After a successful Thanksgiving meal, guests invariably wonder why we don’t roast turkeys more often. The following months give ample opportunity to do just that. Here is a herb-roasted holiday bird stuffed with citrus and onion to provide a little zing against the fat.
PREPARATION
- Remove the turkey from the refrigerator an hour or two before cooking it, and rinse and pat very dry with paper towels. Allow to sit on a rack in its roasting pan to come to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 450. Rub turkey with salt and pepper, inside and out. Using a fork, mix butter, lemon zest, rosemary, sage and thyme in a small bowl. Rub this herb butter all over the turkey, inside and out.
- Place onion, orange and lemon inside the turkey cavity. Tuck the tips of the wings under the bird, then truss its legs together with cotton string. Roast turkey, uncovered, in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Reduce oven to 325. Baste the turkey with pan juices, and add a cup of water to the pan if it is looking dry. Continue roasting turkey, basting every 30 minutes and tenting it with foil if the skin is turning too dark, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone registers 165 degrees, approximately 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours total. Transfer to a cutting board or platter and allow to rest at least 30 minutes before carving.
