8 tbs. (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1 12-pound turkey
4 Onions
1 head Garlic
6 Baby Carrots
2 tbs. Tom Leonard’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup Apricot Jam
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup White Wine
1 tbs. Maple Syrup
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Directions
Zest the oranges. Finely chop half the rosemary, sage, and thyme leaves. In a medium bowl, combine the butter, orange zest, and chopped rosemary, sage, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Place the mixture on a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log, twisting the ends to seal tightly. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
On Thanksgiving day, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Remove the turkey from the fridge to come to room temperature. Halve the oranges. Halve 1 onion and roughly chop the rest. Halve the garlic head horizontally. Roughly chop the carrots. Season the turkey cavity with salt and pepper and stuff with the halved onion, garlic, ½ orange, and remaining whole herb sprigs. Rub the herbed butter mixture over the flesh and under the skin, pulling the skin back into place. Rub the skin with ½ orange, then with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season the skin generously with salt and pepper.
Scatter the roughly chopped onions and carrots on the bottom of a roasting pan. Pour in 3½ cups water. Place the turkey breast-side down on a roasting rack and roast for 1 hour 45 minutes, basting occasionally.
While the turkey roasts, squeeze the orange juice from the remaining 2½ oranges into a small pot. Add the apricot jam, soy sauce, white wine, maple syrup, and 1½ cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook to reduce by onethird, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove the apricot glaze from the
heat and set aside.
Remove the turkey from the oven and flip breast-side up. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F and return the turkey to the oven for 25 minutes longer, basting occasionally.
Remove the turkey again and brush the apricot glaze over the skin. Return to the oven once more and roast until the skin is crisp and browned and the turkey is cooked through and the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh, 25 to 30 minutes. If you’re unsure, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; it should read 165°F. Watch the turkey closely at this point; if the skin begins to burn, cover with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
Remove the turkey from the oven and cover with foil. Set aside to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. Remove the legs and cut between the thigh and the drumstick at the joint. Remove the thigh bone and shred into large pieces. Carve the breasts off the bone and thinly slice crosswise.
