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1
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Rinse the turkey and pat dry.
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2
Finely chop half the pancetta and cut the other half into large chunks.
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3
Stuff the large chunks of pancetta, half the rosemary leaves and the whole heads of garlic into the cavity of the turkey.
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4
Transfer the finely chopped pancetta to the workbowl of a food processor with the remaining rosemary, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
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5
Pulse until everything is finely chopped.
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6
Loosen the skin of the turkey over the breast and around the legs.
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7
Slide the pancetta mixture over the breast and legs, under the skin, patting it out evenly.
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8
Transfer to a roasting pan and rub the turkey with olive oil.
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9
Tie the legs loosely.
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10
Roast for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, basting the turkey with 1/2 cup of the red wine every 30 minutes.
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11
After the second basting, scatter the shallots in the bottom of the roasting pan.
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12
Remove the turkey from the roasting pan.
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13
Degrease the juices with a fat separator or skim with a spoon.
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14
Strain through a sieve into a pot; keep warm over low heat and adjust the seasoning.
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15
Remove the whole garlic from the cavity and separate the cloves.
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16
Remove and discard the pancetta and rosemary, or save to us in soup.
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17
Let turkey rest for 15 minutes.
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18
Carve the turkey into slices and garnish with the cloves of garlic, which are meant to be eaten.
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19
Serve with the pan juices on the side.
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20
How do you know when its done?
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21
Buy yourself an instant read thermometer and use the recommendations below for meats and fish.
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22
Having an instant read thermometer takes all the anxiety and guesswork out of cooking meat.
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23
To use it, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat so the point is in the middle, and give it a few seconds to adjust.
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24
105 F. to 110 F. Rare 115 F. to 125 F. Medium rare.
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25
130 F. to 140 F. Medium Over 150 F. Well Done Roasts, big steaks and large birds should sit for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing.
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26
As the meat rests, in continues to cook, so keep this in mind when checking the temperature.
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27
It is recommended that poultry be cooked to 180 F. I personally find chicken and turkey cooking to this temperature to be overcooked and extremely dry, but I cant tell you to do as I do in this instance.
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28
Screamingly Good Food
