Ingredients:

  • 13 lb whole turkey, fresh or fully thawed
  • 3 tbsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tbsp fresh sage, finely minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 4 cloves garlic, grated into a paste
  • 1 large yellow onion, quartered
  • 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 bunch fresh poultry herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme)

Instructions:

  1. Pat the turkey extremely dry with paper towels. Mix kosher salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Rub the mixture over the skin and inside the cavity. Place the turkey on a wire rack over a baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours.
  2. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. In a bowl, combine the softened butter, minced sage, rosemary, thyme, and garlic paste.
  3. Carefully loosen the skin over the breast and thighs. Spread half of the compound butter under the skin. Rub the remaining butter over the entire exterior of the bird.
  4. Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Stuff the turkey cavity with the onion, halved garlic head, lemon, and the bunch of poultry herbs. Truss the legs with kitchen twine.
  5. Place the turkey on a V-rack in a heavy-duty roasting pan. Roast at 450°F for 30 minutes until the skin begins to turn mahogany brown.
  6. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Continue roasting until a digital thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F (74°C), approximately 1.5 to 2 hours more.
  7. Remove from the oven and let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving to allow juices to redistribute.