Roast turkey

Ingredients

• 1  Fresh Turkey
• 3  Celery Stalks, rough chopped
• 3  Carrots, rough chopped
• 1  Yellow Onion, cut into 8 pieces
• 3  Garlic Cloves, rough chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon  Sea Salt, fine grain
• 1/2 teaspoon  Black Pepper, fresh ground
• 2 tablespoons   Thyme, dried
• 2 tablespoons   Oregano, dried
• 1 teaspoon  Paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoon  Black Pepper, fresh ground
• 1 1/2 teaspoon  Sea Salt, fine grain
• 1 Lemon, quartered
• 1 Yellow Onion, large, quartered
• 1 tablespoon   Olive Oil
• 6 tablespoons Butter, no salt, softened

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Preparation

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Before touching the Turkey have all of your ingredients prepped and ready so you do not risk contaminating them with bacteria from raw Turkey.
• Use a sturdy jelly roll sheet pan with sides to assist with safe transfer of the Turkey in the roasting pan to and from the oven.
• Place the foil roasting pan on the jelly roll sheet pan. Roughly chop the 3 Stalks of Celery, 3 Carrots, 1 large Yellow Onion and 3 Cloves of Garlic and place them on the bottom of the roasting pan.
• Sprinkle the 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt and 1/2 teaspoon Pepper over top. This will season the juices that come from the Turkey as it cooks and can be used for a flavorful Gravy.
  
• Set this near your kitchen sink so you can transfer the washed Turkey into it easily. Mix in a small bowl the Paprika, Thyme, Oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt and 1 1/2 teaspoon Pepper together well and set aside.
• Chop the other Onion and quarter it and the Lemon to be used to stuff the Turkey cavity for flavor later. Set aside. Have the softened Butter on a small plate ready to use. 1 tablepsoon Olive Oil near the Butter.
• Have several paper towels torn from the roll and next to the sink to dry the Turkey after you wash it. Place your Turkey into a dry kitchen sink or in another large foil pan then place the pan and Turkey in a dry kitchen sink.
• Run very cold water over the entire bird including the cavity and rinse it well. Remove any neck or giblets before washing from the cavity. Pat the entire surface of the washed bird dry with the paper towel and drain any water from the cavity. Pick up the Turkey and place it in foil pan that you will roast it in breast side up.
  
• Wash your hands very well. Tuck the tip of the wing back behind the neck cavity and shoulder of the bird to keep the Turkey tight to roast more even. Using your fingers, separate the skin from the breast gently, being careful not to tear the skin. This will create a space to rub with butter later. Spread 1/3 rd of the softened Butter with your hands as evenly as you can beneath the skin in the pocket you created and then pull the skin back in place.
• Rub the entire outside with 1 tablepsoon Olive Oil with your fingers then spread the remaining softened Butter on the entire outside skin surface of the bird evenly. Sprinkle the Herbs and Sea Salt and Pepper mixture evenly over the entire bird. Stuff the cavity with the Lemon and Onion quarters and wash your hands very well.
• Roast the Turkey in the lower third of your oven at 350 degrees until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast and thigh. Check your Turkey at the time frame below to see if it is cooked. During the roasting process do not baste and do not open the oven door until you check the temperature.
• Approximate times to roast your Turkey and when to check the temperature and check for clear running juices:
  11-13 libra bird roast for 2 hours. 30 minutes.
  14-16 libra. bird roast for 2 hours. 45 minutes.
  17-20 libra. bird roast for 3 hours. 15 minutes.
  21-24 libra. bird roast for 3 hours. 30 minutes.
  When the Turkey is cooked, remove form the oven and cover with a tent of aluminum foil and allow to rest 20 mins. so the juices will redistribute into the meat. Carving too soon will result in dry Meat where the juices run out as it is carved. Serve immediately after carved spooning some of the drippings from the pan over the carved meat. If you plan to make Homemade Gravy reserve the rest of the drippings. And don't forget the Sage Sausage Stuffing!

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