Roast Turkey

Ingredients

• 10 – 14 lb. turkey
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into quarters
• 8 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/2 bunch Chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Give the turkey 1 hour at room temperature. Near the end of that time, move an oven rack 1 level below the center and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Take out the neck and giblets, then remove any pin feathers you see. Dry the outside thoroughly with paper towels, and pat the inside dry too. Fold the wings underneath the bird, then season the cavity generously with salt and pepper.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, lemon zest, thyme, and rosemary. Starting from the back of the turkey, use the handle end of a wooden spoon to gently loosen the skin over the breast, keeping it attached down the middle, at the front, and along the sides. Be patient here, because torn skin gives the butter an easy way out while the turkey bakes.
4. Set the turkey in a large roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack.
5. With the spoon handle, tuck and spread about 1/3 of the butter total into the loosened areas, then run your hands over the skin to smooth it into place.
6. Spread the remaining 2/3 of the butter over the turkey, skipping the underside. Season the outside well with salt and pepper.
7. Fill the cavity with the onion, garlic, and parsley. If you want a neater-looking bird, tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
8. Roast in the heated oven until either a probe thermometer or an instant read thermometer shows 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh, without hitting bone. This will take about 2 hours 20 minutes and may take up to 3 hours 30 minutes; if the top is browning too much, loosely tent it with aluminum foil during baking.
9. Let the turkey sit for 30 minutes, or up to 60 minutes, then carve.