ROAST TURKEY WITH CHIPOTLE-MAPLE BUTTER

Roast Turkey with Chipotle-Maple Butter image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 3h45m

Yield 8-10

Number Of Ingredients 6

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One 10- to 12-pound turkey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
1 garlic clove

Steps:

Let the turkey sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove the packet of neck and giblets from the turkey and reserve for another use. Cut away any fatty pieces near the cavity or neck and discard. Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper inside and out.
Put the butter, maple syrup, chipotle pepper, garlic and a pinch of salt in a mini food processor and pulse until smooth. Loosen the skin over the turkey breast and push half of the butter mixture under the skin and over the breast meat. Rub the skin all over with the rest of the butter mixture. Tie the legs together with twine. Tuck the wings under the body and put the turkey breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan.
Roast until the turkey begins to turn golden, about 25 minutes. Loosely tent the breast with foil, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh joint reaches about 155 degrees F. Remove the foil and continue roasting until it reaches 165 degrees F in the thigh joint, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer the turkey and rack to a cutting board and let rest about 30 minutes before carving.