This is a chronical of the events related to the Roast Turkey of 2014. It ended up looking like this for Thanksgiving
I have to write down the basic steps because it turned out so well.
It started with a 17.3 pound fresh turkey. Brined for 24+ hours. 1 lemon, 1 meyer lemon, 1 onion, 1 cup kosher salt, 1 cup brown sugar, 3 rosemary sprigs and 3 bay leaves, an ancho chile, 3 allspice and 20 black peppercorns. I boiled the water, added the salt and sugar, then put all the rest in and set aside to cool before putting in the bird for the night.
Then around noon on Thanksgiving I took it out of the brine and rinsed it off well. Then tried my best to pat it dry with paper towels. Place it on the roasting rack in the pan.
I then made an herb rub that had fresh rosemary, parsley and thyme chopped up. I took part of the herbs and spread them along with a little softened butter on the outside as well as under the skin on breast and thighs. Salt and pepper the outside.
Then I stuffed it with halved meyer lemon, orange, fennel bulb, onion and whole herb sprigs. Tie up legs. Tuck under wings. Oven at 325° convection. Place breast side down in V rack and cook for 45 minutes. Flipped it over on the rack and then spread a little more butter over it along with the remaining herb mixture.
Change oven to 325° regular bake. After 1 hour throw in some celery and carrots under turkey and a cup or 2 of water. Bake a total of 3.5 hours with basting in the final hour. Let sit 30 minutes, make the gravy, carve and serve with all the extras.
I have been making some version of herb rubbed turkey for years, and I am pretty sure that I nailed it this time. I might not even wait until next year to make it again!
