PEACH-ROASTED TURKEY

Most summers we try to get our whole passel of family together for a reunion. A roasted turkey is the easiest solution for a main course that will please everyone. The sunny taste of ripe peaches, along with fresh thyme and rosemary, gives this plump turkey a summer flavor so different from the fall flavors found in a traditional Thanksgiving bird.

Makes 8 servings

PEACH SAUCE

2 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

1 CUP CHOPPED YELLOW ONION

4 FRESH PEACHES, PEELED AND ROUGHLY CHOPPED, OR 2 CUPS CHOPPED FROZEN PEACH SLICES

2 TEASPOONS MUSTARD POWDER

½ CUP APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

1 CUP ORANGE JUICE

1 TABLESPOON SALT

TURKEY

ONE 12- TO 14-POUND WHOLE TURKEY

SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

2 PEACHES, PEELED AND QUARTERED, OR 1 CUP FROZEN PEACH SLICES

2 LEMONS, QUARTERED

10 THYME SPRIGS

10 ROSEMARY SPRIGS

1. Make the peach sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the peaches, mustard powder, vinegar, orange juice, and salt. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the peaches are soft and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Puree the sauce in a food processor or blender until smooth.

2. For the turkey: Preheat the oven to 425˚F.

3. Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Generously season the inside cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper. Stuff it with the peaches, lemon quarters, thyme, and rosemary. Tie the legs together with twine. Tuck the wings back and under the body to keep them from burning. You can also cover the wings with foil as they begin to brown, if needed.

4. Fill a meat injector with peach sauce and inject the sauce into the turkey, making sure to hit every part to distribute the sauce evenly. The turkey will start to plump up, and you’ll see the sauce ooze out a bit. Wipe it off, as it can burn. You’ll have some leftover sauce, but use as much as you can to get that flavor in there. When all the parts are injected, generously season the outside of the turkey with salt and pepper. (Discard any remaining sauce.)

5. Roast the turkey until the skin is browned, about 45 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350˚F and continue to roast until a meat thermometer reads 165˚F when inserted deep into the thigh (but away from the bone), 2 to 2½ hours (start checking at 2 hours). The juices in the thigh should run clear when pierced with a fork. Remove the turkey to a carving board and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.

SOUTHERN SIMPLE: If there are any leftovers, try them in the Maple Monte Cristo Sandwich.