Savory Garlic Herb Roasted Turkey

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Make sure your turkey is well thawed. Pat dry with paper towels on all sides. This is crucial for getting crispy brown skin!

3. Once it is dried, let it sit in the fridge uncovered for 1 hour. This will form what is called a pellicle, which will help the seasoning stick to it better and also help with browning.

4. Soften the butter, and add in the sage, rosemary, thyme, garlic and lemon zest. Peel back the skin on the turkey and place the butter between the skin and meat. It’s easier to flatten once you bring the skin back overtop. Don’t worry about it being perfect, your turkey will still come out beautiful! Once you have the butter under the breast and some of the thigh, make sure it is taught, and salt the outside of the bird liberally with salt and pepper. Place your bird in a roasting pan with a rack, stuff the lemon halves inside the cavity, and tuck the wings behind it, and tie the legs together. This will help the bird cook evenly.

5. Bake the turkey for approximately 2 hours. Every 15 minutes, baste the turkey in Bouquet Garni. You can do this easily by using a ladle and basting overtop the turkey to ensure all the skin gets some broth. Repeat this process until you have used all the broth. Check the temperature at the thigh, once it reaches 165 degrees, turn the temperature of your oven up to 450. Cook for an additional 20 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 175 degrees. The skin will be nicely golden brown. Once done, pull the turkey out of the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes minimum, so the juices can redistribute throughout the bird.