A roasted turkey is sitting on a wire rack on a table.
One of my favorite, roast turkey experiences was observing a Peruvian man marinate a whole turkey with about 2 cups of crushed garlic in olive oil. Years later I tried this recipe and found it to be exceptional!

Roasted Turkey 

To brine or not to brine... I remember sitting at the breakfast table at the CIA, listening to the annual Thanksgiving discussion of the Chef's favorite heritage turkeys or their favorite brining ingredients. No one talked about spatchcock cooking in those days.

Prep Time: 3o min

Cooking Time: 2 hours to roast and rest 


Ingredients

Yield: 10 portions                                                                                                                 

16-20 lbs.  Fresh Turkey   

1 Cup.          Olive oil or butter                                                                                                   

1 lb.              Mirepoix (carrot, celery, onion)                                                                                                                                           

Bay leaf, rosemary, thyme                                                                                                             

Salt & Pepper     
                 

How to prepare Roasted Turkey

A turkey sitting on top of a pan next to vegetables
A white styrofoam tray filled with meat and livers
A turkey is sitting on a wire rack in a pan.
A roasted turkey is sitting on a wire rack on a table.




Step 1

Remove the giblets and neck from the cavity of the turkey. Place one bay leaf, 1 sprig of rosemary and 1 sprig of thyme into the cavity of the turkey. Season the turkey with kosher salt and melted butter/olive oil.


Step 2

Place the turkey onto a rack or a bed of mirepoix, place into a preheated oven at 400° F and bake for 30 minutes to create a beautiful, golden brown skin. Reduce the heat to 350° F and continue cooking until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165° F (using a thermometer, measure the temperature at the thigh)-juices should run clear.


you can baste the turkey throughout the cooking process-cover loosely with foil if the turkey is getting too brown.


Step 3

Let the turkey rest, while you prepare the gravy.
   

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