Whole30 Turkey

• Turkey
• Ghee
• EVOO
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sage
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Basil
• Garlic Cloves
• Lemon
• Celery
• Carrots
• Handful of Dried Apricots
• Handful of Dried Dates
• 2 Oranges
• 2 Apples
• Citrus LaCroix (Grapefruit, Lemon, Tangerine, Apricot)

**The following was done based on a 10lb turkey. Cooking time will vary depending the weight

1. The process starts with defrosting! I would say about 24-30 hours before you plan on cooking your turkey, take a tub/container, cover it in a plastic bag or unscented garbage bag, and place your unpackaged turkey inside.
2. Next fill the bag/container with water, add kosher salt or sea salt, a handful of peeled garlic cloves, and a handful of lemon slices. Once filled, tie the bag tightly, so that the turkey can soak. (I fondly like to call this spa time).
3. Now about 24 hours later, remove the defrosted turkey from the tub and drain the water. You can leave the turkey in the tub for the time being.
4. Take your celery and clean up the stalks. I would say to have about 4 – 6 stalks depending on the size of the turkey. Then place the stalks on the bottom of your pan to create a platform. You can also use a mixture of carrots and celery for this.
5. Now take your EVOO,combine it with all the spices (Salt, Pepper, Sage, Thyme,Oregano, Basil ) and let it sit.
6. Back to the turkey now! Take your ghee and spoon out chunks and insert or politely shove it under the skin. Be careful to do this semi-delicately as the skin can easily tear. Make sure you do this all over the turkey so that the ghee can be evenly distributed.
7. Once finished, place turkey on top of the celery platform.
8. Preheat the oven to 425F.
9. Take a spoon or a food brush, and evenly coat the skin of the turkey from all sides, under the wings and between the legs.
10. Once done, insert the orange quarters, apple quarters, lemon slices, dried apricots and dried dates into the turkey. Whatever doesn’t fit, place around the turkey.
11. Now open up and pour the can of citrus Lacroix over the turkey.
12. Place the turkey uncovered into the oven.
13. Let the turkey cook at 425F for 15 minutes.
14. Then turn the temperature down to 350F and cook the turkey for another 2 hours or so.
15. Every 30 minutes or so, baste the turkey with juices and add another half can of LaCroix, making sure to pour over the skin.
16. I would highly suggest the use of a meat thermometer to cook the turkey until 160F.
17. After the temperature reaches 160F, remove the turkey from the oven and cover with tin-foil to keep warm.

Enjoy!