Middle Eastern Spiced Turkey

Preheat your oven to 325°F (175°C). Place your turkey on a roasting rack (or create a ring out of tin foil to elevate your turkey) that’s placed in a roasting pan. Brush the turkey all over with oil, then place in the oven. Use the Turkey Calculator on butterball.ca to determine cook time based on the weight of your turkey. Cook for half of the calculated time, then remove from the oven. Next, combine the sumac, za’atar, cumin, coriander, caraway, and olive oil. Brush all over the turkey then return to the oven to finish cooking.

While the turkey cooks, prepare the sides. In a pot, melt the butter and oil together then add the vermicelli pieces. Toast for 3 to 5 minutes until deeply golden. Add the rice and toast for another minute or so. Add 2 1/2 cups of water, along with the salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 – 16 minutes. Remove from the heat, and leave covered for another 5 minutes. Then, take off the lid, fluff with a fork, and set aside.

Once the turkey is cooked, remove from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes. While resting, increase the oven temperature to 400°F (205°C). Toss the pita bread pieces with the olive oil, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy (this can be done a day or two in advance). In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, and stuffing-spiced pita chips. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, sumac, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently to combine then transfer to your serving bowl. Garnish with an extra sprinkle of sumac.

Serve the whole dinner: Slice your Middle Eastern-spiced Butterball Whole Turkey, serve with Egyptian rice, Fattoush salad, a side of pita, and some cucumber yogurt dip. Enjoy!