GFCF Thanksgiving Turkey

By Shannon Penrod

Okay, last Thanksgiving was almost a total disaster. We were moving – literally finished hauling the last box at 5pm on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving only to discover that the washing machine wasn’t working in our new condo. Thanksgiving eve, which I like to spend cooking, prepping and watching a good movie was spent at the laundromat and then searching through half un-packed boxes for the turkey roaster. It wasn’t the best of circumstances, to say the least. But at least we had groceries.

At two o’clock in the morning on Tuesday I had gone to an all night grocery store to get all the fixin’s I could and the rest my husband brought from Whole Foods Market, where he works. It’s a really good thing when your husband works for a grocery store and even better when it’s Whole Foods Market. But I do still buy certain items from a typical grocery store and last year I made the silly decision to buy a turkey from Stater Bros. My intention was to buy a Better Ball turkey which I knew were GFCF, but of course they were all gone. I bought whatever the store brand was, and thoroughly questioned the half asleep clerk, who was almost of no help – but who assured me that all turkeys were GFCF. What can I tell you? I was exhausted and I wanted to believe her. I bought the turkey and vowed to call the number on the package the next day.

I didn’t call the next day – I was busy moving and having a breakdown. It didn’t even occur to me that I hadn’t called until I was basting the turkey at 2pm on Thanksgiving day. So I called and what do you know? – it had gluten in it! There I am with a cooked bird and no dinner for my child who is looking at me with puppy dog eyes telling me what I already know – I promised him turkey legs for dinner!

Arggggh! Thank goodness for Whole Foods Market, I called my hubbie (he was still at work) and asked him to bring home two gluten free turkey legs. They had them, of course, and my son was thrilled. The holiday was saved. The gluten turkey went to my friends dogs. But I swore that would never happen again. This year I have my Butter Ball turkey in the freezer, and I called their hot line already to make sure that they are still GFCF; they are(except for some turkeys that come with gravy).

My favorite way to cook turkey is to defrost it in the refridgerator starting on Tuesday. The morning of I wash the turkey thoroughly and remove all of the extra parts like the neck and giblets. Then I rub olive oil all over the bird, inside and out. We call it giving the bird a massage. I take an organic orange and prick it about 10 times with a fork and pop it into the turkey’s body cavity, then I take another orange prick it all over and stuff it into the neck cavity. I insert fresh thyme, rosemary and sage leaves just under the skin on the breast of the turkey and rub the leaves and some salt all over the outside of the bird. Then I place the turkey BREAST SIDE DOWN into a roasting pan that has carrots, onions and garlic lying in the bottom. Breast side down is the opposite of how all the typical pictures demonstrate, but it makes for a moister turkey. I cover the turkey and bake it according to the instructions on the package, although I only baste once or twice. The oranges do all the work for you! The result is a delicious, moist turkey!

Happy Gluten Free Thanksgiving!!

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