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Roast Turkey with Lemon Couscous

A small whole turkey is amazingly economical. It will give enough meat for at least 8 portions, or you can serve 4 people and have plenty of leftovers for sandwiches, salads and other dishes and make stock with the carcass. This roast turkey with lemon couscous is a wonderful pairing.

Directions

Halve the lemons lengthwise and squeeze all the juice into a cup. Pull the pulp from each lemon half to leave a shell. Discard the pulp. Cut a thin slice off the base of each lemon so it will stand firmly when upturned. Set aside.
Place the couscous in a bowl. Add 1⁄3 cup lemon juice, the spices, 3 cups stock, the apricots and mint, and mix well. Soak for 10 minutes or until the couscous has absorbed all the stock.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and pour over 2⁄3 cup hot water.
Using a spoon stuff some couscous into the neck end of the turkey, mounding it a little. Secure the skin flap underneath the bird with the wing tips. Spoon 2 tablespoons lemon juice over. Cover the turkey loosely with oiled foil and roast for 1 3⁄4 hours. Baste with the juices occasionally, and remove the foil for the last 30 minutes of cooking to brown the skin. The turkey is cooked when the juices run clear.
Meanwhile, fill the lemon halves with couscous. Spread the rest of the lemon couscous in a small ovenproof dish and sit the filled lemon halves on top. Cover with foil and place in the oven for the last 20 minutes of the turkey’s roasting time. When the turkey is cooked, remove it from the pan and let it rest on a board for 10 minutes. Skim the fat from the surface of the juices in the pan, then add the sherry and the remaining stock. Bring to a boil on the stove, scraping up the browned bits. Boil for 5 minutes. Season with pepper.
Carve the roast turkey and serve with the couscous-filled lemons, the extra lemon couscous and the pan sauce. Garnish with mint.

preparation time 20 mins
cooking time 1 3⁄4 hours
serves 8

Source: Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart, Reader's Digest Canada

Ingredients 4 large lemons
2 cups couscous
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups hot reduced-salt chicken stock
110 g dried apricots, chopped
5 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 whole turkey, about 2.5 kg, without giblets
2⁄3 cup dry sherry
pepper to taste
sprigs fresh mint to garnish

Nutritional Information

PER SERVING

529 calories
65 g protein
20 g total fat
5 g saturated fat
157 mg cholesterol
17 g total carbohydrate
8 g sugars
2 g fibre
758 mg sodium

Couscous is low in fat and high in starchy carbohydrate. It closely resembles pasta in nutritional value. It is high in thiamine and niacin, as well as protein.

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