Garlic and Herb Roasted Turkey with Pan Jus

[seirish]

1 12-14 pound fresh organic turkey, neck reserved
1 head of garlic, minced
3 tbsp plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp grated lemon peel
1 tbsp ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
2 lemons, quartered
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 cups water, divided

1. Position the oven rack in a lower slot and preheat to 375F. Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey on a rack set in a large roasting pan.

2. Mix the garlic, 3 tbsp of oil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, lemon peel, 1 tbsp of pepper, paprika, and 2 tsp of sea salt in a small bowl. Rub 1 tbsp of the garlic mixture inside the turkey cavity. Stuff the lemon wedges into the cavity. Tuck the wings under and the tie the legs together loosely to hold the turkeys shape.

3. Starting at the neck end, carefully slide your hand between the skin and breast meat to loosen the skin. Rub 3 tbsp of the garlic mixture over the meat under the skin. Rub 1 tbsp of oil over the turkey and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Tent the turkey with aluminum foil. Roast for 1 hour.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the reserved turkey neck, plus the onions, carrots, and celery, with 2 tbsp of the garlic mixture to coat. Remove turkey from oven, pour 2 cups of water into the roasting pan, and stir to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Arrange the vegetables around the turkey in the pan, then return to oven and roast for another hour.

5. Lower the oven temperature to 325F. Remove the foil and baste the turkey with pan juices. Add 2 cups of water to pan. Continue roasting the turkey, basting occasionally with pan juices, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 175F or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Transfer the turkey with foil and let stand 30 minutes while preparing the pan jus. (The internal temperature of the turkey will increase 5 to 10 degrees.)

6. To make the pan jus, squeeze enough juice from the reserved lemon wedges to measure 1 tbsp. Stir the lemon juice into the pan juices. Line a sieve with a fine-meshed pastry cloth. Strain the pan juices from the roasting pan into a medium saucepan; discard the solids and spoon the fat from the top. Stir the remaining garlic mixture into the pan juices. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and season with sea salt and pepper. Serve the turkey with the pan juices.