Roast Turkey with Herb Butter

The centerpiece of the holiday table — deep golden outside, juicy inside.

If you have never roasted a turkey before and the idea makes you nervous, follow the notes in this recipe and you will do just fine.

Ingredients

1 whole turkey, 12–14 lb (fresh or fully thawed)
1 cup unsalted butter, softened — adds flavor and helps the skin brown deeply
Fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme and parsley
2 lemons — zest for the butter, halves for the cavity
1 large onion, quartered
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Take the turkey out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting. A cold bird cooks unevenly.

Set the oven rack one level below center and preheat to 475°F.

Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity. Rinse the bird and pat it thoroughly dry, inside and out — dry skin is what gives you a crisp finish. Tuck the wing tips underneath.

Season the cavity generously with salt and pepper.

Make the herb butter: in a bowl, combine the softened butter with the lemon zest, chopped thyme and rosemary.

Work about a third of the butter under the skin of the breast, directly onto the meat.

Fill the cavity with the onion, garlic, lemon halves and a handful of chopped parsley.

Season the remaining butter with salt and pepper and spread it evenly over the outside of the bird.

Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

Roast at 475°F for the first 30 minutes to set the color, then reduce the oven to 350°F and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh — not touching bone — reads 165°F. For a 12–14 lb bird this takes roughly 2½ to 3 hours total. If the skin darkens too quickly, tent it loosely with foil.

Rest the turkey for 30 minutes before carving. This is not optional — it is what keeps the juices in the meat instead of on the board.