how to cook a turkey

Ingredients

• Servings: 1
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets reserved
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1/2 bunch chopped fresh sage

Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ready Time: 3 hrs 45 mins


• preheat oven to 325 degrees f (165 degrees c).
• place onion, celery, and carrot in a large, shallow roasting pan.
• place turkey, breast side up, on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan. pat the outside and inside of the turkey dry with paper towels.
• combine salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. season the inside of the turkey with about 1/3 of the salt mixture. fold wing tips under the bird.
• melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat until the edges begin to turn golden, about 2 minutes. cook and stir rosemary and sage for 1 minute.
• place rosemary and sage inside the cavity of the turkey; reserve melted butter. tie the legs together with twine.
• brush outside of the turkey completely with the melted butter. season with remaining 2/3 of the salt mixture.
• bake turkey, uncovered, in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 3 hours. an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees f (82 degrees c). remove the turkey from the oven and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.