Perfect Roast Turkey with Herb Butter

I have used this method of roasting turkey for many years. I love that I don’t need to brine the turkey, and it still turns out juicy and delicious! There’s an added tip– and it works! That is, you don’t need to baste your turkey. That way, you’ll have golden and crispy skin. I trust Ina Garten!

I’ve cooked and hosted Thanksgiving, for my family, for at least thirty years. I’ve evolved from buying vegetable oil injected Butterball turkeys, to draping my turkey with butter drenched cheese cloths, to basting the bird every 30 minutes– and I even tried Alton Brown’s brined a turkey.  Over the decades, I’ve had semi-raw birds, overcooked birds and– finally– I’ve had great turkey! 

To be perfectly honest, I don’t care for brined poultry. I can tell the difference in the texture of the meat– I find that brined poultry takes on a spongy texture that doesn’t agree with my tongue. My husband doesn’t care for brined turkey, either.  I apologize if I offend those of you who are true “brine fans”, but I skip that step. I have come to rely on a cooking thermometer and prepping the turkey with great seasonings, and butter.

This year, I decided to research how one of my favorite cookbook authors and Food Network stars– Ina Garten– roasts her turkey.  Ina hasn’t failed me, yet.

I have converted to buying only a Diestel Turkey  and we picked it up the day before Thanksgiving…fresh and unfrozen. These birds are raised in the foothills of the California Sierras.  They’re a sustainable farm and certified organic, for those of you who appreciate what that means. Their turkeys are hormone-free, range free and I believe that the higher cost is well worth the price.  I’m a fan of buying from turkey farms, like this, for the rest of my Thanksgiving years to come.

Last week, I caught Ina’s show on Roast Turkey with Truffle Butter. I had no intention of investing in truffle butter, because I think it’s highly overrated– but, that’s me! What I found interesting were the tips that Ina’s friend gave.

• Don’t baste the turkey, and you’ll get a crisper skin
• Don’t stuff the turkey (which I quit doing years ago). An unstuffed bird will cook more evenly. I agree!
• Generously salt (season) the cavity of the bird.
• Instead, the bird was stuffed with a whole head of garlic, herbs and onion.

Don’t baste the bird?!  I was game to test this theory. But, first, I start with making gravy. One of the best tips I’ve learned, over the years, is make-ahead turkey gravy.  About a month ago, I bought some turkey legs that were on sale. I’ve learned that there are folks who LOVE turkey legs this time of year, and I couldn’t find them last November. I froze the turkey legs, until Thanksgiving Week approached.  Thanksgiving day gets pretty hectic, so this make ahead gravy is a game changer. I think this is a time-saver, because once the bird comes out of the oven– guests have arrived– gravy making can be stressful and distracting.  I got the idea from Tyler Florence. I’ve, since adapted it a bit, and it’s a keeper:

REALITY CHECK: I you don’t want to make your own turkey or chicken stock, by all means, buy canned or boxed!

You need fresh herbs. Here’s my winter herb garden– left to right: tarragon, Italian parsley, sage, marjoram and thyme & oregano. These herbs are doing so well!  I cut springs of everything to use for my turkey stock, herb butter (for my turkey) and for the cornbread dressing.

The turkey legs were seasoned with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper and drizzled with olive oil. Roast them at 375F for about 45 minutes.  Can you see all that brown stuff? Flavor! Don’t wash the pan, because that’s the flavor for the gravy. Now, for the turkey stock that will make delicious gravy…

I had to blow up this picture. How golden and crunchy and good does that turkey leg look?

Once the stock was ready, simply turn on the turkey pan to high on my stove. Add ladles of turkey stock, whisking away– and then added a slurry of flour and milk.  Of course, you want to season to taste with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. I got about 3 cups of gravy this way and I was set.

Nowadays, I use this turkey stock for my Make Ahead Turkey Gravy Recipe. It’s such a time saver and tastes great!

 I’ve never thought to put garlic into a turkey before… but, that’s what Ina did, so that’s what I did, too.

 

Herb butter and… what is the photo on the right?! I’ll tell you! On the left is the herb butter I made– fresh rosemary and thyme, instead of truffle butter.  On the right is a closeup shot where I slid the herb butter under the skin of the bird. Inside the cavity, I added sprigs of herbs– fresh sage, oregano, thyme…whatever was in my garden. I added one onion, quartered and unpeeled and then one head of garlic, cut in two.  I didn’t photograph the rest, because my hands were slimy!  Imagine my seasoning the outside of the turkey with kosher salt & pepper and drizzling it with olive oil. Into the oven at 325F and this took, literally, 10 minutes to do. I’m not even building up a sweat!

 

It took about 2 1/2 hours to roast, and loosely covered with foil about 20 minutes towards the end. I never basted the turkey, once! This is the tiniest turkey I’ve ever made. But, will it be moist?

You better believe it!  OMG!  The herbs were absolutely perfect. The garlic was sweet and didn’t overpower the meat whatsoever.

Juice just oozed out and it smelled unbelievably delicious! Ina Garten, you are a genius. I will never have to baste again! 

I made a batch of the King Arthur Flour buttered pull-apart rolls, which will be our new family tradition…

The Sweet Potato Casserole that I made was another start of the show– next to Ina’s turkey.

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Ina Garten’s Roast Turkey with Truffle Butter

I have used this method of roasting turkey for many years. I love that I don't need to brine the turkey, and it still turns out juicy and delicious! Truffle Butter might sound a bit pretentious, but I've found it at my local Costco for a reasonable price. There's an added tip– and it works! That is, you don't need to keep basting your turkey. That way, you'll have golden and crispy skin.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time3 hours hrs 28 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Roast Turkey

Servings: 8

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

• 1 12 to 14-pound fresh turkey, with giblets removed
• 3 ounces white truffle butter –OR– room temperature (see option below)
• 1 stick butter, softened 1/4 cup fresh herbs of rosemary and thyme in lieu of truffle butter
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Large bunch fresh thyme
• 1 large onion unpeeled and cut in eighths
• 1 whole head garlic unpeeled and cut in half crosswise
• Good olive oil

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Drain any juices from the turkey and place it on a flat rack in a large, shallow roasting pan. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
• Working from the large cavity end, gently run your fingers between the skin and the meat to loosen the skin, taking care not to tear the skin. (Be careful not to do this with rings on your fingers!)

  Place the softened butter under the skin and gently massage the skin to spread the butter evenly over the whole breast.
• Sprinkle the cavity generously with salt and pepper.

  Place half of the thyme sprigs in the cavity along with the onion and garlic.

  Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tie 1 length of string around the bird and the wings to keep the wings close to the body.
• Brush the turkey with olive oil, sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.

  Remove 1 tablespoon of thyme leaves from the stems, chop them, and sprinkle on the turkey.

  Roast the turkey for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until an instant-read thermometer placed in the center of the breast registers 160°F.

  If you want the skin to be crisp, don't baste the turkey at all! About halfway through, when the breast is golden brown, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the skin from burning.
• Remove from the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Carve and serve with the pan juices.

Notes

Recipe source: Ina Garten

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

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