Roast turkey made simple and delicious! This foolproof recipe delivers juicy meat and crispy skin, making your turkey the perfect centerpiece for any holiday table.
A frozen turkey will take at least 3 days to thaw out in the refrigerator, then a day to brine and a day to sit in the refrigerator after brining. Plan your cooking time far enough in advance that you can let the turkey sit out for at least an hour before roasting, and half an hour to an hour after roasting. If using a pre-basted turkey, decrease the amount of salt in the brine and the brining time, otherwise the turkey will be too salty. If you've brined the turkey overnight, remove it from the containerand pat dry all over with paper towels. Now let the turkey sit, uncovered, on a cookie sheet or even in the roasting pan for several hours or overnight in the fridge. This helps to dry the skin so it will get nice and crispy, while the meat stays moist from the brine solution. If you don't have time for this step then just be sure to get the turkey as dry as you can with paper towels.
Cooking the turkey
Position the oven rack on the lowest setting and preheat the oven to 325°.
Place the turkey in a large roasting pan with a rack and then tuck the wing tips underneath the back of the turkey.
Tie the legs together with twine or tuck them under the little piece of skin at the end of the turkey. Then rub the herb butter all over: top, bottom, legs, sides, and carefully underneath the breast skin. When trying to spread the butter underneath the skin, you have to break the membrane holding the skin to the flesh. Gently press your fingers under it and it will break.
You don't need to salt the turkey if you've brined it, but you can grind a little fresh pepper if you like.
Pour a couple of cups of stock or broth in the bottom of the pan and place a few herbs and vegetables inside the turkey: rosemary, thyme, sage, onions, carrots, celery.
Add two lemons, halved, and squeeze the juice inside the turkey cavity then throw the lemon halves in there also. If room, you can add a cut-up apple.
Take two pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil, butter one side or spray with cooking oil, and cover that breast completely.
Slide the roasting pan onto the lowest oven rack and close the door.
After one hour, baste the turkey with some of the juices from the pan, lifting up the foil to baste underneath.
Continue basting every hour but no sooner than that.
Calculate cooking time at about 15 minutes per pound, and remove the foil about an hour before the turkey should be done. Baste the breast again so it will brown nicely.
If your turkey is not too large to handle safely, then you can turn it on each side for 10-15 minutes to brown underneath the legs.
Place the meat thermometer into the thigh at the thickest part, but not touching bone, and when it reads 165°, remove the turkey from the oven. Let it rest for at least half an hour before you slice it.