Tender, juicy turkey is a classic favorite for any holiday feast. Roasting is the simplest way to prepare a turkey, and the result is always delicious. The key to a perfectly roasted turkey is to cook it slowly at a moderate temperature. This allows the fat in the skin and the meat to render, resulting in a crispy, golden-brown exterior and a succulent, juicy interior.
Ingredients
1 Turkey, fresh or frozen
64 oz of chicken broth
1 bunch fresh herb bundle (sage, rosemary, thyme)
3 carrots
3 celery stalks
1 onion
1 stick of butter
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp salt
Method
Thawing: I place my turkey in a store bought foil pan. Turkey will thaw at the rate of 4 lbs per day in the refrigerator.
The night before roasting make the compound butter. Combine the butter, softened, with the tablespoons of sage, rosemary, thyme, and salt.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Remove giblets and liver from the turkey. It is not recommended to rinse the turkey. All you’re doing is contaminating your kitchen.
Place turkey in a rack and then into a large roasting pan.
Cut the onion, carrots, and celery into large pieces and place in the cavity of the turkey.
Add the fresh herb bundle to the cavity of the turkey.
Loosen the skin over the breast and spread the compound butter under the skin as best as you can.
Pour 32 oz of chicken broth over the turkey. You’ll add more broth as needed while roasting.
Place turkey in oven and roast according to chart below. If skin browns too quickly, cover turkey loosely with foil.
Weight of turkey
10 – 18 lbs
18 – 22 lbs
22 – 24 lbs
24 – 29 lbs
Cooking time
3 – 3 1/2 hours
3 1/2 – 4 hours
4 – 4 1/2 hours
4 1/2 – 5 hours
Thigh meat should reach a temperature of 165 degrees and legs should be very loose.
Remove turkey and tent with fol and let rest for 30-60 minutes before carving.
Pour off juices and save for homemade gravy. Simply combine in a pot with milk and corn starch until the desired thickness.
