Herb and Garlic Roasted Turkey

Roasting turkey with garlic and herbs was handed down to me from my mother.  My mother who was off Puerto Rican decent did not grow up celebrating Thanksgiving until she moved to the United States when she was 19 years old.  In Puerto Rico all meats are seasoned with garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper.  In Puerto Rico it is called an adobo.  I slightly change the adobo to incorporate my Puerto Rican roots as well as my American roots to fit in line with the Thanksgiving tradition.  Although my mother did not grow up celebrating Thanksgiving in Puerto Rico, adn she did not really like turkey she would create a sumptutious meal for her family and friends.  I thnak my mother for the wonderful cooking skills that she taught to all of her children.  Now that she is gone, cooking her recipes helps me to feel a little closer to her.  This is my way of imparting my heritage, my roots to my children as well.  This is a tradition that will stay with my and my family forever.

1 organic or free range turkey
poultry herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary and marjoram), fresh, and finely minced
1 head garlic
2 sticks butter
1 cup olive oil
20 lb. organic or free range turkey

1 cup Butter or butter substitute, room temperature
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic head, minced finely
¼ cup thyme, fresh, leaves pulled from stalk
¼ cup sage, fresh, finely chopped
¼ cup rosemary, finely chopped
1/8 cup, marjoram, finely chopped
1/8 cup savory, finely chopped
2 tbsp. sea salt
1 tbsp. fresh cracked pepper
¼ tablespoon nutmeg

2 onions, roughly chopped
1 head garlic, whole cloves
4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
4 parsnips, roughly chopped
several bundles of poultry herbs

To make rub: In a food processor, or blender mix butter and olive oil, add in garlic, salt and pepper, nutmeg, and blend in fresh herbs to combine rub.

Clean out turkey and rinse. Rub the entire turkey inside and out with blended rub. Don’t forget to separate skin from turkey and stuff the rub mix under the skin and the entire surface under the skin.

DO NOT Baste turkey if you would like a nice crispy, browned turkey skin.

Fill the cavity of the turkey and the base around turkey with rough chopped 2 onions,1 head garlic, 4 celery stalks, 2 carrots and 4 parsnips and several bundles of poultry herbs.. Tie legs together with kitchen string.

Roast turkey for about 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours. Add broth to the roasting pan after the veggies have roasted sufficiently about 1 ½ hour into roasting. Cover turkey with foil if it starts to brown in certain areas so that it will not burn.