Savory Roast Turkey

By Dglmedia

Ingredients

• 1 fresh turkey, 10 to 14 pounds
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, stemmed and chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, stemmed and chopped
• 2 bay leaves, crushed
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 shallots, peeled and halved
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Remove the turkey's neck and giblets.*
Rinse the turkey, inside and out, with cold water and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper inside and out.
Combine the herbs, bay leaves, onions, carrots, celery and shallots together and stuff the mixture into the cavity of the bird.
Place the turkey in a roasting pan.
Rub the olive oil over the skin of the turkey.
Tuck the wings back, under the bird and truss it. For maximum tenderness, cover the turkey loosely with a foil tent for the first 2 1/2 hours of roasting time, then uncover it to allow it to brown, occasionally basting the turkey with the juices that collect in the roasting pan.
Roast until a meat thermometer reads 165°F. The skin will be golden brown and crisp, the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a sharp knife.
Transfer the turkey to a serving platter.
Remove and discard the vegetables from the cavity.

When the turkey is done roasting, it should rest for 15 to 30 minutes before carving.

*The liver may be baked alongside the turkey for half an hour; while the heart, gizzard and neck may be simmered for 2 1/2 hours on the stove. Chop this meat and use it in a stuffing or gravy, if desired.