The perfect addition to your holiday table or for any special occasion! This warm spiced variation brings in apples, cinnamon, and cloves as a welcome alternative to classic turkey rub. Plus, it’s draped and cooked in olive oil soaked cheesecloth to self-baste! Make a gravy with the pan drippings to pour over your side dishes…so good!
Turkey and Vegetables:
- 12-14 lb free range turkey
- 2 medium yellow onions, in eighths
- 1 large carrot, chopped in 1in pieces
- 2 stalks celery, chopped in 1in pieces
- 2 apples, cored and cut in eighths
- 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
- 1/4 cup Olive Us Maple Dark Balsamic (or Fig, Neapolitan Herb, or Traditional Dark Balsamic)
- 6-7 cups stock (turkey, chicken, or vegetable)
Cheesecloth Wrapping:
- 1 piece of cheesecloth folded in half (so there are 4 layers), large enough to cover the turkey
- 2/3 cup Olive Us Herbs de Provence Olive Oil (or Garlic, Rosemary, or Tuscan Herb olive oil)
Rub:*
- 1/3 cup Olive Us Olive Wood Smoked Olive Oil (or Herbs de Provence Olive Oil, Garlic, Rosemary, or Tuscan Herb olive oil)
- 2 Tbsp Olive Us Roasted Garlic Sea Salt (or Garlic Scape, Onion, or Himalayan Pink Salt)
- 1 Tbsp Olive Us Applewood Smoked Cracked Pepper
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 Tbsp dried rosemary leaves
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
Remove the turkey from the fridge an hour before roasting.
Preheat the oven to 450F. Place a wire rack or roasting tray in a large roasting dish. Place the turkey on the rack. Place one of the apples and half an onion inside the turkey. Arrange the other vegetables around it and pour in the balsamic and 4 cups of the stock.
In a small bowl, mix together the rub ingredients. Take half the mixture and rub it under the skin of the turkey, gently lifting the skin, but ensuring it doesn’t tear. Rub the remaining mixture onto the turkey skin and legs. To prepare the cheesecloth, soak it in the olive oil giving it a slight squeeze to ensure it’s fully saturated, then remove the cloth from the oil and place it over the entire turkey. Do not press it into the turkey or it can bake into the meat. Place the turkey on the lower rack of the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Baste turkey with pan juices. Reduce heat to 350F and cook for 2 hours (baste twice with remaining stock) or until a thermometer reads 157F in the breast and 175F in the thigh. If the breast is done but the thigh is undercooked, the turkey can be moved to a carving board and the legs can be removed and roasted under tinfoil for another 15-20 minutes until done.
Once cooked, remove the turkey and take off the cheesecloth. Let rest under tinfoil for 30 minutes before carving. Place the vegetables in a separate dish for serving. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins and keep it in with the drippings. Collect the drippings from the pan and cook over medium-low heat, adding 1 Tbsp flour or cornstarch at a time to let it thicken into a gravy. Carve the turkey and serve while hot!
*The rub can be applied to the turkey the day before and left to sit in the fridge, uncovered, for 8-24 hours.
