Persian Spiced Turkey

• Meat

  • 1 Turkey

• Produce

  • 3 Carrots, large
  • 2 cups Celery
  • 10 cloves Garlic
  • 3 Lemons, cut into quarters
  • 4 Onion
  • 1/2 cup Pomegranate arils
  • 2 Tomatoes

• Condiments

  • 3 tbsp Pomegranate molasses

• Baking & Spices

  • 1/4 cup Bloomed saffron
  • 1 tsp Chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 2 tsp Paprika
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 2 1/2 tsp Turmeric

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 13/16 cup Olive oil

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 cup Walnuts

• Dairy

  • 1 stick Butter

• Other

  • 1/2 cup Barberries (substitute with chopped dried cranberries if barberries are not available

Found on unicornsinthekitchen.com

Ingredients

• 1 turkey (Mine was 11 pounds), thawed, cleaned and pat dried completely
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 3 lemons, cut into quarters
• 3 onions, cut into quarters
• 10 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 cup bloomed saffron
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup barberries (substitute with chopped dried cranberries if barberries are not available)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1/2 cup pomegranate arils

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare your roasting pan.
• Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl, using your hands, create space between the meat and the skin on the turkey and rub the compound butter everywhere under the skin and on the meat, especially the breast.
• Mix all the ingredients, stuff the turkey and sew it completely. Spread the rest on the filling vegetable at the bottom of the roasting pan.
• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, brush it all over the turkey completely. Place the turkey in the roasting pan and roast in the oven for one hour. Then cover it with aluminum foil and roast for another 2 1/2 hours. After 30 minutes brush it with olive oil mixture again and also baste every hour. 30 minutes before its done, brush with olive oil one more time.
• Insert a thermometer between the thigh and the leg, it should reach 165F and then the turkey is done.
• Cover with aluminum foil for 30 minutes and then carve.
• Heat olive oil in a pan, saute onion until translucent. Add in walnuts and stir for a minute. Add in the barberris, turmeric, salt and pomegranate molasses and cook for two minutes. Turn the heat off and add pomegranate arils.
• Serve the turkey with Persian Caramelized Walnuts.