Garlic and Lemon Roasted Turkey Recipe

Thanks to a slathering of dairy-free, garlic-flavored ghee, this tender and juicy turkey is what our Thanksgiving dreams are made of. Don’t forget to baste the turkey as it roasts—which adds flavor and helps the skin turn crisp and golden.

Garlic and Lemon Roasted Turkey

Yield: 10 to 15 servings
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 3hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients

4 large leeks, cut into 4-inch chunks
5 lemons, quartered
5 heads garlic, halved
1 (10- to 15-pound) turkey, cleaned, washed, and patted dry
Sea salt
1 cup garlic ghee, melted
2 bunches rosemary
2 bunches thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken bone broth
1 cup white wine

Special equipment: cooking twine

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place chopped leeks, 3 quartered lemons, and 4 halved heads of garlic in the bottom of a large roasting dish.

Liberally salt the inside of the turkey cavity and pour in several tablespoons of the coconut oil. Stuff the cavity with the remaining halved garlic head, quartered lemon, and one bunch each of thyme and rosemary.

Place the turkey on top of the vegetables in the dish and brush the outside with liberal amounts of the coconut oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with cooking twine and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey. Arrange the remaining thyme and rosemary bundles around the turkey; pour in bone broth and white wine.

Place turkey in oven for 10 minutes. Without opening the door, turn down the temperature to 325 degrees and roast for 30 minutes more. Roast for a total of 3 to 4 hours, basting with juices every 15 minutes, until juices run clear when the turkey is cut between the leg and the thigh.

Remove from oven and cover with aluminum foil to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Reserve drippings for gravy, if desired.

Photo credit: Paul Delmont