HONEY-GLAZED ROAST TURKEY

Makes 12 servings Total time: about 4 hours

1 whole turkey (12 lb.), fresh or frozen, thawed completely if frozen, neck and giblets removed, neck reserved for gravy, right, and giblets for another use, discard plastic or metal cages and pop-up thermometer 1 onion, quartered 1 carrot, cut into chunks 1 rib celery, cut into chunks 1 lemon, quartered

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and divided

Salt

2 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375°. Set a rack inside a roasting pan.

Pat turkey dry with paper towels; fill cavity with onion, carrot, celery, and lemon. Tuck wing tips behind turkey’s back.

Tie legs together at the knuckles using butcher’s twine, then place turkey, breast side up, on rack.

Brush breast with 2 Tbsp. butter and season with salt; transfer pan to oven, with turkey’s legs pointing towards back of oven.

Roast turkey until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast, without touching bone, registers 150°, 2–21/2 hours.

Meanwhile, combine remaining

2 Tbsp. butter, honey, and lemon juice; brush over turkey every

15 minutes until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast and thickest part of thigh, without touching bone, registers

165°. Remove turkey from oven, tent with foil, and let rest

30 minutes before carving.

Per serving: 505 cal; 22g total fat (7g sat);

242mg chol; 361mg sodium; 3g carb (0g fiber,

3g total sugars); 70g protein

Removing the neck and giblets from the turkey (found in the neck and body cavities) is a key step and sometimes forgotten. Reserve the neck for the gravy and freeze the giblets for another use (or discard them).

Roasting the turkey until the breast is 150° before brushing on the honey glaze helps keep the glaze from burning. And, be sure to let the turkey rest 30 minutes before carving so the juices don’t end up on the cutting board.

Tying the legs helps the white meat from drying out before the dark meat is properly cooked (from too much heat exposure). And, positioning the legs towards the back of the oven (where it’s hotter) helps the dark meat cook at the same rate as the white meat.

Tucking the wing tips behind the turkey’s back helps support the bird and prevents the tips from burning during roasting.

Filling the bird’s cavity with onion, carrot, celery, and lemon keeps the turkey moist and adds flavor to the drippings.