Tom Colicchio’s Herb-Butter Turkey from ‘The Epicurious Cookbook’

2 Reviews

By Kate Williams

Kate Williams Kate Itrich-Williams is a food writer, editor, and recipe developer who wrote the "Cook the Book" column for Serious Eats.

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Updated on October 31, 2026

Credit: Ellen Silverman

Starting the turkey in a hot oven allows the skin to brown; lowering the heat lets it finish more gently.

Rubbing herb butter beneath the skin allows you to season the breast meat directly.

Adding butter and broth to the roasting pan at regular intervals gives you plenty of pan juices for basting and gravy.

When I begin planning my Thanksgiving meal, the most contentious item is the turkey—okay, not the turkey itself, but its method of preparation. To brine or not to brine? To roast low and slow or hot and well-browned? Should it be flipped during cooking or spatchcocked for efficiency?…