Roast Turkey with Herbs

This will be the 3rd year my brother and I wake up in the morning to start making the turkey. What we both have successfully done to keep the turkey moist is to pour chicken or turkey broth and baste the turkey every 30 minutes, that way it would be moist when done. Happy thanksgiving and cooking!

Ingredients For Rub:

• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
• 3 small bay leaves, coarsely crushed

Ingredients For Roasting:

• 1 14- to 16-pound turkey
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped
• 2 whole tangerine, chopped
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups chicken or turkey stock

Directions:

1- Rinse turkey inside and out. Pull any fat pads from main cavity and neck cavity of turkey. Place turkey in roasting bag; sprinkle inside and out with all the herbs for rub. Close the bag tightly. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate it for 24 hours.

2- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450°.

3- Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Set the turkey on a rack, breast side up.

4- Mix all the ingredients for turkey in a bowl and divide the mixture between main and neck cavities. Rub the butter into the bird, directly on the meat, underneath the skin. It makes the meat more tender and the skin crispier. Add 3 cups of stock to pan.

5- Transfer the turkey to the oven and lower the heat to 400°. Roast, basting with the pan juices every half hour. Continue to roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F to 170°F. Place foil loosely over the breast if browning too quickly.

6- Transfer turkey to platter and let rest for 30 minutes. After resting at room temperature, the juices are redistributed throughout the turkey and the meat stands up to carving better.

**Bon Appétit | November 2008

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