Herb Roasted Turkey Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crumbled
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
• 1 18-pound turkey (neck and giblets reserved for stock)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3/4 pound leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine butter and half each of the rosemary and thyme in a bowl. Add a generous amount of salt and blend. Season inside of turkey cavity with salt and pepper to taste.
    
2. Add carrots, leeks and remaining rosemary and thyme to inside cavity. Truss bird with string. Pat skin dry with paper towels. Brush a portion of the herb butter mixture over turkey.
    
3. Place turkey on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan. Roast turkey about 20 minutes per pound, basting with chicken stock and brushing with herbed butter every 25 minutes until a meat thermometer registers 175 degrees F when inserted into thickest part of the thigh (or when thigh and leg fall easily away when pulled.)
    
4. Remove turkey from oven. Reserve fat from cooking juices for mushroom gravy. Discard remaining fat. Reserve cooking juices for mushroom gravy. Let turkey stand 20 minutes before carving.