Ever since we have been warned against cooking the stuffing inside the turkey, people have been getting creative with what to put inside the cooking bird. There is always the beer can route, ala beer can chicken. Others will stuff the stuffing inside the bird for cooking during the last half hour or so, when the turkey is nearly done, so you can ensure the turkey will be cooked through and the turkey won’t be contaminated by raw poultry juices.
But an amazingly easy thing to do is simply stuff your turkey with fresh herbs right when you are preparing it for the oven. The fresh herbs will infuse the flavor right into the turkey as it cooks, leaving a turkey with a uniquely aromatic taste.. and your house will smell wonderful while it cooks!
You can buy fresh herbs at the grocery store, even during winter months. So next time you are at a loss of what to put inside the turkey, consider using this great combination of fresh herbs instead. Or you can adjust some of the herbs that work well with poultry in place of the ones we suggest.
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Sorrel
- Savory
- Sage
- Dill
- Marjoram
You only need a few sprigs of each for an average size turkey, doubling the amount of herbs for a large (25+ lbs) turkey. When the turkey is finished roasting, you can simply discard the herbs, or you can use them in another dish, provided you are certain the turkey has been completely cooked through, so no uncooked juices remain.
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