Terrific Roasted French Turkey With Champagne and Herbs
A beautiful roasted turkey stuffed with citrus, fennel, and herbs with champagne pured over the top. Incrediably tender and delicious meat with a crisp skin.
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Ingredients
- 15- pound turkey
- 2 sticks of butter 1 cup
- Herb bundle- rosemary sage, and lavender
- Oranges and lemons
- Whole fennel
- 1-2 teaspoons of Herbs de Provence
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Half a bottle of Champagne
- 2 cups of broth
Instructions
- Place turkey on a large piece of parchment paper on the counter. Remove the neck from the cavity and the gizzards from the front flap.
- Wet a piece of cotton cooking twine truss (or tie) the wings down and bring the cord forward to finish after stuffing.
- Slice the citrus and the fennel into smaller bits and fill the cavity with them and the herb bundle.
- Pat the top of the turkey dry with some paper towels.
- Separate the skin from the turkey breast meat with a gloved hand and shove a whole stick of butter (flattened into a disc) in there. Take the string and tuck the skin back over the breasts tying it in place and then cross the legs and tie them together.
- Take the remaining butter and smear it all over the outside of the turkey until you have a buttery skin. Sprinkle the Herbs de Provence and the salt & pepper. (can store covered in the refrigerator overnight at this point). Place the turkey in the bottom of a large roasting pan.
- Pour 1/2 bottle of champagne over the entire turkey. Next, add 2 cups of broth (chicken or vegetable) to the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Take a large piece of aluminum foil (I use 2 pieces folded together) and tent the turkey so it isn't touching it but keeps in the steam inside.
- Roast the turkey for the first hour of cooking at 400 degrees F. Then turn the oven temperature to 350 degrees and roast until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees. Mine took a total of 4 1/2 hours. Let the turkey rest for 1/2 hour before carving to redistribute the juices.
Notes
- A 15-pound bird yields enough turkey meat to feed around 8-10 people.
- This turkey was frozen and took 3 full days to thaw (make sure you keep it in a container to catch juices). I let it sit until almost room temperature before I roasted it.
- Use any herbs you like for the herb bundle.
- Use either chicken stock or vegetable stock for the broth.
- Add as much dried herbs as you like. Make your own herbal mix in a small bowl if you want.
- A roasting rack can be used, but I prefer my turkey to sit in the juices.
- If using unsalted butter, you will need to increase the salt.
- Baste the turkey every 30-60 minutes. This is so important to keep the turkey moist and the skin crisp. I kept the turkey covered in its tent loosely towards the end.
- You can go through step 6 the night before to save time the next day.
- Cooking time will vary depending on your oven and the size of the bird.
Servings: 8 people