalted room temperature butter
¼ cup unsalted melted butter
Oven Roaster, baster, injector and lifts (I used my Calphalon 5-Peice Nonstick Roaster Set)
Prepping board

READY, SET GO:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
2. To make the marinade add the beer, vinegar, lime juice, oregano, thyme, sea salt, ground black pepper, cumin and cilantro to a bowl and whisk together to create the marinade
3. Clean turkey, pat dry, add to large bowl/bag and pour marinade all over turkey, seal bowl/bag and place in refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours (preferably overnight)
4. Place 5-6 sprigs of fresh tarragon and 5-6 sprigs of fresh sage at bottom of roaster, add 2 cups of water and place rack in roaster
5. Stuff marinated turkey with oranges, apples, celery and carrots, rub all over with room temperature butter, also gently reach under the turkey’s skin and add some of the room temperature unsalted butter under the turkey’s skin, season with oregano, poultry seasoning and sea salt and place on rack in oven roaster
6. Place in the oven for 45 minutes to brown the turkey, turn oven down to 350 and bake for additional 2.5 to 3 hours depending on how hot your oven gets, check bottom of roaster after 2 hours and add additional 1 cup of water if liquid has evaporated and baste top of turkey and inject meat with juices from bottom of pan every hour.  In the last half hour of cooking, remove turkey and brush melted butter on skin and return to the oven for final cooking.
7. Always check the temperature of your turkey with a meat thermometer it should read a minimum of 160.
8. PLACE ON SERVING PLATTER AND SERVE – ENJOY!!!

Utokia ~
Sizzle Sizzle Baby