Dutch Oven Turkey

RecipeShow more

Turkey - 15 pounds, or whatever size will fit your Dutch oven
2 or 3 onions quartered
25 whole cloves garlic
3 sticks of butter
Salt
Pepper
3 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
5 cloves garlic finely diced
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
3 springs fresh sage
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh thyme

You’ll need a large deep Dutch oven. I use a Maca 12X16X9 inch deep oval oven. Unfortunately, this oven is no longer in production. I was fortunate enough to get one of the last ones Maca made.

Remove the gizzards from the turkey. Stuff the cavity with onions and whole garlic cloves.

Make a rubbing compound by mashing up 2 sticks of butter (it’s easier if the butter is at room temperature), season with salt and pepper. Add fresh parsley and diced garlic. Mix it all together well.

Make a couple small incisions in the turkey skin. Using your fingers, separate the skin from the meat. Stuff the mixture between the skin and the meat. Get as much of the mixture beneath the skin as possible. Rub the any extra on the outside of the skin.

Heat the chicken broth and the remaining stick of butter in a small sauce pan until the butter has melted. Using a meat syringe, inject as much of the mixture as possible into all areas of the bird.

Place trivet or some other clean metal object in the bottom of your Dutch oven. Add the water and any leftover broth and butter mixture.

Place the turkey upside down (breast side down) in the Dutch oven. This helps keep the breast meat from drying out. Place the fresh sage rosemary, thyme and and bay leaves on top of the bird.

Bake for 3 to 4 hours at approximately 350 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 170 Degrees. In my Maca I use 15 coals beneath and 30 on top. Depending on your DO, you may want to preheat your oven to speed cooking time.

Allow the turkey to rest at least 30 minutes before carving.

Acknowledgement - I got the basic recipe from Dutcoventopia web site http://dutchoventopia.com/dutch-oven-turkey-recipe/. My hammock camping and camp cooking friend Skypainter showed me how to make the rubbing compound.