Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey

• servings: 16 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 5 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 whole turkey (I used a 20-pounder), brined if desired

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened

1 whole orange

2 whole fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped and minced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 275°F.

If you brined your turkey, rinse it well under cold water. Fill the sink with fresh cold water and allow the turkey to soak for 15 to 20 minutes to remove any saltiness. Pat the turkey dry and place it on a roasting rack, breast side up. Cross the legs and tie them together with kitchen twine. Cover the whole pan with heavy aluminum foil, tucking it underneath the pan. Roast for the first stage for about 10 minutes per pound (so, for a 20 pound turkey, about 3 1/2 hours.)

Using a vegetable peeler, shave off thick slices of orange peel and slice them very thin. Combine with butter, rosemary, salt and pepper.

After the first stage of cooking, remove the turkey from the oven and remove the foil (turkey will still be pale.) Smear the butter mixture all over the skin, in crevices, etc so that it's totally covered. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh, increase the oven temperature to 350°F, and return the turkey to the oven, basting every 30 minutes. Continue roasting the turkey until the thermometer reads 165°F to 168°F, then remove the turkey from the oven. Cover loosely with clean aluminum foil until you're ready to carve!

Notes

Ree Drummond

Nutrition

• Calories: 506
• Total Fat: 23 g
• Saturated Fat: 8 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 240 mg
• Sodium: 497 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0 g
• Total Sugars: 1 g
• Protein: 68 g