Jamaican Jerk Roast Turkey

Name: Jamaican Jerk Roast Turkey
Cook time: PT0D3H30M
Total time: PT0D3H30M
Yield: serves 10-12
Ingredients: 3 ⁄ 4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 ⁄ 2 cup packed light brown sugar; 1 ⁄ 2 cup chopped scallions; 1 ⁄ 4 cup freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste; 2 1 ⁄ 2 Tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste; 1 ⁄ 2 Tbsp. dried thyme; 1 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. ground cloves; 1 ⁄ 4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, plus wedges for serving; 1 1 ⁄ 2 Tbsp. soy sauce; 6 cloves garlic; 2 Scotch bonnet or habanero chiles, stemmed and chopped; 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced; 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted; 1 whole turkey (12 lb.)

Serves
serves 10-12
Time
3 hours 30 minutes

JENNY HUANG

By SAVEUR Editors

Published on November 20, 2019

A simple roast turkey is transformed into a thing of legend when slathered with a spicy, fragrant jerk sauce. Basting towards the end of roasting ensures a crisp, brown skin without overcaramelizing the sugars.

Equipment

Ingredients

³⁄₄ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¹⁄₂ cup packed light brown sugar
¹⁄₂ cup chopped scallions
¹⁄₄ cup freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 ¹⁄₂ Tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
¹⁄₂ Tbsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¹⁄₂ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¹⁄₂ tsp. ground cloves
¹⁄₄ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, plus wedges for serving
1 ¹⁄₂ Tbsp. soy sauce
6 cloves garlic
2 Scotch bonnet or habanero chiles, stemmed and chopped
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 whole turkey (12 lb.)

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Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 500°F. In the bowl of a food processor, combine ¼ cup oil, sugar, scallions, ¼ cup pepper, 2½ tablespoons salt, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, chiles, and ginger; purée until smooth and set aside. Mix the butter with the remaining ½ cup oil; set aside. Rinse the turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Season inside and out with salt and pepper; let come to room temperature.

Step 2

Transfer the turkey to a rack set inside a roasting pan, tuck the wings behind the turkey, and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Brush the turkey all over with the butter mixture, reserving some for brushing. Pour 2 cups water into the roasting pan. Roast the turkey, brushing once with some of the reserved butter mixture, for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue roasting, brushing occasionally with the butter mixture, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh, without touching the bone, reads 150°F, about 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours. Remove the turkey from the oven and baste completely with the reserved jerk sauce. Return the turkey to the oven and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 20 to 25 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board and let sit for 30 minutes before carving; serve with lime wedges.