Ingredients
Filling
- 1 vertical roaster
- 3 to 4 pound whole chicken fryer ( or 20 to 22 pound turkey)
- 1 1/2 cups olive oil
- 2 fresh lemons, juiced
- 4 fresh sprigs of thyme
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
- 6 cups chicken stock or water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- For a chicken, remove the wrapped innards that may be in the cavity of the bird and reserve for another use. Wash the bird well inside and out. Pat dry with a paper towel and in a large non-reactive bowl, marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours, refrigerated. Season the oil and lemon mixture with the fresh thyme sprigs, crushed garlic, the kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Turn the bird every half hour in the bowl to coat for even marinating.
- Cook chicken about 20 to 25 minutes for a 3 to 4 pound bird. Check to see if the chicken is fully cooked, by moving the drumstick back and forth, and if the juices run clear, the bird is done.
- For a turkey, cut off the neck, remove the giblets’ package, wash the turkey inside and out and pat the bird dry. Rub the outside of the bird with a generous quantity of Bell’s Poultry Seasoning. Divide a stick of butter into numerous small bits and insert under the skin of the turkey, distributing the butter through out the surfaces. Put the bird on the horno pre-heated vertical roaster (see below) and set it in a pan to catch the drippings. Pour enough water or chicken broth in the pan to cover the bottom two inches. The resulting pan drippings may be used for the gravy.
- Cook a 20 to 22 pound turkey, un-stuffed, for 2 1/2 hours or when the juices run clear when you wiggle the drumstick of the turkey. Carve and serve immediately with plenty of napkins if eating out of hand. Be sure to roll up your sleeves, as this is the juiciest bird in the world.
Notes
(For a 20-22 pound turkey multiply the recipe above by 4 and use 2 tablespoons Bell’s Poultry Seasoning and a stick of butter.)
