Text Box: Roasted Turkey

This turkey is moist and flavorful due to whole herbs placed underneath the skin and    oranges and onions roasting in the cavity.
Here are some tips for turkey safety:
A frozen turkey can be bought months in advance and stored in the freezer.  Allow about 24 hours of defrost time for every 5 pounds of turkey.  A 20-pound turkey will take 4-5 days to thaw!  Never thaw turkey at room temperature.  If you are going to stuff your     turkey, do it just before you place the bird in the oven.  Allow ½ to ¾ cup stuffing per pound of turkey and do not over-stuff.  The stuffing must be cooked to a minimum temperature of 165 degrees to be safe.  To roast the perfect turkey, place the bird in a shallow pan.  Insert a meat thermometer into the inner thigh of the bird and roast it in a pre-heated oven set at 325 degrees F.  Your turkey is cooked when the thermometer is the inner thigh reads 180 degrees, and the juices run clear.  Be sure the thermometer is not touching any bones.

Number of servings: 10			Serving Size: 4 oz

Ingredients 			 Measure		Weight

Turkey, giblets removed,				12 lb	
 washed inside and out
Thyme			2 sprigs
Oregano			2 sprigs
Sage				2 sprigs
fresh parsley			3 sprigs
Olive Oil			3 Tbsp
Paprika			2 Tbsp
Fresh ground pepper to taste 1 ea
Small oranges,		3 ea	
unpeeled and cut into wedges 
Onions, cut into wedges	2 ea
Low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup

Preparation Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  With your fingers, lift up the skin covering the    turkey breast.  Slip the thyme, oregano, sage, and parsley underneath the skin.     Combine the oil, paprika, and pepper.  Rub this mixture over the surface of the turkey.  Place the oranges and onions inside the turkey.  
Place the turkey, breast side down, in a roasting pan.  Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.  Roast for 20-25 minutes per pound, basting periodically.  Halfway through, place breast side up.  During last  45 minutes of roasting, remove cover.  Continue to roast until the leg moves easily and juices run clear.  Let stand for 20 minutes to help let juices settle for easier carving.