Roast Turkey

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the lowest position. Take the neck and giblets out of the cavity and blot the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels. Set it breast side up on a rack in a large roasting pan.
2. Finely grate the zest from the lemon into a medium bowl, then quarter the lemon and set it aside. Add the butter, garlic, parsley, sage, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the zest and mash until evenly mixed.
3. Gently work your fingers between the breast meat and the skin to make a pocket on each side. Push half of the herb butter into the pockets and press it flat from the outside, then coat the rest of the bird with the remaining butter.
4. Season the cavity with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and tuck in the onion and lemon quarters. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips behind the back.
5. Pour 2 cups of the broth into the pan. Roast for 30 minutes, until the skin begins to turn golden.
6. Lower the oven to 350°F and roast until a thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh and in the thickest part of the breast, not touching bone, 2 to 2 3/4 hours more. Baste with the pan juices once or twice, and shield the breast with a loose piece of foil if it gets too dark. If the pan runs dry, add 1/2 cup more broth.
7. Lift the turkey onto a cutting board, tent it with foil and let it rest for 30 to 45 minutes.
8. For the gravy, strain the pan juices into a fat separator or large measuring cup and let them settle for 5 minutes. Spoon 1/3 cup of the fat from the top into a medium saucepan and discard the rest of the fat. Add enough of the remaining broth to the juices to make 4 cups.
9. Warm the fat over medium heat, whisk in the flour and keep whisking for 2 minutes, until golden. Slowly whisk in the 4 cups of liquid and simmer, whisking often, until the gravy coats a spoon, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Snip off the twine, carve the turkey and serve it with the hot gravy.

Good to know

• Plan ahead: a frozen turkey needs about 24 hours in the refrigerator for every 4 to 5 pounds, so move a 14-pound bird to the refrigerator 3 to 4 days early. The herb butter keeps up to 5 days; soften it before using.
• Timing: tented with foil, the turkey stays hot for about an hour after it comes out of the oven, so its rest is the time to bake stuffing and casseroles.
• Leftovers: carve the meat off the bones and refrigerate it within 2 hours after the turkey comes out of the oven. It keeps 3 to 4 days, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
• Swap: 1 tablespoon dried poultry seasoning can replace all of the fresh herbs in the butter.