NEW RECIPE: Mexican Buttered Turkey (Thanksgiving Special, Part 2)

© Constantine William Spyrou

The single dish looked forward to the most out of all on Thanksgiving day is the centerpiece of the meal: Roast turkey.  There's many different ways to do it, from deep frying the whole turkey to brining it before roasting. The method that I've chosen is to rub the turkey with a scented butter and then roast it, which keeps the turkey extremely moist. I've put a Mexican spin on the butter to give it some great aromatic flavors from ingredients like garlic, cilantro, lime, and the like that all help to boost up the turkey. Stuffing the cavity with even more vegetables will help to punch up the flavor even further, so I'll be using onions and citrus to help boost the flavor of the turkey. This will create a delicious, moist, and aromatic turkey! 

Recipe will feed up to 20 people.

Ingredients:

1 14-16 pound turkey
1 cup unsalted softened butter
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 cloves minced garlic
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon toasted cumin seeds
1 large white onion, skinned
2 whole limes
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to season

Cooking/Assembling:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
2. Create your scented butter by combining the lime zest and juice, garlic, cilantro, cumin seeds, and butter together. Season to taste, then set aside.
3. Lightly separate the skin of the turkey from the breast. Take the butter and rub all of the breast and inside of the turkey with the butter. Use any remaining butter to rub down the legs and wings.
4. Season the inside of the turkey cavity with salt and pepper, then add in the onion and limes. Tuck the wings of the turkey under the legs at this point. The turkey is all ready to go, just rub it down completely with olive oil and season the skin.
5. Start the roasting at 475 degrees for 25 minutes to help crisp up the skin. Then, lower the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This turkey will take about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to roast at this temperature, the internal temperature should be at around 165 degrees F. Make sure to baste the turkey every half an hour!
6. When the turkey is done, let it rest for at least an hour, covered with foil so it doesn't lose too much heat. You can always warm it up with a hot gravy, however.

This is one of my favorite ways to make and roast turkey, which will be succulent and delicious. don't forget to baste and rest, as these help keep the turkey juices and flavor inside of it! 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy! =)