- 1 free-range turkey (any size but above 15 lbs double onions, lemons & bay leaves)
- sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 2 onions pealed and halved
- 1 lemon halved
- 1 head of garlic chopped
- 6 bay leaves
- olive oil
- 8 strips of duck bacon (can substitute pork bacon)
Lemon, parsley garlic butter:
- 452g of unsalted high fat butter (or 4 sticks), at room temperature
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- finely grated zest and juice of 2 small lemons
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- small bunch of flat leaf Italian parsley, leaves only, chopped
- Preheat the oven to 430°F. Prep the herb butter. Place the room temp sticks of butter & olive oil into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper, mix well. Add the lemon zest and juice, crushed garlic and chopped parsley then combine all.
- Remove the giblets & neck from the turkey cavity. Season the cavity well with salt and pepper, then stuff with the lemon,
onions, garlic halves and 2 bay leaves. - With your fingers, separate the skin on the breast from the meat all across the back of the bird so that you will be able to stuff the flavored butter underneath it, making sure you keep the skin intact. Repeat with the skin on the legs.
- Stuff half the butter mix into the opened spaces under the skin. Insert the rest of the bay leaves under the skin of the breasts but close to the edge so you can remove later.
- Spread the rest of the butter all over the skin. Season well with salt and pepper, then drizzle with a little olive oil.
- Roast the turkey in the 430°F hot oven for 10–15 minutes. Take it out of the oven, baste the bird with the pan juices and place the bacon strips over the breast to keep it moist. Baste again. Lower the setting to
360°F and cook for about 2 1⁄2 hours (calculating at 30 minutes per kg), basting every 45 mins, then 30, then 20, then 10 until done. - Cook until internal temp reaches 162°F
- Leave the turkey to rest in a warm place for at least 2 hours. Remove the bay leaves from under the skin before carving. Either reheat the meat or serve with fresh hot gravy.