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A perfectly roasted chicken with crispy, golden-brown skin, served with glazed carrots and fresh herbs.

Roast Turkey with Spiced Baste and Carrots

This recipe provides a detailed guide for roasting a turkey with a flavorful spiced baste and tender carrots. It includes instructions for preparing the turkey, making the spice mix and baste, roasting, and checking for doneness. The recipe also offers tips for achieving crispy skin and ensuring the turkey is cooked to the correct temperature.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Marinating Time 2 hours
Total Time 5 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 10 people
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 753
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Turkey
  • 5-5.5 kg oven-ready turkey
  • 50 g butter, softened
  • 1 small bunch thyme, plus extra to serve
  • 1 small bunch bay leaves, plus extra to serve
For the Spice Mix and Dry Seasoning
  • 2 tbsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp light muscovado sugar
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
For the Spiced Baste
  • 50 g maple syrup
  • 50 g melted butter
  • 100 ml cider vinegar
For the Carrots
  • 8 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 2 star anise, crushed using a pestle and mortar

Equipment

  • Roasting tin
  • Saucepan
  • Cooking thermometer
  • Platter

Method
 

  1. Mix all the ingredients for the spice mix together. For the dry seasoning, mix 2 tbsp sea salt with the sugar and half the spice mix.
  2. Sit the turkey in a roasting tin and gently push your fingers under the skin, starting from the neck, until you can push your whole hand down the length of the breast. Season the bird all over with the dry seasoning, inside and out, and under the skin.
  3. Leave the turkey in the tin, breast-side up, and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or up to two days. If it doesn’t come into contact with anything else, leave it uncovered to dry out the skin for crispier results.
  4. Put the remaining spice mix and the baste ingredients in a saucepan and heat until the sugar has melted, then set aside.
  5. Remove the turkey from the fridge an hour before cooking. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Calculate cooking time at 40 minutes per kg. A turkey this size should take 3.5 hours, plus 30-45 minutes resting.
  6. Smear the turkey all over with the softened butter and put the herbs in the cavity. Loosely cover with foil and roast for the calculated time.
  7. After 30 minutes, pour over the spiced baste, then baste again every 30 minutes. With 1 hour remaining, remove the foil.
  8. Put the carrots in the tin, stir to coat in the juices and continue to cook. Check the turkey with a cooking thermometer; it should read 65C.
  9. Leave the turkey to rest on a warm platter. Continue to cook the carrots until tender. Serve the turkey garnished with fresh bay and thyme, and the carrots alongside.

Nutrition

Calories: 753kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 94gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 14gSodium: 4.7mgFiber: 4gSugar: 17g

Notes

This recipe is suitable for a large gathering and can be prepared ahead of time for the marinating stage. Ensure the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 65C for safe consumption.

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