Thanks giving dinner!
I’ve always been a big fan of Thanksgiving. Family and friends, cooking, rainy weather strikes a perfect balance between wading through a pool of your own sweat and feeling as if every bone in your body has been replaced. The occasional potato salad, the coleslaw, the fried chicken or turkey let us face it; the real star here is food. We’re talking stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, biscuits, green beans, yams, mac and cheese, malva pudding -- I live for it. It’s the best meal of the year. You know it, I know it, and you know who else knows it. My family and I are already preparing and they can’t for a piping hot pile of turkey, gravy, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, vegetables, buttermilk biscuits and corn muffins. ROASTED BIRD INGREDIENTS *1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter *1 lemon, zested and juiced *1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves *1 fresh turkey (10 to 12 pounds) *Kosher salt *Freshly ground black pepper *1 large bunch fresh thyme *1 whole lemon, halved *1 Spanish onion, quartered *1 head garlic, halved crosswise METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside. 3. Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey. 4. Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes. 5. Slice the turkey and serve. CHEF’S TIP *You can substitute with chicken or gammon. P.s. Like my facebook Chef Faith for more recipes and feedback. Happy Cooking!