Herb-Roasted Turkey - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (14 lb.) turkey
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
thyme
4 medium onions, peeled and sliced
2 medium carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
3 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. peppercorns
1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) margarine, melted
1 tsp. sage (fresh or dried)
1 tsp. chives (fresh or dried)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350\u00b0. Wash turkey and reserve giblets. Carefully rinse and dry bird inside and out. Rub all surfaces with salt and pepper, including cavity. Place 12 sprigs of thyme in cavity. Put onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves and 6 thyme sprigs and peppercorns on bottom of large roasting pan. Place turkey on top of vegetables. Cover opening of cavity with foil. Pour butter over all surfaces of turkey. Sprinkle on sage, thyme and chives. Cover loosely with tent of aluminum foil. Roast 2 1/2 hours, undisturbed. Remove foil to let skin brown. Baste every 20 minutes for 1 hour. Turkey should cook to an internal temperature of 165\u00b0. Remove from oven. Let set 20 to 60 minutes before carving.