" Flipped" Roast Turkey

Total Time: 3 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 1 (14 -16 lb) whole turkey
• olive oil, to coat
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 medium onions
• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly-ground pepper, to taste
• italian spices, to taste (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 450°f.
• 2 remove neck and giblets from cavity of turkey; rinse well with cold water and pat dry.
• 3 using a pastry brush (or your hands), coat entire outside of turkey lightly but well with olive oil.
• 4 rub softened butter over the skin.
• 5 peel onions and slice thickly (about 1/2").
• 6 place onion slices in bottom of turkey roaster to form a 'bed'.
• 7 season turkey lightly all over with herbs and spices of choice. (i used kosher salt, freshly-ground pepper, mccormick's seasoned salt and penzey's italian seasonings. the gravy was fab!).
• 8 place turkey breast side down in roaster; cook at 450°f for 30 minutes.
• 9 remove from oven; reduce temperature to 325 degrees f.
• 10 carefully turn turkey so that breast is facing up. (i couldn't have handled this on my own. luckily, a big, strong boy turned up just in time. do make plans to have help on hand for this step, if necessary).
• 11 return turkey to oven and cook until done. (i think the recommended temp is now 165°f).
• 12 allow turkey to rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.