Roasted Turkey with Bourbon-Butter Glaze
List of Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons snipped fresh marjoram or 2 teaspoons dried
marjoram, crushed
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1 14- to 16-pound turkey
1/4 cup bourbon
Salt
Pepper
Fresh herbs (optional)
Kumquats (optional) Recipe
For glaze, combine butter, brown sugar, marjoram, and lemon peel in a
small mixing bowl.
Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Using
your fingers, separate turkey skin from breast meat, being careful not to tear
skin or pierce meat. Spread about half of the glaze over the breast meat
under the skin.
Melt remaining glaze; cool slightly. Stir in bourbon. Brush mixture over
outside of turkey. Season turkey with salt and pepper. Pull neck skin to
back and fasten with a short skewer. Tuck drumsticks under the band of
skin that crosses the tail. If there isn't a band, tie drumsticks to tail. Twist
wing tips under back.
Insert a meat thermometer in the center of an inside thigh muscle. The
thermometer bulb should not touch bone. Cover turkey loosely with foil.
Roast in a 325 degree F oven for 3-3/4 to 4-1/4 hours or until thermometer
registers 180 degrees F. After 3 hours, cut the skin or string between
drumsticks. Remove foil the last 30 minutes of roasting to let bird brown.
Turkey is done when drumsticks move very easily in their sockets and their
thickest parts feel soft when pressed. Remove turkey from oven and cover
loosely with foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving. If desired,
garnish platter with fresh herbs and kumquats. Makes 12 to 15 serving
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