Garlic Herb Butter Roast Turkey with Gravy (No Basting!)

Instructions

- Trim off the tail (the “parson’s nose”), any excess fat or loose skin, and, if necessary, remove any stray feathers (I use my fingers or scissors to snip them off). If necessary, take out the neck and giblets from the cavity (discard or place in the base of the cooking tray for the gravy, if desired - note not all turkeys will have these). Pat the turkey dry with a paper towel. - Sprinkle 11⁄2 tablespoons of the salt evenly all over the skin. Sprinkle the remaining 1⁄2 tablespoon inside the cavity. See note 3 for salt amounts for larger turkey sizes. Place the turkey, uncovered, in the fridge for 12-24 hours. Do not rinse the turkey before cooking. If you don’t have time to leave the turkey in the fridge for 12-24 hours, don’t panic! Salt the turkey as per this step and leave it for as long as you can, or simply continue the recipe and cook it immediately. Brining gives a noticeably juicier result, but the turkey is still delicious without it. - Remove the turkey from the fridge 1 hour before cooking. Do not wipe away the salt. Place the lemon halves, garlic halves, onion quarters, thyme and rosemary inside the cavity. Tie the legs loosely with kitchen string and tuck the wings underneath. - In a bowl, combine the softened butter, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, paprika and pepper. Turn the turkey breast-side down and rub 2-3 tablespoons of the butter over the back and under the wings. Turn the turkey breast-side up. - Place the carrots, celery, onions, halved garlic bulb and bay leaves in a large roasting tray. Pour in the water. Place the turkey breast-side up directly on top of the vegetables. Pour the remaining butter mixture on top of the turkey and use your hands to ensure the turkey is coated as evenly as possible. - Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) (160°C/325°F fan-forced). Place the turkey on the lowest rack in the oven. Roast the turkey, uncovered, for 3 hours, or until the breast reaches 70-75°C (158-167°F) on a meat thermometer, and the thigh reaches 75-80°C (167-176°F) - see note 1 for cooking times for various sizes. If there are any areas browning too quickly, cover them loosely with foil. If the turkey is paler than you’d like near the end, increase the oven to 200°C (400°F) (180°C/350°F fan-forced) for the last 15 minutes of cooking to deepen the colour. There is no need to baste the turkey during roasting! - Transfer the turkey to a tray and rest for 30 minutes before carving. - Place the roasting tray (including all the juices and fat) on the stovetop over medium heat. Stir the flour into the vegetables and fat and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Pour in the chicken stock. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, breaking up the vegetables with a wooden spoon as they soften. Push everything through a fine sieve into a saucepan or jug. Discard the solids. - Place the turkey on a platter. Arrange the rosemary sprigs around the platter and serve with the gravy and cranberry sauce on the side. I like to present it this way at the table before carving. - Place the rested turkey on a large board. Start by removing the thighs: gently pull each leg outward and cut through the natural joint where the thigh meets the body. Separate the drumstick from the thigh if you like. Next, remove the wings by cutting through the joint where each wing attaches to the breast; you can cut each wing into two pieces (the “flat” and the “drumette”) if desired. To remove the breast meat, run the knife down one side of the breastbone and follow the ribcage all the way down until the whole breast comes off in one piece. Place the breast on the board and slice it crossways into even pieces. Save the frame for stock (you can freeze it). - Arrange the sliced breast, thighs, drumsticks and wings on a large serving platter. Add rosemary sprigs for presentation if you like. Serve with the warm gravy and cranberry sauce on the side and with mashed potato and steamed broccolini, or the sides of your choice.

Garlic Herb Butter Roast Turkey with Gravy (No Basting!)

Instructions

Ingredients