For a 12 lb turkey (double for a larger turkey), blend together: 12 cloves garlic, 12 peppercorns, 1 1/2 T oregano, 7 T olive oil, 4T vinegar, 3T salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder. Set aside. Unpack your turkey and remove the giblets from inside. Wash it with water and vinegar or lemon juice. Place your turkey in a good, deep pan and rub with the marinade from above. Marinade for 24 hours. Bake covered, breast down, at 325 F, calculating 18 minutes per pound of turkey. You can turn it over for the last few minutes to brown the breast. Carve and return to clean pan, ladling the juices over the top to serve.
It’s not over yet…..my favorite part of the turkey is not the first meal but rather the turkey and noodles that follows. Put the leftover bones, after the easy-to-carve meat has been removed, into a crock pot. Add bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt and cook on low for 8 hours. Strain and use the stock to make the best soup possible, or use to boil the noodles. I’m always mortified to hear someone threw out what I view to be the best part. This is the way you harvest all the nutrients stored up in the bones. Nothing can be more sustainable than utilizing everything!
Here’s to hoping your family and friends enjoy a wonderful holiday season!
Many Blessings,
Jessica M. Smith
This Old Farm