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Chef John's Herb-Butter Roast Turkey

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PREP TIME
40 min
COOKING TIME
230 min
TOTAL TIME
270 min
SERVINGS
16 servings
Dinner
Chef John's Herb-Butter Roast Turkey
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets reserved
  • 2 onions, coarsely chopped
  • 3 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
  • 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 bunch fresh sage
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2
Combine kosher salt, black pepper, and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. Place the turkey wings under the bird and sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning mixture into the cavity. Set aside the remaining poultry seasoning mixture.
3
Combine onions, celery, and carrots in a large bowl.
4
Add about 1/2 cup of the vegetable mixture, sage, and rosemary sprigs to the turkey cavity.
5
Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Loosen the skin over the turkey breast using your fingers or a small spatula.
6
Place about 2 tablespoons of butter under the skin and spread it evenly. Spread the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter all over the outside of the skin. Sprinkle the turkey with the remaining poultry seasoning mixture.
7
Add the remaining vegetable mixture to a large roasting pan.
8
Place the turkey on top of the vegetables. Fill the pan with about 1/2 inch of water.
9
Cover the breast of the turkey with a sheet of aluminum foil.
10
Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) near the bone, about 3 ½ hours. Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness. Remove the foil during the last hour of cooking and baste the turkey with pan juices.
11
While the turkey is roasting, prepare the stock:
12
Combine the neck and giblets in a medium saucepan with water and bay leaf. Simmer over medium heat for 2 hours.
13
Strain the stock and discard the neck and giblets. Set the stock aside.
14
Remove the turkey from the oven. Carefully pour pan juices, about 3 cups, into a shallow bowl. Skim off turkey fat from the pan juices, reserving about 2 tablespoons of fat. Set aside the pan juices. Cover the turkey with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil and allow it to rest in a warm area for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
15
While the turkey is resting, prepare the gravy:
16
Heat 2 tablespoons of reserved turkey fat and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Transfer the onion from the roasting pan into the skillet. Cook and stir until the onion is browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour; cook and stir for about 5 minutes more. Whisk in the stock and reserved pan juices until smooth; skim off any foam. Stir in balsamic vinegar. Simmer, whisking constantly, until the gravy is thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in sage; season with salt and black pepper.