ORANGE BOURBON TURKEY

12 pound fresh or frozen whole turkey, thawed
2 cups fresh orange juice
1 cup water
3/4 cup bourbon, divided
1/3 cup molasses
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
4 oranges, peeled
nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
orange slices, optional
flat leaf parsley sprigs, optional

Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey; discard. Rinse turkey thoroughly with cold water; pat dry. Combine orange juice, water, 1/2 cup of the bourbon and the molasses in a 2 gallon, heavy duty, resealable plastic bag. Add the turkey, seal and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Remove the turkey from the bag; reserve the marinade. Preheat the oven to 350F. Tie the ends of the turkey legs with kitchen string. Tuck the wing tips under the bird. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the salt into the body cavity. Stuff cavity with the oranges. Place the turkey on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray or on a rack set in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer into the meaty part of the thigh, making sure not to touch bone. Bake for 3 hours or until thermometer registers 180F. Cover turkey loosely with foil if it gets too brown. Remove turkey from oven, cover loosely with foil and let stand at least 20 minutes before carving. Discard the oranges. Remove turkey skin before serving. To make the sauce: Pour the reserved marinade into a saucepan; bring to a boil. Skim the foam from the mixture with a slotted spoon; discard. Reduce the heat to medium; cook until reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of the bourbon and the flour in a small bowl, whisking well. Add to the reduced marinade; bring the mixture to a boil and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Serve the sauce with the turkey. Garnish with orange slices and parsley sprigs, if desired. Makes 12 servings.