Citrus Herb Rubbed Turkey & a Nudo Olive Oil Giveaway

This recipe may be a bit belated (or early, rather) if you're planning your Thanksgiving menu, but a big roasted turkey is perfect for Christmas dinner too-- and you'll love this fresh and flavorful turkey rub!

For the past few years I have made an apple cider glazed turkey for Thanksgiving dinner that is really delicious, though a bit labor intensive. Because we were entertaining a bigger crowd this year I opted for a turkey recipe that was still big on flavor, but that gave me a little more freedom to work on other dishes while it roasted away. This Citrus Herb Rubbed Turkey is full of fresh flavors, comes together pretty quickly, and makes for a tangy and flavorful pan gravy too!

You could also cut this recipe in half and use the rub on a roasted chicken too!

Ingredients:

• 1 (12-13-lb.) whole turkey
• 2 Tbs. fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 1 Tbs. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped 
• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 Tbs. Nudo Al Limone Olive Oil
• 1 Tbs. fresh orange juice
• 1/2 Tbs. fresh orange zest
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, quartered
• Half an orange, cut into two wedges 
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and divided
• 3 carrots, cut into large chunks
• 3 celery stalks, cut into large chunks
• 2 medium yellow onions, cut into large wedges
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups low sodium fat free chicken broth
• 1 cup dry white wine 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove giblets and neck from turkey and discard. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Trim and discard excess fat. Use your fingers to gently loosen the turkey skin so that space is formed between the skin and meat.

In a small bowl combine chopped sage and next 9 ingredients (through pepper). Mince 3 of the garlic cloves and mix those into the herb mixture. Use your fingers to rub about 3/4 of the mixture under the skin of the turkey, making sure it is evenly distributed. Rub the rest of the mixture evenly over the outside of the turkey.

Place the remaining 3 garlic cloves, orange wedges, 2 of the lemon wedges, and half of the onion inside of the turkey cavity. Tie legs together to secure. Place the turkey on a roasting rack breast side up in a roasting pan. Fill the bottom of the pan with the remaining lemon wedges, onion wedges, celery, carrots, and bay leaf. Pour in the chicken broth and wine.

Cover the turkey loosely with an aluminum foil tent and bake, removing every 30 minutes to baste with the liquid in the pan. If the liquid begins to evaporate throughout the cooking process, replenish with additional broth or wine as needed. Roast at 350 for 2 hours and then increase heat to 400 degrees and remove foil tent. Roast for an additional 30-60 minutes (continuing to baste) until the internal thigh temperature is 165 degrees.

Let turkey rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before carving.*

One of the secret ingredients that adds tons of flavor to this holiday turkey recipe is Nudo Al Limone Olive Oil. Nudo Olive Oils are not only super flavorful and beautifully packaged in bright whimsical tins, but the company's history and mission is really interesting too! Nudo began back in 2005 when two men left their careers as successful TV producers to buy and manage a 21-acre olive grove in Italy. It has since become a wonderful program that involves not only local olive farmers, but the end users of the olive oil too!

Olive farmers from various regions of Italy are responsible for caring for their own trees and the oil produced goes into the Nudo Italia adoption program. Olive oil lovers like you and I have the opportunity to adopt our own olive trees and receive the oil from those trees in return to enjoy in our own kitchens. It's a wonderful way to support smaller artisan olive farmers and the oil has a truly amazing quality and flavor. This would be fun for any food lover to take advantage of-- and what a great gift for the cook in your life, right? Check out their website for more information on how to adopt your own olive oil tree!

Nudo olive oils come in a variety of different flavors and I was really blown away by the intense real flavors in these oils. They are amazing to cook with or to simple drizzle over a finished dish to add a quick punch of flavor. I am partial to the lemon variety, which is what I included in that delicious turkey rub. The basil flavored oil is also a favorite and delicious drizzled over a simple pasta with vegetables or a caprese salad and the garlic variety is amazing on roasted potatoes. These olive oils come in a variety of other flavors too: from orange to hot pepper to herb varieties to coffee... there is something for everyone!

So, would you like to give them a try? Today you have your chance! I'm giving away a gift pack of three delicious and versatile flavored Nudo olive oils. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to win a selection of basil, lemon, and garlic flavored olive oils to use and enjoy in your kitchen!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


*Recipe inspired by an original Cooking Light recipe.  

Editor's Note: I was given a complimentary sample of Nudo olive oil to facilitate this post. The opinions expressed here, as always, are my own.