BEST GREEK STUFFED TURKEY

Best Greek Stuffed Turkey image

This Savory Stuffed Turkey will enhance your Thanksgiving with a Greek taste that everyone will love.

Provided by Mrs. Shimshon

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Greek

Time 4h30m

Yield 18

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 (12 pound) whole turkey, thawed
3 lemons, juiced
¼ cup butter
4 medium onions, chopped
2 turkey livers, finely chopped
1 pound ground lamb
2 ½ cups long grain white rice
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup butter, melted

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Rinse the turkey inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub lemon juice all over the turkey and inside the cavity. Set aside.
Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the chopped livers and ground lamb. Cook, stirring to crumble, until evenly browned. Stir in the rice, cinnamon, mint and tomato paste. Mix in 1 cup of the water, and season with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
Fill turkey with the stuffing mixture, and truss. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, and pour the remaining 2 cups of water into the pan. Mix together the remaining lemon juice and melted butter. This is the basting sauce.
Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, then reduce the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue roasting for 2 more hours, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C). Baste occasionally with the melted butter and lemon juice.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 702.9 calories, Carbohydrate 26.7 g, Cholesterol 246.3 mg, Fat 33.7 g, Fiber 1.8 g, Protein 69.8 g, SaturatedFat 12.9 g, Sodium 239.8 mg, Sugar 1.3 g