Roast Turkey w/Lemon, Bay Leaves, & Garlic

                                        

• Ingredients:
• 1 turkey
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 onions, peeled and halved
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 head of garlic, halved horizontally
• 6 bay leaves
• olive oil, to drizzle
• 4 sticks of butter, at room temperature

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• finely grated zest and juice of 2 small lemons
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• small bunch of flat-leaf parsley leaves only, chopped

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Meanwhile, prepare the herb butter. Put the butter into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and mix well. Add the lemon zest and juice, crushed garlic, and chopped parsley. Mix well to combine.
2. Remove the giblets from the turkey cavity. Season the cavity well with salt and pepper, then stuff with the onions, lemon, garlic halves, and 2 bay leaves.
3. With your hands, loosen the skin on the breast from both ends of the bird so that you can stuff the flavored butter underneath it, ensuring you keep the skin intact. Repeat with the skin on the legs – from the lower side of the breast feel your way under the skin and out towards the leg, loosening the gap.
4. Stuff half the butter mix into the opened spaces under the skin. From the outside of the skin, gently massage the butter around the breasts so that the meat is evenly covered. Finally, insert the rest of the bay leaves under the skin of the breasts.
5. Place the bird in a large roasting tray, breast side up. Spread the rest of the butter all over the skin. Season well with salt and pepper, then drizzle with a little olive oil. (If preparing a day ahead, cover the turkey with foil and refrigerate at this stage.)
6. Roast the turkey in the hot oven for 10–15 minutes. Take the tray out of the oven, baste the bird with the pan juices. Lower the setting to 350ºF and cook for about 2½ hours (calculating at 30 minutes per oz), basting occasionally.
7. To test whether your turkey is cooked, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the leg and check that the juices are running clear, rather than pink. (Cook's note: As oven temperatures and turkey shapes and sizes vary, checking your turkey about 30 minutes before the calculated roasting time is crucial. If the juices are pink, roast for another 15 minutes and check again. Repeat as necessary until the turkey is cooked.)
8. Transfer the turkey to a warmed platter and remove the parson’s nose (British for the butt), wings, and tips of the drumsticks; reserve these for the gravy. Leave the turkey to rest in a warm place for at least 45 minutes;
9. Using the juices from the turkey, make the gravy. Remove the bay leaves from under the skin before carving the turkey. Serve with piping hot gravy, stuffing, and accompaniments.

Perfect Turkey Gravy with Turkey Drippings

Cook giblets from the bird, or use a stock cube.

Melt 1/4c of butter. 

Add 1/2c flour to make a roux. 

Add the hot giblet stock a little at a time and give it a good beating with a whisk.

Add juices from the bird, skimming off the fat and keeping all the crusty little bits from the bottom of pan as they add a lovely flavor.

Season with a little salt and pepper and a dash of Worcestershire sauce which deepens the flavor.

Scruptous!