Whole Maple Bacon-Wrapped Roast Turkey
Ingredients
12 lb.
turkey, giblets and neck removed from body cavity
¾ cup (12 tbsp.)
Kowalski's Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
3 tbsp.
finely minced fresh sage leaves
- kosher salt and freshly ground Kowalski's Black Peppercorns, to taste
1 cup
Kowalski's Pure Maple Syrup
¼ cup
hot water
8-12 strips
Kowalski's Applewood Smoked Bacon
Directions
- Place turkey breast-side up on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan; let turkey dry and come to room temperature (about 1 hr.).
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix butter and sage until well combined; season with salt and pepper.
- Liberally sprinkle turkey, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Slide your fingers under the skin to lift it away from the meat; using your hands, smear a thin layer of butter under and over the skin.
- In a second small mixing bowl, mix together syrup and hot water; brush a thin layer evenly onto turkey and reserve the remainder for basting.
- Roast turkey in preheated oven for 2 hrs., basting with syrup mixture every 30 min.
- Remove turkey from oven; wrap overlapping strips of bacon over and around the turkey.
- Return to oven for about 30 min., basting with syrup every 15 min. If the bacon is done or parts of the turkey get too dark before it reaches temperature, shield it with foil and continue cooking until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 160°.
- Remove turkey from oven; tent loosely with foil and let rest for 30 min. before carving (temperature will increase to 165° as turkey rests).
