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- 1 15 - 17 pound whole fresh free-range turkey
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 15 fresh sage leaves
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 onions, quartered
- 1 apple, quartered
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 2 cups unfiltered apple juice
1. Rinse the turkey inside and out; remove giblets and neck from body and neck cavities.
2. Loosen skin of turkey breast. Place 2 Tbsp. butter and 4 sage leaves under the skin of each breast. Season turkey cavity and skin with salt and pepper. Place 2 rosemary sprigs, 1 onion, half the apple, and 4 sage leaves in breast cavity. Pour wine and apple juice in roasting pan; add remaining onion, apple, sage, and rosemary. Place turkey breast-side down in pan. Cover; refrigerated overnight.
3. Remove turkey from refrigerator; let stand 1 hour at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Skewer neck skin to back. Tuck drumsticks to tail using kitchen string. Tuck wing tips under the back.
4. Roast turkey, breast-side down, for 1 1/2 hours, spooning pan drippings on turkey every 30 to 45 minutes. Turn turkey breast-side up (using large tongs inserted in cavities and wearing heavy rubber gloves). Cut string between drumsticks. Roast 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer, spooning pan drippings on turkey every 30 to 45 minutes, until turkey juices run clear when a small knife is inserted in thickest part of thigh (instant-read thermometers should read 180 degrees F in thigh; 165 degrees F in breast). Lightly tent turkey with foil if the skin is becoming too brown.
5. Remove turkey from oven; spoon pan drippings on roasted turkey. Transfer turkey to a cutting board (reserve pan drippings for making Herb Gravy). Let turkey stand for 30 to 40 minutes before carving (temperature of turkey will continue to rise 5 to 10 degrees), and the meat will firm up for slicing.
- Start with the best, fresh, natural, free-range turkey; 15 to 20 pounds, I think, are the best size.
- Do not put the stuffing inside the cavity, cook it separately.
- Preheat the oven; let the turkey stand at room temperature about 1 hour before cooking. Cook about 10 to 12 minutes per pound (15 at the most), until the internal temperature is 180 degrees in a thigh, 165 degrees in a breast. Let the roasted turkey stand at least 30 minutes before slicing. It will continue to cook another 5 to 10 degrees. Don't overcook; fresh turkeys cook faster than frozen, and the meat will be pinkish in color rather than brown.
- Servings Per Recipe 8,
- cal. (kcal) 331,
- Fat, total (g) 10,
- chol. (mg) 177,
- sat. fat (g) 4,
- carb. (g) 5,
- Monosaturated fat (g) 4,
- Polyunsaturated fat (g) 2,
- sugar (g) 3,
- pro. (g) 48,
- vit. A (IU) 97,
- vit. C (mg) 2,
- Thiamin (mg) 0,
- Riboflavin (mg) 0,
- Niacin (mg) 8,
- Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 1,
- Folate (µg) 16,
- Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 1,
- sodium (mg) 162,
- Potassium (mg) 448,
- calcium (mg) 40,
- iron (mg) 3,
- Mark as Free Exchange () 0,
- Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
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