One 9-10 pound FRESH turkey (not frozen)
One peeled and quartered onion
One sliced celery stalk
Half a stick of butter
Dried Herbs to taste: rubbed sage, basil, rosemary, oregano, white pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove Turkey from packaging. Remove neck and large giblet from body cavity. Remove bag of remaining giblets from the neck cavity. Rinse bird under cold running water; pat dry. Place on rack, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Tie legs together with twine, if the bird doesn't come with the little plastic "brace." Pull back that flap of skin that covers the body cavity and pin it in place with two poultry lacers. Add quartered onion and celery to the body cavity (should be lots of room in there; don't worry). Melt butter in a pyrex measuring cup; add dried herbs. Brush onto the skin of the turkey, and add just a little to the body cavity. Make a tent of aluminum foil over the turkey and seal at pan edges. Place turkey in the oven and set timer for one hour. When one hour elapses, remove turkey, open tent, and baste for the first time. The skin will look grey; that's alright. Replace tent and put turkey back in oven for another hour (baste again halfway between). At the end of the second hour, remove foil tent completely and cook for a third hour, basting occasionally. By the time the third hour is done, the little popper that comes with the turkey should pop up. An instant read thermometer should read at least 175 degrees. Remove bird from oven and let it "rest" on the rack for 15 minutes or so. Carve turkey on a cutting board and serve on a platter. Serves at least 4 adults and two small children with leftovers. Enjoy! -Diana
Submitted by Diana Bogue
Contributed on: Wednesday November 30th, 2005 and modified on Monday July 3rd, 2006