Prep Time: 30 min. + 1 hour rest time Cook Time: 8-10 min. per pound Servings: 1 pound per person
Ingredients:
1 whole turkey from The Old Fashioned Farmstead
salt
fresh ground pepper
fresh herbs, bruised (we usually use rosemary and oregano from the garden)
2 lemons, halved
1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 medium onions, sliced
1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
1 pound carrots, sliced
1 cup stock or water
Directions:
-Remove turkey from the fridge, rinse, and pat dry. Set giblets aside and allow bird to come to room temperature (about 1 hour).
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Position your oven rack towards the lower third of the oven.
-Place turkey in roasting pan breast side up.
-Season the inside of the bird with salt and pepper.
-Stuff with garlic, 1 onion, lemons (squeeze in cavity), and herbs.
-Tie the legs and tuck the wings.
-Add 1 onion, carrots, herbs, water/stock, and giblets (if desired) around the base of the pan.
-Salt and pepper the outside of the bird.
-Spread butter all over the turkey.
-Place in the center of the oven.
-Roast the turkey until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Baste your bird with the pan drippings every 30 minutes (more if desired). Cook time is approximately 8-10 minutes per pound (as opposed to 12-15 for grocery store turkeys). Recommended cooking temperature for whole turkey is 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the thigh, but not touching the bone.
-Remove the turkey from the pan and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes.
-Use the pan drippings to make gravy while your bird rests. Dilute with water or stock if needed.
-Slice and serve! Reserve the bones and other scraps for stock.
Tips:
-Depending on your oven you may need to rotate your turkey for even browning.
-If your turkey is browning too fast, you can cover it with foil.
-Fresh, pasture raised birds seem to cook faster. Monitor how fast it is cooking with a meat thermometer. Sometimes we will take our bird out a couple degrees early and allow it to come to temperature while it rests.
-Your turkey will cook faster if it is not stuffed.
-ENJOY!
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