Herbs Brighten Up Any Boring Turkey

Turkey normally bore me to death, especially the Christmas roast turkey which leads to me cook other meats on Christmas Day. A few weeks ago however, I was treated to roast turkey and I really enjoyed it. The secret I was told, was the addition of fresh herbs, not dried herbs. I go the recipe off the family and have now written it up for others to share.

This really does make the difference between enjoying or enduring a turkey dish.

Ingredients

• 1 whole turkey, without neck and giblets
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 100 ml yoghurt
  
• 2 large lemons, juiced, lemon halves reserved
  
• 1 tablespoon plain white flour
• 1 oven roasting bag
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped marjoram
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped rosemary
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped dill
• 3 tablespoons crushed garlic
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt

Method

The oven should be preheated to oven to 35o F or 175 C. Mix the marjoram, rosemary, thyme, basil, dill, garlic and black pepper and salt and put to one side.

Lift the skin away from the turkey meat then brush the meat with olive oil mixed with the yoghurt. Pour some lemon juice over the meat and sprinkle the meat with half of the mixed herbs that was put on one side. Gently pat the skin onto the meat and shower the remaining herbs inside the turkey along with the squeezed lemons.

Put the flour into the turkey-roasting bag and give is a good shake. The turkey then should be placed into the bag and sealed. This then can be put into a deep roasting pan. Cut 6 half-inch slits in the top of the bag.

Before the turkey is roasted cut a few slits in the bag at the top then cook in the preheated oven. This should be cooking until the juices run clear. It is best to use a cooking thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. This will take away guessing.

Remove the turkey from the oven and cover it over with a sheet of foil allowing it to cool for 20 minutes before the process of slicing the turkey takes place.

You now have a turkey with taste and excitement returns again for the roast turkey dish and not just for Christmas.