The perfect roast turkey
Serves 8 to 20
1 turkey, thawed if purchased frozen, 8 to 24 pounds
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 onions, cut into wedges
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 lemons, quartered
Large handful fresh herb sprigs for the cavity (rosemary, thyme, sage, and oregano)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1½ cups water, or more if needed 3 tablespoons each chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, sage, and oregano
Extra fresh herbs on their sprigs, small apples and pears, lemons (for garnish)
1. The day before roasting, set the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet to catch all the drips. Snip open the packaging and remove the giblets from the vent and neck ends (don’t forget that some of the giblets are often tucked between the breasts). Wipe the turkey inside and out with paper towels. Season the turkey generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Refrigerate overnight. Do not cover.
2. Let the turkey sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Set a rack inside a roasting pan. Transfer the turkey to the pan. If not stuffing, add 1 onion, 1 carrot, and 1 lemon, and the sprigs of herbs to the cavity. Use kitchen twine to tie the legs together. Rub the skin of the turkey with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If stuffing, stuff the bird now. Tie the legs together and season as directed above.
3. Slide an oven shelf in the lowest position so there’s space for the turkey. Set the oven at 425 degrees (note: you’ll turn the oven down as soon as the turkey goes in).
4. Set the remaining onion, carrot, and lemon in the pan below the rack. Pour enough water into the pan to make a very thin layer. Transfer the turkey to the oven. Immediately turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees.
5. Roast the turkey (see chart for times, also down below), basting with the juices in the pan several times. Check the temperature 30 minutes before the time on the chart because some birds cook faster than others. If it’s browning too much during roasting, cover loosely with foil. If it isn’t brown enough, turn the oven temperature up to 400 degrees for the last 30 minutes. The turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the bird in three places (inside the thigh, in the thickest part of the breast but not on the bone, under the wing) registers 165 degrees. If the bird is stuffed, the thermometer should also register 165 degrees in the center of the stuffing. Remove the turkey from the oven when it reaches the correct temperature.
6. Transfer the turkey to a platter. The easiest way to do this is with your hands. Cover them with paper towels and take care that the juices inside the cavity don’t spill onto the counter. Tip them back into the roasting pan. Cover the bird loosely with foil and let it sit in a draft-free place for at least 30 minutes. If the bird is stuffed, remove all the stuffing after 15 minutes and transfer to a bowl; keep warm.
7. Sprinkle the turkey with chopped herbs. Garnish with the fresh herbs on their sprigs, apples and pears, and lemons cut into big wedges. Carve the turkey.