Herb Roasted Turkey

November 1^st, the day after Halloween and apparently Christmas season, as marked by the festive red Starbucks Holiday cups that have arrived in stores.  Kids are still coming down from their Halloween sugar high and yet, we seem to have blown through Thanksgiving and gone straight to Christmas.   Target started their Spot, the dog, Holiday commercials a few weeks ago, along with Walmart and Kmart touting their layaway options for presents.  If we continue on this trajectory we will soon be giving a whole new meaning to Christmas in July!  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE that it is holiday season, and I LOVE when Starbucks transitions to their holiday cups.  I will love it even more after daylight savings this weekend.  Living in Chicago means the sun will set by 4pm after we “fall back.”  One of the perks of early holiday celebrations is the fact that Chicago puts up Christmas lights early, so even though it is pitch black at 5pm, I get to see all the twinkling lights on my bus ride home.

Growing up, I learned my cooking skills from my Mom and Dad, however, the past few years I have taken the reigns and now cook Thanksgiving dinner.  Some find that overwhelming, but I love it, especially when the kitchen and living room are close so I can cook but still be part of the fun.  In order to help out the other Thanksgiving head chefs out there, below is my favorite Turkey recipe.  Many in my family aren't huge fans of “thanksgiving” turkey, but do love this recipe - thank you Barefoot Contessa!  And, the droppings makes a great start to home made gravy (just add a water and flour mixture and bring to a boil while stirring until it thickens)!

As an FYI, if you have a 12-14 lb turkey, I would double this recipe. It was made for a 6-7 lb bone in turkey breast originally.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons good olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup dry white wine

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.

Note: I also use about 4-6 tbsp of butter cut into thin slices and place under the turkey skin as well to help keep it moist.  

Recipe Source: Food Network