Oven Roasted Turkey

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the any giblets and excess fat or pin feathers. Pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the bird with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body.
• Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the turkey atop. Place in the oven.
• Reduce oven temp to 350.
• Roast for 13 minutes per lb or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. The turkey should reach an internal temperature of 165°F in the breast and 175°F in the thigh.
• Remove the bird and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for 20 minutes. Slice and serve with veggies.

Notes

• Save your kitchen scraps (vegetable roots, skins, etc) and the carcass and throw them together in a stock pot or instant pot. Simmer overnight or 6 - 8 hours. Alternatively, keep these scraps in a bag in your freezer to make stock later!)