I have tried this recipe with a brined and non-brined turkey. I have to admit, it's better with a brined turkey. I simply dissolve a cup of sugar, a cup of salt, a handful of peppercorns in 2 gallons of hot water. I add one onion, quartered, and one head of garlic, halved. I let it cool and pour over a thawed turkey in a huge pot. I store in the refrigerator for 2 days, pat dry, and proceed with the following recipe. If you can't brine the turkey because of time or space considerations, it will still come out perfectly delicious. I don't pretend this recipe to be the simplest I have ever posted, but it really is the best turkey I have ever had.
Holiday Roast Turkey
Serves 10
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 3 hours
- 1 10-14 lb turkey
- 1 stick softened unsalted butter (leave it out overnight)
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tsp finely mince fresh sage
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp finely ground black pepper
- 4 stalks celery
- 4 carrots
- 2 onions, quartered
- 2 lemons, quartered
- 1 head garlic, halved
Blend herbs, seasonings, and salt and pepper with the softened butter.
Season the inside of the bird with salt and pepper and stuff with celery, carrots, onions, garlic, and lemons.
Rub the butter mixture all over the bird, both on top of and under the skin. Place in a roasting pan. Cover the breast with a foil tent. Roast for 2 -3 hours, depending on the weight of the turkey.
Turn up the heat to 425 degrees and remove the foil tent. Roast for 30-45 minutes more, or until a meat thermometer registers 180 degrees at the deepest part of the thigh and the skin is evenly browned. Allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Great recipie. I've done it twice now in the last week, and it's come out perfectly cooked. One hard thing I've notices is getting the meat thermometer to stay in the thickest part of the thigh. So I've settled on getting the breast to 172 F, and letting it heat up to temp on it's own during the rest period.
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