Description
Ina Garten’s roast turkey with truffle butter elevates holiday dining to luxurious heights. Silky truffle-infused butter creates a rich, golden skin that melts with exquisite flavor, promising a memorable centerpiece for sophisticated gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1 (12- to 14-pound / 5.4- to 6.4-kilogram) fresh kosher turkey, giblets removed
Aromatics and Herbs:
- 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
Fats and Seasonings:
- 3 ounces / 85 grams white truffle butter, at room temperature
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Good olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the oven by heating it to 160°C fan / 325°F. Remove any excess liquid from the turkey cavity and position the bird breast side up on a rack within a spacious, shallow roasting pan. Use paper towels to thoroughly dry the turkey’s exterior.
- Delicately separate the skin from the breast meat by gently sliding fingers underneath, ensuring minimal damage to the skin. Evenly distribute softened truffle butter beneath the skin, massaging to create a uniform layer across the breast area.
- Season the internal cavity generously with salt and pepper. Populate the cavity with quartered onions, halved garlic cloves, and half of the available thyme sprigs.
- Secure the turkey’s anatomy by binding the legs together using kitchen twine. Create a secondary binding around the wings and body to maintain a compact structure. Coat the entire turkey with olive oil, then apply / 10 grams of salt and / 5 grams of pepper. Sprinkle remaining thyme leaves across the surface.
- Roast the turkey in the preheated oven for 2½–3 hours, monitoring internal temperature with a meat thermometer until it reaches 71°C / 160°F in the breast’s thickest section. Avoid basting during cooking. When the breast achieves a golden hue (approximately midway through roasting), shield it loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.
- After cooking, extract the turkey from the oven and encase it completely with aluminum foil. Allow the meat to rest within the pan for 15–20 minutes, enabling juice redistribution and ensuring optimal tenderness.
- Methodically carve the turkey into precise slices and present the dish accompanied by pan juices drizzled over the top to enhance flavor complexity.
Notes
- Handle the skin with care when spreading truffle butter, moving slowly to prevent any accidental tears that could compromise moisture and flavor distribution.
- Salt, pepper, and thyme are your flavor heroes, so be bold and generous when seasoning both the cavity and exterior of the turkey for maximum taste impact.
- Monitor the turkey’s browning during roasting, keeping aluminum foil nearby to gently shield the breast if it starts turning too dark too quickly.
- Invest in a reliable meat thermometer to guarantee perfectly cooked poultry, targeting 71°C / 160°F in the breast’s thickest section for optimal tenderness.
- Creating a delicious final result depends on patience during the resting phase, allowing juices to redistribute by covering the turkey with foil for 15–20 minutes post-roasting.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 10
- Calories: 948
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 1,200 mg
- Fat: 49 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 114 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg