prepare de Garlic & Herb Butter

• Place the garlic cloves on a small piece of aluminium foil.
• Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Fold the foil to make a pouch.
• Roast at 180°C / 350°F for about 30 minutes, until the garlic is soft and lightly caramelised.
• In a bowl, mix the softened butter, the finely chopped sage and the roasted garlic, mashed into a paste.
• Stir until you have a smooth, well-flavoured butter.
• Gently loosen the skin over the turkey breast with your fingers, being careful not to tear it.
• Generously spread the garlic herb butter between the skin and the meat.
• Smooth the skin with your hands from the outside to distribute the butter evenly.

Cook the turkey

• Preheat your oven to 230°C / 450°F.
• Season and fill the cavity : Place in the cavity: one onion, the garlic cloves, 8 sprigs of rosemary and 8 sprigs of sage. If you’re using a stuffing, this is the moment to spoon it inside.
• Arrange any remaining herb sprigs in the roasting pan around the turkey to perfume the juices.
• Insert the garlic herb butter under the skin over the breast. Try to spread it as evenly as possible. If you have some butter left, you can also rub a thin layer over the outside of the turkey.
• Finally, rub the whole bird with extra-virgin olive oil. This is what gives you that golden, crisp skin.
• For a neat presentation and more even cooking, tie the legs together with kitchen string.
• Pour a little water into the bottom of the roasting pan so the drippings don’t burn.
• Place the turkey on a rack in the pan.
• Roast for 15 minutes at 230°C / 450°F.
• Lower the temperature and continue cooking Reduce the oven temperature to 165°C / 325°F.
• Continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices. Between bastings, I like to change the position of the turkey for an even golden colour: start breast-up, then turn it onto the left side, then onto the right side, and finish breast-up again. (Use flexible silicone oven gloves to turn the turkey safely.)
• Roast until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74°C / 165°F on a meat thermometer.
• Count about 2 to 2½ hours in total, or roughly 12 minutes per 450 g (1 lb).
• Add a little more water if the pan starts to dry out.
• If the skin on the breast, legs or wings browns too quickly at any point, cover just those areas loosely with foil.
• Rest the turkey, remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest in the pan for 15 minutes before carving.
  This allows the juices to redistribute, making the meat more tender and moist.
• Use the pan juices, strain the pan juices and serve them as they are, or use them to make a rich, flavourful gravy to serve with the turkey.

How to Prepare the Roasted Vegetables

• Parboil the vegetables : Cook each type of vegetable separately in gently salted boiling water for about 5 minutes, no more. This helps them roast evenly without falling apart.
• Season the vegetables : Season the vegetables (either separately or all together) with grated garlic, salt, black pepper and herbes de Provence.
  Add olive oil, a little of the vegetable cooking water, and if possible a spoonful of turkey drippings.
• Roast in the oven : Place the vegetables in an ovenproof dish, cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes on a rack below the turkey.
• Brown and finish : Remove the foil and continue roasting until the vegetables are nicely golden. At this stage you can add another spoonful of turkey juices for even more flavour.