# Roast Turkey with Herbed Compound Butter - Made In

As far from a basic dry turkey as you can get.

As part of our [2nd annual Thanksgiving menu](/blogs/thanksgiving-menu-2023), this recipe from Chef Grant Achatz of Michelin-starred Alinea in Chicago takes a hybrid two-step method to cooking your Thanksgiving turkey. Your bird will start in a hot oven to jumpstart the Maillard reaction to achieve perfectly browned skin, then the temperature drops down to cook the interior slowly the rest of the way through. This achieves a balance between breast and thigh, so you don’t have to pick through dry white meat in favor of juicier dark meat.

The [herbed compound butter](/recipes/herbed-compound-butter) makes this a self-basting recipe, so no need to choose a side in the dry vs. wet brining debate. The butter is inserted under the skin as well as slathered on top, which results in the bird being bathed with fat, moisture, and flavor as it roasts. You’ll be rewarded with a tender, juicy, and flavorful turkey that tastes restaurant-quality but is easy to achieve in a home kitchen.

To determine timing for this recipe, factor in 1 hour for the turkey to come to room temperature, followed by 45 minutes for the high-heat browning stage, and roughly an additional 30 minutes of cook time per pound of turkey, with 1 hour to rest. For example, a 10 pound turkey will take approximately 5 ¾ hours to roast, plus an hour at room temperature before roasting, and an hour to rest afterwards. These times are approximate, and you should ultimately rely on internal temperature—not time—as your guide for doneness. But in terms of planning out your Thanksgiving Day, these rough approximations are useful. 

_Note: This recipe was developed using Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton’s, reduce salt by half._

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URL: https://madeincookware.com/recipes/grant-achatz-roast-turkey