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Thanksgiving Turkey in a Wood Fired Oven

A tasty way to prepare a moist, roasted turkey with delightful flavors from citrus, apples, herbs, and a wood fire.
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Course Main Dish, Meat And Poultry

Ingredients
  

Turkey

  • 1 13 lb. turkey
  • 1 Lemon quartered
  • 1 Granny Smith apple quartered
  • 1/2 bunch Sage
  • 1/2 bunch thyme
  • 1/2 bunch Italian Parsley
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1/4 cup water

Compound Butter

  • 4 oz. softened butter
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Make the compound butter and rub under the skin of the turkey. Any leftover butter can be rubbed on the outside of the turkey. Salt and pepper the outside of the turkey.
  • Place the lemon, apple, sage, thyme, Italian parsley in the cavity. Place remaining herbs in the pan along with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.
  • Regulate your wood oven temperature to between 500 - 600 degrees. (You do not need to maintain an active flame. Just spread the remaining coals around the edge of the oven. The temperatures will drop slightly as the bird cooks.)
  • Brown the turkey for 15 minutes uncovered, then tent with aluminum foil. Cook approximately four hours (depending on the size of the bird) until it is cooked to the recommended temperature. Use a probe in the thickest part of the bird to determine the temperature. (If you have an electronic probe with a remote reader, this works the best because you do not have to open and close the oven door to check it.)
  • Let the turkey rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Notes

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