Thanksgiving Turkey

This was our Thanksgiving Turkey. It was delicious, and we got to enjoy the leftovers for quite a while. Look for our post on turkey pot pie, coming soon, which uses the scraps from this roast turkey. 

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp dried parsley
• 2 Tbsp ground dried rosemary
• 2 Tbsp rubbed dried sage
• 2 Tbsp dried thyme leaves
• 1 Tbsp lemon pepepr
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 (20lb) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 orange, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 7 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
• 1 (750 mL) bottle champagne 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line turkey roaster with long sheets of aluminum foil that are long enough to wrap over the turkey.

Chop the onion, orange, celery, and garlic. Line the pan with 1/3 to 1/2 of the chopped fruit and vegetables.

Prepare your turkey by cutting any rope tying the legs. 

Remove neck and giblets.

Stir together the parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon pepper, and salt in a bowl. Rub most of the mixture into the cavity of the turkey, leaving some to sprinkle over the top of the bird. Then stuff the cavity with the remaining orange, celery, onion, and garlic. 

Pour the chicken broth and champagne over the turkey, making sure to get some champagne into the cavity (but not so much that all of the seasoning is washed out).

Place the neck and giblets back in the pan in free space around the turkey. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning mixture over the top of the bird until covered. 

Bring the aluminum foil over the top of the turkey and seal. Try to keep the foil form touching the skin of the breast of legs.

Bake:

Bake the turkey in the preheated oven for 3 - 3 1/2 hours until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear. It is helpful to leave a meat thermometer in the bird while is is cooking. The turkey is done when the thermometer reads 180 degrees F from the center of the thickest part of the thigh. (Note: a thermometer touching the bone will not give an accurate reading). When done, remove the turkey from the oven and let rest for at least 10-15 minutes before carving.