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A juicy, flavorful turkey with beautifully browned skin and tender meat is truly what makes Thanksgiving the most delicious day of the year. I found this maple syrup & butter glazed turkey recipe years ago, on the william-sonoma.com/recipe/website and although we love our mashed potatoes and Sausage Fennel Stuffing the turkey has been the true super-star of the day. The maple syrup and unsalted butter glaze makes for a flavorful, crispy, beautiful golden brown skin. The actual prep time for this turkey is about 20 minutes. The cooking time of 220 minutes or 3.5 hours, is based on a stuffed turkey weighing between 16-18 pounds.
Tip:I always purchase a fresh brined turkey from Trader Joe’s, but you can also check with your local grocer, or be prepared to spend $$$ if ordering one online.
Reviews:
COOK TIME 220 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Serving 16 people
Ingredients:
| 1. | 1 fresh, pre-brined 16-18 pound turkey |
| 2. | 1 cup organic pure maple syrup |
| 3. | 12 Tbs. (1 1⁄2 sticks) unsalted organic grass fed butter, melted |
| 4. | Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste |
Optional Stuffing (if not using a breadcrumb stuff)
| 1. | 1/2-chopped celery |
| 2. | 1/2 cup chopped onion |
| 3. | 3-4 cloves garlic |
| 4. | 2 to 4 Fresh Thyme sprigs |
| 5. | 2 to 4 Fresh Sage sprigs |
| 6. | 2 to 4 Fresh Oregano sprigs |
Directions:
Prepare the Turkey.
- Remove the turkey from the brining bag, rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Remove the neck and giblets.
- Place the turkey, breast side up, on a flat rack in a large roasting pan. Season the inside cavity of the turkey with about a tablespoon of salt.
- If not using a bread crumb stuffing you could add chopped onion, celery, garlic cloves and fresh herbs like thyme, sage and oregano inside the cavity.
- Tuck the wings under then wrap a long piece of kitchen twine around the back of the turkey, bringing it forward underneath the drumsticks, wrap it around the drumsticks, then tie them together.
- Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before stuffing and/or roasting. (I cover with aluminum foil)
Prepare the Glaze.
In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and 8 Tbs. of the melted butter. Set aside.
Preheat Oven.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven, then preheat to 425°F.
Stuff the Turkey Before Roasting.
If serving my Sausage Fennel Stuffing recipe, now is the time to loosely stuff the cavity with prepared stuffing. I also add a little stuffing in the neck cavity and fold the skin over to keep in place. It can get a little messy.
You can place the remainder of the stuffing in aluminum foil and cook along side turkey or in a prepared casserole dish and place in the oven half way through cooking the turkey.
Roasting the Turkey.
Place roasting pan with turkey into oven. Roast the turkey for 25 minutes, then
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F, and roast for 45 minutes more.
Then begin basting the turkey every 30 minutes with the maple butter glaze.
(May want to set a timer to keep track.)
Add aluminum foil over bird in a tent shape, to prevent burning:
(MAKE a foil tent by placing a sheet of foil over turkey, leaving 1 inch between top of turkey and foil tent for heat circulation. Crimp foil onto long sides of pan.)
Remove Roasted Turkey after 3-3.5 Hours.
Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 165°-170°F and the thigh registers 175°F.
Total roasting time should be 3 to 3 and half hours. A thermometer is the best way to tell when the bird is properly cooked.
Carving the Bird.
Transfer the turkey to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Notes:
Recipe adapted from william-sonoma.com/recipes
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Sausage Fennel Stuffing 
