Easy turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas

I have made this recipe 3 times and it has always worked. 

I mean, seriously what's the fuss about cooking the turkey in Thanksgiving? 

I find the other plates SO MUCH HARDER. 

I think in Thanksgiving with so many cinnamony spices, etc, you want the turkey to taste as normal as you can. That is why I like this recipe, cause it's so simple.  

Now here is the secret to a good turkey: it has to be FRESH. If you start freezing the thing, forget it, your turkey will not be nearly half as good, but I understand this is not always possible in some countries. 

Fortunately, it is possible here in Spain.

INGREDIENTS:

For the stuffing inside and tray:

-1 turkey.

-3 onions.

-1 apple.

-1 lemon.

-1 tsp. of salt.

-1/2 tsp of rosemary

-1/2 tsp of thyme

-1/2 tsp of sage.

-1/3 tsp of black pepper.

For the butter paste to anoint the turkey with:

-3 big spoonsfuls of butter.

-5 garlic cloves minced.

-1/2 tsp. of salt.

-1/2 tsp of rosemary

-1/2 tsp of thyme

-1/2 tsp of sage.

-1/3 tsp of black pepper.

STEPS:

1. Firstly get your turkey outside to room temperature as you prepare it.

2. Cut up two onions in slices and place the turkey in a bed of onions.

3. Now prepare the stuffing. In a bowl I mix the salt, pepper and spices and mix it all together and then just put half of that mix inside the turkey, in the cavity. Reserve the other half to season the vegetables in the next step.

4. Now cut up 1 onion, 1 apple, and 1 lemon in medium cubes and season with the rest of the salt&spices. Toss them well so that they are well coated and now stuff it all inside the turkey.

5. Now dry off the turkey with paper towel until the skin is dry (if it isn't dry, you won't be able to brush it with butter, it won't adhere).

6. Now start making the butter paste for outside the turkey. Add the butter in a bowl and melt it for about 10 seconds in microwave until it is softer. Now add the rest of the ingredients until you create a tasty paste. 

7. Now stick inside the skin of the turkey, in between the breasts and the skin....make some space and add there the succulent paste. 

8. Now with the rest of the mix, with the help of a basting brush, paint the whole turkey with the succulent butter. It will give it a great awesome flavour and will make it crispy and help it get a tanned.

9. Ready! Now stick this baby into oven and cook in 150 degrees for 2 or 3 hours to begin with. Warning this is ALL depending on how many kilos your turkey is you will need to cook it for longer. But I have found that this ratio is true: 13-15 minutes per pound, so that is 450 grams for every 13-15 minutes. Another thing you can do that the turkey is done is to stick a thermometer and when it is 65 degrees celsius. 

So my last turkey was only 3 kilos so 1,5 hours or 2 was enough, and the previous one was 4 kilos son 3 hours was enough at this low temperature (150 degrees). And then the rest of the time I spent it making it gold, or as my husband said: the tanning session. 

10. The tanning session is necessary because a turkey simply will not come out perfectly golden in the right places. YOU are the person who browns it to perfection. Your oven won't do that for you magically....at least mine is not that smart. 

So what I do is to rotate the tray over and over and over as many times as I need it until the turkey beautifully browned and tanned. This is a lot of work, getting the tray in and out of the oven, but it's worth it. I make it to 200 degrees ALWAYS keeping an eye on the turkey because it can burn fast.

Another trick here is to cover it with foil in the places which have already been tanned, and continuing to work on the pasty white ones. Keep doing this until you bird looks darn good!

11. That's it. Once it is perfectly done, get it out and leave it on counter and cover with lots of foil until your guests come, it will give the turkey time to rest and the juices get relaxed, etc. 

12. Now show off your turkey for a second to your guests and then carve it! So good and juicy.