Print:
Back to Recipe

Turkey a la Carte

  • Prep Time: 20 min.
  • Cook Time: 1 hr. 30 min.
  • Serves: 8

Average (17 Ratings): 3 out of 5 stars

Write a Review
1 Review


Ingredients

  1. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  2. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and skimmed, for basting
  3. 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
  4. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  5. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  6. 1 (12 pound) turkey, legs and breast separated (ask your butcher to do this) and breast left whole on the bone (discard the carcass or set aside for another use)

Nutrition Info

Per Serving

  • Calories: 1164 kcal
  • |
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g
  • |
  • Dietary Fiber: 0 g
  • |
  • Fat: 64 g
  • |
  • Protein: 136 g
  • |
  • Sugars: 0 g

About: Nutrition Info

Powered by: ESHA Nutrient Database

Cooking Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the softened butter, fennel seeds and sage and season with salt and pepper. Carefully slide your hands under the skin of each turkey piece until it separates from the flesh, then spread the herb butter evenly between the meat and skin. Season the turkey pieces with salt and pepper. Place the pieces, skin side up, in a single layer in a large roasting pan outfitted with a rack. Transfer to the oven.
  2. After 15 minutes, baste the turkey with the melted butter. Continue basting every 15 minutes, until both breast and legs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when a thermometer is inserted in the thickest parts, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove the turkey from the oven and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Yield: 8 servings

3. Still Hungry?

Roasting a turkey breast and legs that have been separated from the carcass makes sense for several reasons. First, it takes up less oven space, so you can bake your stuffing or other sides simultaneously. Also, the bird cooks faster than it does when roasted whole.

Notes:

From Every Day with Rachael Ray, November-December 2005, submitted by Nick Fauchald.

Rate This Recipe

Average (17 Ratings): 3 out of 5 stars

Technology in partnership withAllrecipes.com

Share with Others

1 reviews
  • Sure, a little butter is a good thing...But 12 Tablespoons???

    tbdw_tbdw - May 2, 2007 05:25:47 PM PST
    A properly roasted turkey, can be moist and juicy without all that extra butter

    1 of 4 found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes - No Report Abuse