Butter Bath Turkey
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 808
- Total Fat
- 51
- Saturated Fat
- 24
- Carbohydrates
- 7
- Dietary Fiber
- 2
- Sugar
- 3
- Protein
- 77
- Cholesterol
- 333
- Sodium
- 1394
- Total: 3 hr 30 min
- Active: 40 min
Ingredients
One 12- to 14-pound turkey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium carrots, cut into thirds
2 stalks celery, cut into thirds
1 lemon, cut into wedges
2 large shallots, 1 quartered and 1 minced
4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth
Directions
Special equipment:
a roasting pan with a rack; butcher’s twine; a turkey baster; an instant-read thermometer- Position an oven rack in the lowest position with room above to fit the turkey; preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Remove any turkey parts from the cavity and reserve for another use if desired. Dry the turkey well with paper towels inside and out. Sprinkle the cavity with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stuff with the carrots, celery, lemon and quartered shallot.
- Combine the butter, rosemary, thyme, paprika, garlic, minced shallot, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl and stir to make a smooth, spreadable mixture. Work your fingers between the skin and meat on the breast and top of the turkey legs to loosen, then rub half of the butter mixture under the skin. Rub the remaining butter mixture on the outside of the turkey.
- Place a roasting rack in a roasting pan, making sure it is level. Transfer the turkey to the rack, tuck the wings back under the body and tie the legs together with butcher's twine. Pour the broth into the pan.
- Roast the turkey for 30 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Baste the turkey with the pan drippings. Continue to roast, basting with the drippings every 30 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh measures 165 degrees F, about 2 hours more. Let rest for 30 minutes before carving.
Cook’s Note
You can save the pan drippings for making gravy, or simply strain the drippings with a fat separator and serve the broth on the side with the turkey.