Description
Ina Garten’s roast turkey with truffle butter delivers a luxurious holiday centerpiece that elevates traditional thanksgiving fare. Home cooks can master this elegant main course with simple techniques and premium ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (12- to 14-pound / 5.4- to 6.4-kilogram) fresh kosher turkey, giblets removed
- 3 oz / 85 g white truffle butter, at room temperature
- 1 large yellow onion, unpeeled and cut into 8 wedges
- 1 whole head of garlic, unpeeled and cut in half crosswise
- 1 large bunch of fresh thyme
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Good olive oil
Instructions
- Preparation: Position rack in the oven at 160°C fan / 325°F. Pat turkey dry with paper towels, placing breast side up on a roasting rack within a shallow pan.
- Truffle Butter Application: Gently separate skin from breast meat using fingertips. Massage softened truffle butter underneath the skin, creating an even layer across the breast area. Distribute generously to ensure complete coverage.
- Cavity Seasoning: Liberally season turkey’s interior with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with quartered onions, halved garlic cloves, and half of the thyme sprigs, infusing aromatic flavors throughout the meat.
- Trussing and Exterior Seasoning: Bind turkey legs with kitchen twine, securing wings and body to maintain a compact shape. Brush entire surface with olive oil, then sprinkle salt, pepper, and remaining thyme leaves for enhanced flavor profile.
- Roasting Process: Cook turkey for 2½–3 hours, monitoring internal temperature until breast reaches 71°C / 160°F. Midway through roasting, loosely cover breast with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning while maintaining moisture.
- Resting Phase: Remove turkey from oven and tent completely with aluminum foil. Allow meat to rest 15–20 minutes, enabling juice redistribution and ensuring maximum tenderness and succulence.
- Serving: Carve turkey into precise, elegant slices. Drizzle pan juices over the meat to amplify flavor complexity and create a sumptuous presentation.
Notes
- Truss with Care: Properly binding the turkey’s legs and wings ensures even cooking and helps maintain a compact shape, preventing dry or undercooked areas.
- Butter Technique: Gently separate skin from breast meat without tearing, creating a delicate channel for truffle butter that guarantees moisture and rich flavor throughout the meat.
- Temperature Precision: Use a meat thermometer to hit the exact 71°C / 160°F internal temperature, which guarantees food safety without overcooking the delicate turkey meat.
- Resting Magic: Allowing the turkey to rest under foil for 15-20 minutes after cooking helps redistribute juices, resulting in incredibly tender and succulent meat that’s not dry or tough.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg