NEW ORLEANS — Over the course of its 300-year history, New Orleans’ cuisine has been one of its greatest gifts to the world. Now, as we celebrate the city’s 300th birthday and WWL-TV’s 60th anniversary, our gift to you is a free e-cookbook, with free summertime recipes.
This edition of our "360 In the Kitchen" cookbook series focuses on dishes that are perfect for the long, hot south Louisiana summer. Coping with the heat and humidity of a New Orleans summer has been a way of life here from the beginning. From salads and dishes with lighter sauces to icy cool desserts, our cookbook gives you some creative recipe ideas to try without sacrificing any of the flavor that New Orleans cooks are known for.
Succulent Upside Down Thanksgiving Turkey
Ingredients:
- 1 (12- to 15-pound) turkey
- 4 Tbsp. Creole seasoning
- 2-3 cups cornbread dressing
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Directions:
- Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator. For a 12- to 15-pound turkey, this will take about 3 days, estimating 5 hours of thaw time for each pound of turkey.
- Remove the giblets and neck from inside the turkey's cavity. Set the turkey on a roasting rack and set inside a roasting pan. Sprinkle the turkey inside and out with the Creole seasoning. Place the dressing and herbs in the cavity of the turkey. Place the turkey breast-side down in the roasting rack. Let sit for 15-20 minutes before roasting.
- Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven, remove any racks above it, and heat to 400 degrees. Roast the turkey for 20 minutes to darken and crisp the skin. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees and roast the bird for about 2 hours more.
- Begin checking the temperature of the turkey after 2 hours of roasting at 325 degrees. Use a thermometer to check the turkey's temperature in both the thighs and the breast. The turkey is ready when it registers 165 degrees for the thighs and 160 degrees for the breasts.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
More Recipes:
Chef's Notes:
- Note: quartered onions, halved apples, baby carrots, cubed sweet potato, or other vegetables can be used in place of cornbread dressing.
Watch Chef Kevin Belton every Tuesday morning on Eyewitness Morning News on WWL-TV and WUPL.
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