Herb-seasoned Turkey

Total Time: 2 hrs 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 1 bunch fresh rosemary leaf (about 1 ounce)
• 1 bunch italian parsley (about 4 ounce)
• 1 bunch fresh thyme leave (about 1 ounce)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 16 -18 lbs turkey
• 3 whole bay leaves
• 3 whole sage leaves (optional)

Recipe

• 1 mince rosemary leaves, parsley, and thyme to make 1 tablespoon each; reserving remaining sprigs for use in step 3.
• 2 combine olive oil, butter, minced herbs, salt and pepper; set aside.
• 3 remove and discard leg truss from turkey. pull off and discard lumps of fat. remove giblets and neck; discard. rinse bird inside and out; pat dry.
• 4 tuck remaining fresh herb sprigs (see note above) and bay leaves inside body cavity.
• 5 place turkey, breast up, on a v-shaped rack in a 12- by 17-inch roasting pan. retruss turkey legs, if desired.
• 6 brush entire bird with oil-herb mixture. pour 1 cup of water in bottom of roasting pan (or enough to cover bottom). this water serves two purposes--steam rising from it will keep turkey moist, and it will keep drippings from sticking to bottom of pan (so you can make great gravy).
• 7 cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.
• 8 insert a meat thermometer through thickest part of turkey breast to the bone. (i tear a small hole and poke it through foil).
• 9 roast turkey in 325°f oven for 2 to 3 hours (depending on the size of your turkey. cook until thickest part of turkey reaches 160°f taking foil off for the last 45 minutes.
• 10 (if wing and leg tips start to get too dark before turkey is done, cover them with small pieces of foil.
• 11 transfer turkey to a platter.
• 12 let rest 15 to 30 minutes, then carve.
• 13 great tip for getting the fat off the top of drippings for gravy: pour drippings into a heavy-duty zip-top bag (freezer bag works great). set in a bowl or pan that will hold it upright and let it stand for 15 minutes so oil separates. holding bag above your pan, snip a slit in very bottom corner of bag and let the juices run until you get to the oil. pinch of end of bag and discard.