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Ingredients
For the citrus and herb butter:
- 1 large navel orange, juiced and zested
- 1 large lemon, juiced and zested
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- 1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
Instructions for the Butter:
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and stir together thoroughly. Set aside.
For the turkey:
- 14-16 pound turkey, thawed if frozen)
- 1/2 large orange, cut in two wedges
- 1 lemon, cut in quarters
- 1/2 large granny smith apple, cut in two wedges
- 1 garlic head, cut in half
- 5 sprigs of sage
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 5 sprigs of thyme
- Kosher Salt and fresh ground pepper
Instructions for the Turkey
- Preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Rinse the turkey inside and out. Pat the skin dry and place in a roasting rack inside a large roasting pan. Stuff the cavity of the bird with the orange, lemon, apple, garlic and herbs.
- Tuck the wing tips under the turkey.
- Carefully loosen the skin by insert fingers under skin to loosen the skin from the breast meat working your way down to the leg. Take 1/4 of the butter mixture and rub it, thoroughly, under the skin over the breast and leg meat being sure to coat as much of the turkey as possible. Repeat on the opposite side and then coat the remaining butter mixture over the skin being sure to cover the entire turkey.
- Sprinkle the breast and legs of the turkey with salt and pepper and bind the legs of the turkey together with kitchen twine.
- Roast the turkey on the lowest level of the oven at 500°Fin the oven for 30 minutes and then turn the oven temperature down to 350°F and insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. Set the alarm on the thermometer to 160°F. A 14-16 pound turkey takes approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting time total. (You can also use an instant read thermometer, just remember to check the turkey before the 2 hour mark to avoid overcooking.)
- Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Let the turkey rest for approximately 30 minutes before carving.
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