Often at holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving and a few other “big” family gatherings you often fine that roast turkey, glazed ham and other yuletide delicacies are the order of the day but every now and again I get the urge to experiment…One year I needed to find a way to economically prepare enough turkey to feed 20 friends and family members, so here’s what won over the invading army of hungry folks:

Ingredients

• 1 frozen Turkey of approximately 30lbs
• (the marinade portions can remain the same for a bird that is up to 15 lbs lighter, for smaller birds halve the ingredients)

Marinade:

• 1 bottle of Pom® Juice
• ¾ cup Orange juice
• ½ a cup dried mission figs
• ½ a cup roasted almond (unsalted)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 10 tbs of East Asian Blend Spice Mix from McCormick’s
• ½ cup shallots (peeled)
• 4 tbs of Almond honey
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbs of black pepper
• 6 pats of butter
• 1 tbs kosher sea salt

Method

Now to prepare this act as you would with any roast turkey. Clean it in a lime and water brine, rinse it thoroughly then place it in a deep baking pan without a rack. Pre-heat the oven as directed on the package, then proceed to make the marinade in a large pot on the stove top. Adding the pom and orange juices, sugar, shallots and spices then let it simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the almonds and figs to the pot, let simmer five additional minutes. While this is simmering take some of the spice blend (not the 10tbs) and the butter pats and gently coat the butter in them, then place the pats under the turkey’s skin (just lift the skin don’t cut it) this will make the birds skin moist and crunchy. As soon as you smell the blending perfumes of the marinade (i.e. five minutes) add the marinade to the pan with the turkey and baste the breast with the baster. Make sure the bird is bathing in the marinade; this will ensure the best taste. Then place in the oven for time allotted by the brand and check every half hour to baste and keep the skin from over browning. The resulting bird is so delicious you’re family will beg you to cook it again and again.