Recipe Ingredients
- 1 1/2 bunches each fresh thyme, sage, basil, and oregano, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons each dried thyme, sage, basil, and oregano
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 fresh turkey (12 to 14 pounds)
- 2 small onions, cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 2 carrots, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
- 2 ribs celery, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
- 2 leeks, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
- olive oil
- Herb Butter:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons each minced fresh parsley, sage, thyme, and basil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- freshly ground pepper
Recipe Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees
- Mix fresh herbs, dried herbs, butter, salt and pepper
- Rub into turkey cavity
- Stuff onions, carrots, celery, leeks, and garlic into cavity
- Truss with string
- Rub outside of bird with olive oil
- Place on a rack in a roasting pan
- Roast 30 minutes
- Herb Butter
- Combine butter, parsley, sage, thyme, basil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl (this can be refrigerated up to 4 days, but bring to room temperature before using)
- Reduce oven to 325 degrees and brush turkey with half of Herb Butter
- Roast another 30 minutes and brush with remaining butter
- Continue to roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, until thigh temperature measures 170 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 2 1/2 hours
Recipe Credit: Stop and Smell the Rosemary. A Cookbook by the Junior League of Houston. Inc.