Easiest Salt-and-Pepper Turkey

Name: Easiest Salt-and-Pepper Turkey
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 2 carrots, halved; 2 celery ribs, halved; 1 onion, quartered; 1 (12- to 14-pound) turkey, giblets discarded; 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

By Marian Cooper Cairns, Dawn PerryPublished: Oct 21, 2015

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Brian Woodcock

Yields:

Prep Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 40 mins

This simple turkey recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

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Ingredients

2 carrots, halved
2 celery ribs, halved
1 onion, quartered
1 (12- to 14-pound) turkey, giblets discarded
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 350°F. Place carrots, celery, onion, and 2 cups water in a roasting pan; top with a roasting rack.
2. Step 2Loosen skin on turkey breasts, starting at the neck, and rub butter under skin. Season turkey (including the cavity) with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; place on the roasting rack. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wings under.
3. Step 3Roast, basting every 30 minutes and tenting with foil if skin becomes too dark, until the internal temperature (in the thickest par of the thigh) reaches 165°F, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
4. Step 4Gently tilt turkey to release juice from cavity into the pan. Transfer turkey to a cutting board; rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.
5. Step 5Scrape up brown bits from bottom of the pan and transfer, along with vegetables and transfer, along with vegetables and pan juices, to a large, straight-sided skillet; reserve.