Turkey

Total Time: 3 hrs 25 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 bunch sage, leaves finely chopped
• kosher salt, to taste
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (12 -14 lb) turkey
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 8 slices smoked bacon

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350 degrees f and remove the top rack.
• 2 combine the butter and sage in a mixing bowl, mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well-incorporated and the butter has flecks of green in it. season with salt and pepper.
• 3 remove the neck and gizzards from teh inside of the turkey and discard. rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water. pat dry.
• 4 sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the breast and legs, and slip pieces of the sage butter underneath; massaging it in as you go.
• 5 truss the turkey; place it on a rack in a large roasting pan, and put into the oven.
• 6 meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and hot water to thin the glaze out a bit. use this to baste the turkey every 30 minutes.
• 7 the turkey should take about 3 hours to cook. if the legs or breast brown too quickly, cover with foil.
• 8 about 2 hours into cooking, shingle the strips of bacon oven the turkey breast to over.
• 9 continue to roast and baste for another hour or so.
• 10 the turkey is done when a meat theromometer registerss 170 degrees f in the meatiest part of the thigh. at 170 degrees f the thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife.
• 11 when done, transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
• 12 serve and enjoy!