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1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put turkey on a stable
cutting board
breast side down and cut out backbone.
Turn turkey over, and press
on it to flatten. Put it, breast side
up, in a roasting pan. Wings
should partly cover breasts, and legs
should protrude a bit.
2. Tuck garlic and tarragon under the bird and in
the nooks of the
wings and legs. Drizzle with olive
oil, and sprinkle liberally
with salt and pepper.
3. Roast for 20 minutes, undisturbed. Turkey should
be browning.
Remove from oven, baste with pan juices,
and return to oven.
Reduce heat to 400 degrees (if turkey
browns too quickly, reduce
temperature to 350 degrees).
4. Begin to check turkey's temperature about 15
minutes later (10
minutes if bird is on the small side).
It is done when thigh meat
registers 165 degrees on an instant-read
meat thermometer. Check
it in a couple of places.
5. Let turkey rest for a few minutes before carving,
then serve with
garlic cloves and pan juices. Yield:
At least 10 servings.
