Cajun-Spiced Roasted Turkey

Step 1

Mix all ingredients together and set aside. Keep soft at room temperature.

Step 2

Heat the oven to 375°F with an oven rack in the lower third of the oven.

Step 3

Add ⅓ of the vegetables and herbs to the bottom of a roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Fit a wire roasting rack over the vegetables.

Step 4

Transfer the turkey to a large roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack. Gently lifting up the skin, smear the compound butter all over the turkey. If there’s extra, spread the remaining on top of the turkey, or in places the skin was hard to lift. Stuff the turkey with the remaining vegetables and herbs. Using twine, tie the legs together.

Step 5

Pour the stock into the bottom of the roasting pan under the turkey. Loosely tent the roasting pan with foil.

Step 6

Roast about 2 hours, then increase the heat to 425°F. Carefully remove the foil. Roast for another 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer registers a temperature of 165°F to 175°F in the thickest part of the turkey.

Step 7

Remove the turkey from the oven, leaving the foil cover, and allow it to rest for at least 30 to 45 minutes before carving.