Lemon and Herb Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 657
- Total Fat
- 33
- Saturated Fat
- 9
- Carbohydrates
- 12
- Dietary Fiber
- 4
- Sugar
- 3
- Protein
- 77
- Cholesterol
- 261
- Sodium
- 1392
- Total: 1 day 6 hr 30 min (includes marinating and resting times)
- Active: 30 min
Ingredients
Turkey:
One 12- to 14-pound fresh turkey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh oregano
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon ground sumac
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon finely minced shallots
Grated zest of 6 lemons (use 3 of the zested lemons below)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Roasting:
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 sprigs fresh parsley
10 sprigs fresh thyme
3 lemons, halved
1 shallot, halved
3 carrots, roughly chopped
3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
Water or stock, for the roasting pan
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Directions
- For the turkey: Twenty-four hours before cooking your turkey, liberally season the inside and outside of the bird with salt and pepper. Using a mini chopper or mortar and pestle, grind the oregano, parsley, tarragon, sumac, thyme, shallots and lemon zest together with some salt and pepper; the salt will help draw the moisture and flavor from the mixture. Add the olive oil to form a paste. Spread the herb mixture all around the inside and outside of the turkey. Refrigerate the turkey, uncovered to dry the skin, for 24 hours.
- For the roasting: Remove the turkey from the fridge 90 minutes before roasting and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Season the turkey again with salt and pepper. Put the parsley and thyme sprigs in the cavity with the lemon and shallot halves.
- Put the carrots, celery and onions in the bottom of a roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack. Add a cup of water or stock to the bottom of the pan. Add the turkey to the rack and roast, adding a little more water or stock to the pan if necessary to prevent the drippings from burning, for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to roast, basting the turkey with the pan drippings every 30 minutes, until the thickest part of the leg registers an internal temperature of 155 degrees F, another 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Allow the bird to rest, tented with foil, for at least 1 hour before carving. The temperature will rise to about 165 degrees F during resting.
- Pour the pan drippings into a saucepan, set the pan over medium-high heat and cook until reduced by one-half, about 10 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted. Pour the reduced turkey drippings over the carved turkey just before serving.