Step 3-Garlic Herb Turkey:Time to Roast

Sorry it took so long to post… I ran out of storage space. I’m all set now for 200,000 more pics.

First, take a deep breath. You can do this. Everyone has to have a first turkey to roast. And even if this is the 25th turkey you’ve made for your family, looking at a huge naked bird and knowing the hours it’s gonna take to be golden and beautiful, it’s a daunting task. You’re committing several hours of your life to this. And if it’s a holiday, that’s prime real estate in your day.

Grab a beverage, wine, sweet tea, apple juice, whatever your preference.

Now, without further ado….

Step 3-Garlic Herb Turkey:Time to Roast

Prep: 20 mins

Roast: (up to 4 1/2 hrs, depending on size of your bird)

15lb brined turkey (step 1)

Garlic Herb Compound Butter (from yesterday,

step 2)

1 whole onion, quartered (or not, sometimes I

shove it in there whole. Depends on my

mood….aka how much the kids are bickering.)

Fresh herb sprigs, divided

1 lemon, quartered

1 whole garlic head, with just the very top

removed

3 c chicken or turkey stock (you can buy the

canned/boxed, but it’s so easy to make your

own… this will be a future post).

After Turkey has brine rinsed off and has rested an hour:

• PH oven to 425°.

• Place turkey in roasting pan. If you’re using disposable, I advise you to double up. Nothing like turkey drippings splattering all over you that are 425° or even 350°…ask me how I know.

• Stuff turkey cavity with onion, lemon, half the herbs and the garlic head. Truss your turkey.

• Pull turkey skin away from bird. This will be relatively easy on the breast side, if you go slowly. The flip side will rip. At least it does for me. Every. Time. Smear a little less than half of your softened butter compound under the skin, directly on the meat, and most (but not all) of the rest, on the skin. I try to hold some back, so as my turkey is roasting (when you get to breast side up portion of your roasting), I have some to reapply.

• Place remaining herb sprigs on top of turkey; make sure turkey is breast side down at this point.

• Place stock in pan. Bake 45 minutes.

• CAREFULLY remove turkey from oven. If you’re using disposable pans, especially if you didn’t double up, please get help with this step. One person with 2 mitts on each of the short sides.

• Using Turkey lifting forks or whatever you have on hand that will do the job without burning yourself, CAREFULLY flip the turkey in the pan, so that it is breast side up. Baste with juices and stock from bottom of pan.

• If you held some of your compound butter back, now is the time to slather that bird again. This time the butter will melt as fast as it hits the bird. That’s ok. It will still do its job, even if some slides down into the pan.

• Reduce heat to 350°. Return pan to oven. Cook until breast is 165° and thighs are 175°, EVEN IF your turkey has a plastic pop up timer (my doesn’t) that has popped up. Don’t get sick or make anyone else sick. Make sure it’s thoroughly cooked, but don’t let your turkey get dried out. It’s a fine line. You can always cut the thighs/legs off and place back in roasting pan and return to oven for a few. But if you think you’re going to need to do this, it’s much easier to cut them off before putting turkey in oven to begin with.

• Let your bird rest 20-30 minutes before carving. It will slice easier and will be cooler to handle. You can go ahead and place it on the table, if you want to hear all those ooh’s and ah’s for all your hard work. Unless your kids are little meanies like mine and could care less.

• Refill your glass. Take a sip and a sigh. You did good.

• That’s it. You’re done. Serve that beautiful bird.

Turkey Math

This turkey was roughly 13 lbs.

You should cook your bird 13-15 mins per pound, so that meant this turkey should take 2 hrs 49 mins to 3 hrs 15 mins to be done. Always remember to use your meat thermometer to make sure the breast is at least 165° and the thighs are at least 175° before removing your turkey from the oven.