About the Recipe
Once upon a time, in a small town nestled in the countryside, there was a family eagerly preparing for Thanksgiving. The centerpiece of their feast was a magnificent turkey.
Ingredients
1 whole turkey (size depends on the number of servings needed)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
a handfull of diffrent fresh herbs (such as thyme, parsley or sage)
1 leek, quartered
1/2 lemon, quartered
4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled
Preparation
Take out the butter from the fridge at least an hour before.
Preheat your oven to 400°F
Wash the apples and leek. Chop roghly the leek into big pieces, and chop the apples into quaters.
Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey cavity, if included. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water and pat it dry with paper towels.
Season the turkey generously with salt and pepper, both inside and out.
In a small bowl, mix the softened butter with the dried herbs until well combined.
Carefully loosen the skin of the turkey by gently sliding your fingers between the skin and the meat, being careful not to tear the skin.
Spread the herb butter mixture evenly outside and inside- under the skin and on top of it covering as much of the turkey as possible.
Stuff the turkey cavity with the quartered leek, halved lemon, apples and peeled garlic cloves.
Truss the turkey by tying the legs together with kitchen twine.
Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up.
Cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil, tenting it to allow for air circulation.
Place the turkey in the oven and decrease the temprature to 325°F. Roast the turkey for about 13-15 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh.
About halfway through the cooking time, remove the foil to allow the skin to brown.
Once the turkey is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it rest under aluminum foil for about 20-30 minutes before carving.